The election’s just days away: time to get in the fight and make a difference.
It’s now or never to stop Trump.

What to do:

  • 📞 Work the phone: Make calls to get out the vote; staff voter assistance and ballot cure hotlines (details below or just start calling).
  • 🚘 Make a trip: Go help local groups get out the vote, or serve as a poll monitor or observer (details below).
  • 💪🏽 Spread the word: Share this guide widely, thanks.
It’s now or never to stop Trump. (Illustration: DALL-E)

Arizona

Trump is counting on Arizona’s 11 electoral votes, but it could be very close. Biden won Arizona by just 10,457 votes in 2020 (.3%), out of 3.3 million cast, while Trump won in 2016 by 3.5%. Maricopa County (Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale and Tempe) contains sixty percent of the state’s population, and often determines the winner.

AZ results by county, 2020 (NYT)

Georgia

Georgia, with 16 electoral votes, will also be very close. Biden won Georgia by just 11,780 votes in 2020 (.4%) out of five million cast, while Trump won in 2016 by a full five percent. Turning out votes in Atlanta’s suburban Cobb and Gwinnett counties and urban Fulton and DeKalb counties will be key. Augusta (Richmond county) and Savannah (Chatham) can help cut into Trump’s huge rural margins too.

GA results by county, 2020 (NYT)

Michigan

Michigan, with 15 electoral votes, is a critical part of Democrat’s ‘blue wall.’ Yet Trump surprised here in 2016, winning the state by just 10,704 votes out of 4.8 million cast. And Michigan voters are anxious about the economy, manufacturing jobs, immigration and the Middle East. Key for Democrats is getting out voters in key Detroit-area counties like Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, Macomb and also Kent (Grand Rapids) and Washtenaw (Ann Arbor).

MI results by county, 2020 (NYT)

Nevada

Nevada’s six electoral votes are a coin flip right now. Most of the state’s population is in traditionally purple Clark (Las Vegas) and Washoe (Reno) counties, and nearly a third of Nevada’s voters are registered independents. Vegas is booming again, but lots of Nevadans are feeling the economic double whammy of high inflation plus high unemployment, and Trump has made headway recently with his ‘no tax on tips’ proposal.

NV results by county, 2020 (NYT)

North Carolina

Trump won North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes by 1.3% in 2020, and the polls are now all over the map. The challenge is getting strong turnout in blue-ish metro strongholds to counter Trump’s conservative rural voter turnout machine. Key counties include Wake (Raleigh), Mecklenberg (Charlotte), Guilford and Forsyth (Greensboro), Durham, Buncombe (Asheville) and Cumberland (Fayetteville). Note that Asheville is devastated by flooding right now, so needs recovery help, not politics.

NC results by county, 2020 (NYT)

Pennsylvania

Whoever wins Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes is likely to become president, and it’s a dead heat. Trump beat Clinton by just 1% here in 2016 and Biden beat Trump by 1% in 2020. Democrats need strong voter turnout not just in the blue counties around Pittsburgh (Allegheny) and the urban east (Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh), but in the reddish-purple counties across the rest of this rust belt state (Lancaster, Berks, Luzerne, Cumberland, Erie).

PA results by county, 2020 (NYT)

Wisconsin

Harris is counting on Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes to put her over the top. But it’s anybody’s guess: polls have significantly overestimated Democratic strength here in the last two presidential cycles, which both Trump and Biden won by less than 1%, in 2016 and 2020. Democrats will need a huge turnout in the Madison/Dane County area, as well as Milwaukee and its purple suburban counties like Waukesha, to counter Trump’s huge margins in very red northern and western Wisconsin.

WI results by county, 2020 (NYT)

FAQs

Is this really worth my time?
Absolutely. Several swing states were decided by just 10,000 votes in the past two elections, out of millions cast. A little time now could make the difference between four years of Harris and four years of destructiveness (Trump will be even worse in a second term). What could be more worthwhile than making sure we avoid that?

Will I have to convince people to vote for Harris?
No. Get out the vote efforts (e.g. calling or canvassing) are not about convincing people to change their minds, but rather simply encouraging known Democrats to go vote (and making sure they know how).

Are calling and canvassing effective?
Yes. It’s all about Democratic voter turnout right now in these swing states, and there’s strong evidence that direct outreach is more effective than anything else for getting out the vote, including advertising. Calling lets you talk to more people, whereas canvassing provides valuable face-to-face interaction in neighborhoods that have been chosen for their density of Democratic voters.

Will I get training for how to do this?
Yes. For most activities, there will be a training session before you start, either on-line or in person.

Which state is the most important to work on right now?
The one you can most easily get to, or have the strongest personal connection to (friends, family, local knowledge etc). All these states are very close, and need more people helping in the home stretch. The state you’re most excited about is the one you’re likely to be the most effective working on.

What is poll watching?
Poll watchers (aka monitors or observers) are volunteers (not paid poll workers, which is different) who observe what’s happening at polling places to report problems if and when they arise. The criteria for acting as a watcher/monitor/observer – and for what they’re able to do – varies by state and by county.

What is ballot curing?
Ballot curing is working with voters whose ballots have been rejected to help them fix the cause of the rejection (e.g. missing required information) so their ballot will be accepted. This is usually done via a phone hotline.

I’m a lawyer. Is there anything special I can do?
Yes, lawyers are crucial to ensuring voter protection and election integrity, in swing states and beyond. Check out these important election projects you can volunteer for, including voter rights protection, on the We The Action website.