Tomorrow We Vote

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TWV’s One Week of Action (Dec. 12 – 18)

2020 has been a challenging year. As the country reopens due to the Covid-19 crisis, misinformation continues to spread, and people are still promoting anti-masking and anti-vaccinations. This has affected immigrants seeking a new life at the border becoming sick, a shortage of staffing to help, and deaths have occurred. On top of that, Critical Race Theory has been rebranded by it’s antagonists and they’ve begun to cause uproars at school board meetings, ban books, and cause division between Americans over how to teach history – as well as what not to teach. School shootings have begin and gun violence is on a rise from the pandemic numbers. Politicians are doing almost nothing to quell the divide or even help solve the problems which most Americans agree upon. Time for some action Something needs to happen! So, as we get ready for the holidays, students wrap up their studies, and organizations prepare to wrap up their final numbers, we at Tomorrow We Vote have an ask. Would you be willing to do one more push? Would you be willing to help improve this state for one more week of action? We’re asking all progressive organizations, individuals, faith-based organizations, and volunteers to join us for “One Week of Action!” From Sunday, December 12, 2021 – Saturday, December 18, 2021, we want you to dig in a little deeper and organize for at least one of those days. Some ideas could be: Zoom calls to organize for next year Collect signatures for ballot issues Have volunteers knock on doors for a canvass Voter registration drives House parties to launch issue-based campaigns Plant trees for the environment Anything to reach the people! Tomorrow We Vote respects all of the organizations in the state and many have included us in their plans. We are always willing to team up and work with non-partisan organizations, groups, and people who want to do good work for the masses. If you’re interested in working together on a project, please reach out to us at [email protected]. There are so many issues that need to be addressed and it’s impossible for a single org to cover the whole state – no matter how much funding you have. So, let’s all do our part for one week and cover as much ground as possible! Are you in? Because we certainly are. We’ll be posting up a schedule of our events for our One Week of Action plan. Please also share yours so we can amplify it! Tag @tomorrowwevote or use the hashtag #actionweek in everything and we’ll repost. Sign up to volunteer If anyone wants to VOLUNTEER with us on this, we’d love to have you on our team! Contact us using the Volunteer form here.

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Donate to Buy Banned / Challenged Books

On this Giving Tuesday, we at Tomorrow We Vote want to give back in a couple of ways. One, we’re fundraising to help purchase the books legislators and school boards across the states are either banning or consider challenging to young people. Most of these are politically-motivated and seem to be a suppression of accurate history being told. Others are to control the stories being told by Black, Brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA authors. We want to stock our shelves to have a safe space for people to read such books. Second, we’d like to purchase these books from local bookstores – particularly, Grassrootz Bookstore and Juicebar, Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, and Changing Hands Bookstore. If you would like to support our cause, please feel free to donate to Tomorrow We Vote and choose the dropdown menu for “Banned Books” before submitting. Thanks!

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Today, October 15 is the LAST DAY to register to vote in AZ!

There was a lot of back and forth regarding days to register to vote in Arizona. An extended date of October 23rd had been temporarily granted due to the concerns of the COVID 19 epidemic on lower registration turnout. That date has been rescinded and now October 15th at 11:59PM PST is the final time and date to get all registrations in. The bad news is there are still a lot of eligible citizens who aren’t registered to vote in this important election. The good news is there were at least a few extra days to help register more people in Arizona. But for now, SHARE THIS PAGE! Today is IT for this presidential election and your one vote may be the one that makes the difference. Below are two ways you can register to vote. Choose a method and share it to as many people as you can and ask them to share it to as many people, etc. One ask can go a long way. On computer: Right-click on an image > Choose “Save Image…” > Text / email / post it on social media stories on October 15th!On phone: Click on image and hold > Save to Photo gallery > Text / email / post it on social media stories on October 15th!

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Unification through the Tomorrow We Vote National Convention 2020

On Monday, September 21, 2020, Tomorrow We Vote launched a large video project they had been working on for about a month to highlight voter engagement and focus on new and young voters. It is called the Tomorrow We Vote National Convention 2020. The idea was to cover the issues that concern young people as is usually discussed in their class presentations. But due to Covid-19 and the extended closures of schools due to government mishandling, TWV was forced to get even more creative. So, after being inspired by the DNC and RNC National Conventions, the question asked within the organization was “But what about a nonpartisan Convention”? Thus Tomorrow We Vote National Convention 2020 was born! Videos were created and submitted by specific people around the country who were asked to participate and who represent The United States. As a result, an hour-long Convention was created and displayed the concerns of many areas of humanity (many largely ignored) who rely on votes to help improve their experiences as American citizens. Feel free to check out the Convention as a whole by visiting this page or view each person’s video by clicking on them individually and share them to help influence people to register and get out the vote!  

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Lesson 7: Learn About the Power of Protesting

This lesson connects with the current climate which may be confusing to some young people who don’t know about the history of protesting. They have witnessed a lot these past few years and the death of George Floyd sparking international protests could be jarring. But when you look at the history of protests, it falls in line with American values which leads to which way one may vote. Check out this lesson and discuss on TWVocalize. Transcript: As the world protests against police brutality ignited by the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, we should take a look at protests that resulted in change in policies in the USA. Let’s start this! On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year old Black man died in the custody of Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Derek Chauvin (who is White) after he kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes – ignoring Floyd’s pleas of help due to lack of oxygen. This video-recorded incident sparked outrage, at first nationwide, and then worldwide resulting in protests, riots, and looting and calling for police reform – which some cities are now seriously considering despite criticism from elected officials. But in what ways have other protests resulted in change in policies? Let’s go way back to find out. One of the earliest protests in American history was the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. While Britain was in debt in the 1760s, the British Parliament felt it necessary to impose taxes on the American colonists to pay them. This led to taxing on printed paper down to glass and lead. Furious at being taxed unfairly or “without representation”, they took to the streets..or, Boston’s Griffin’s Warf specifically, and dumped 342 chests of imported British East India Company tea into the harbor. This sparked a 13-colony revolt against Britain eventually leading to independence. One of the most famous protests was the Montgomery Bus Boycott led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat on a bus to a White passenger due to racial segregation. This led to the boycotting of city buses. Choosing to carpool or walk, it took 13 months and the financial collapse of the bus company before the Supreme Court ruled segregation on public buses unconstitutional. The March on Washington DC on August 28, 1963 is credited with building support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. So, when you see protesters, stop and listen to their voices and messages. Don’t let the noise distract you about riots or looters. That only delays the progress which could change this country for the better. How much further would we be as a society if those who had protested for basic human rights and equality under the law had only been listened to?

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Tomorrow We Vote’s Statement in the Wake of the George Floyd Murder by the Minneapolis Police

During the Tomorrow We Vote presentations to high school and college students around Arizona, we always ask what issues affect their generation? Many of these young people respond with “police brutality” and “racism.” These long generational-aged concerns have penetrated through the newest voting-aged citizens who are not immune to its effects or the destructive nature it leaves in its wake. They feel the need to voice their concerns through their vote, their voices, and their social media accounts. Lately, the George Floyd murder at the hands (and knee) of a Minneapolis police officer verified these young people’s concerns; not to mention all they’ve witnessed on the news about the violence related to police conduct here in their home state of Arizona. They’ve pledged to use their voting powers to try to be the generation of change and inclusivity where their ancestors were pushed to fail. The country has reached another tipping point where authoritarianism has clashed with civil disobedience marching in the names of #blacklivesmatter and #justiceforfloyd. The result? Anger and frustration in the manifestations of protests and riots. And violent reactions in the manifestations of police brutality and looting. As representatives on their behalf, Tomorrow We Vote vows to keep the conversation alive and be the conduit between older and newer generations when their concerns need amplification. Racism and police brutality have no place in our society and this new generation of young voters is prepared to relinquish its choke on American society through their vote. We stand with them 100%.

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Lesson 6: Explaining What Battleground States Are

Battleground states or swing states are states within the union that can be swayed during an election cycle to favor one party or another. Being a critical part of reaching the Electoral vote count of 270 which leads to the presidency, a battleground state is fought hard. Watch the video hosted by high school sophomore Gabriel Lopez. And don’t forget to subscribe to the channel, and discuss on TWVocalize! Transcript: Have you ever looked up an election map during primaries and wonder what a battleground state is and if you live in one? Well let me try to explain this to you. Let’s do this! Every presidential election have the candidates heavily campaigning in what’s called “Battleground States”. But what exactly does that mean anyway? Well, a battleground state (or swing state) are states within the country which could wind up in the favor of each competing presidential candidate once the election happens. So, both Republican and Democratic candidates fight for those particular states. The Electoral Map is the road to the presidency. Whichever candidate can reach 270 electoral votes, which are decided by the voters, then they win the coveted elected office and become president. Each state represents a certain number of electors which means the race to 270 is critical as each state counts. But especially battleground states since they can decide an election. The states considered battleground states in this election cycle are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. The numbers can add up significantly for the one vying for the presidency. For instance, Arizona has 11 Electoral College votes. Florida has 29 Electoral College votes. Ohio, 18, Texas, 38, and North Carolina, 15. These states can either swing toward the Republican or Democratic candidate. But in order to determine where the battleground states wind up – red or blue – the decision is always up to you as a registered voter. If you’re 18 or older on Election day in November, you can make that decision. Not registered? Visit www.tomorrowwevote.org/register and sign up. You’re the key to 270 and the next 4 years.

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Lesson 5: What Is the County Board of Supervisors?

The County Board of Supervisors oversees issues county-wide for each state. Their positions resemble City Council but have a much larger reach. Click into the video below to view what they’re about and how they function in your life. Visit TWVocalize and join in to discuss the video and position. Transcript: Welcome to another Tomorrow We Vote University lesson. As we focus on local elected positions, let’s find out what the County Board of Supervisors is. Don’t know? Let’s find out. Let’s go! The County Board of Supervisors is a lot like the City Council positions except covers a lot more area. As the title suggests, they cover the county of the state they’ve been elected into. For instance, in Arizona, where they’re elected to four-year terms, Maricopa County has a Board of Supervisors as does Pinal County, Pima, Apache, and the others in the state. County Board of Supervisors also exists in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Wisconsin, and several counties in New York. Other states may not have the specific title of County Board of Supervisors but have equivalent agencies. Your state may have something called County Council or County Commission. New Jersey has the Board of chosen freeholders. Check your state for the duties of the county supervisors. These duties include approving the county budget. Some may even be responsible for collecting state taxes as well as levy taxes such as property or sales tax. These boards oversee county departments and like in New Jersey, authorizing expenditures and bonds as well as passing on all claims against the county. It sounds like a lot of work for a voter to choose who should sit on this board. When the time comes, choose carefully, and look up their public meetings. Where you live may depend on its impact and on your wallet.

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Lesson 4: Discussing The Role of State Senators

In our attempt to focus on local governments, this lesson is regarding the duties of State Senators and how it differs or relates to State Representatives. Watch the video below to become informed and visit TWVocalize to express your opinion! Transcript: The legislative branch doesn’t just have House members so let’s discuss Senators and what their role is in government. Intro! The other part of the Legislative branch of government consists of the Senate. In case you missed the lesson on the State House of Representatives, go back and visit to understand how they differ from the Senate. Senators also take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and their own states. They’re also voted in by eligible voters from within their state. Their job differs slightly from Representatives, though. Also representing districts inside of their states, there are fewer Senators than Representatives. For instance, in Arizona, the Legislature consists of only 30 Senators; one from each district. Their terms are also two years. Senators can introduce and draft legislation, enact bills, and also place constitutional amendments for voters to decide. Senators can also confirm or reject gubernatorial appointees for Executive branches of government. And it’s the Senate who have the ability to try, convict, and remove elected officials by order of impeachment. State Senators may vary by each state so look into your own state to see where those changes may lay. But there’s no doubt Senators hold a lot of power in the state which also includes tax increases and annual state budgets. Imagine how much power YOU have as a voter considering you can decide who represents you…or not. Think about that.

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Lesson 3: Explaining The 25th Amendment

As an extra lesson for this week, we dive into the 25th Amendment. Due to a trending of the late-term amendment to the Constitution, we felt we needed to let young people know what the importance and significance of this amendment is. When you vote for someone, you want to make sure it’s the right choice for you. If something goes wrong with that choice, there are safeguards put in place. Watch the video below and it will explain. Don’t forget to join TWVocalize to discuss further. Transcript: You may be seeing online people calling for the 25th Amendment. We’re all familiar with the first and second but the 25th? Well, let’s clear that up for you. C’mon! We know the first amendment to the Constitution includes the freedom of speech, religion, assembly and more. We are familiar with the 2nd amendment’s right to bear arms. But what is the 25th amendment? Well, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, plans had to be set in place for a president’s successor. The 25th amendment was an effort to resolve some of the continuing issues revolving about the Presidential office. Such as what happens upon death, removal or resignation of the President and what proceeds that action. * It was already set in place for the Vice President to become the successor but what happens when the vice-president is unable to serve? Or what if the president is comatose like Garfield was for 81 days before dying? Or Wilson after a stroke? If the Vice-president stepped up, would he or she be acting president or president? And if the original president recovers, who would be President? After the Kennedy assassination and an empty Vice-Presidency, Congress acted. Thus, the 25th Amendment was born! The 25th Amendment was used in the 70s when Nixon’s Vice-President, Spiro Agnew resigned and he nominated Gerald Ford. It was used again when Nixon resigned as President and Ford became president on the same day, August 9, 1974. Then, it was used once again, since Ford needed a Vice-President and on August 20, 1974, Nelson Rockerfeller was appointed and confirmed! So, when you see people calling for the 25th Amendment, now, you know. They’re calling for the removal of a president.

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