Democracy Happy Hour—November 2, 2022

Democracy Happy Hour, November 2, 2022 - Meeting Recordings & Chat File:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/wlPmUgTTg6izi3eQ7g1TXDpmTiPoAaBodPnKXicIREvNKPaw298lxb0o7j40eJZI4yRwnPMf8um3-kqN.57VNIBFXm0AYn2iB

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/yQEsTx1BwRlaCxPlq5TVS1zIlTlkiYcf8rKwMJTINgCRGg-QlLYkOEH9uVs1BVpXvkIGPHmxIsT972lT.AWMmZ3rd8VkqI65c

• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/j9sdXDWwbOR2icIrUqa9pCYqzgCVXs41Nay4-SflgNSpzO0r5pCdcjkY1jNNrKk47Py3eyX2NevZc6zm.TfEC3uqQw1z682ap

Fix Democracy First links:

• DONATE to Fix Democracy First or Fix Democracy First Education Fund @ https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
  
• YO VOTE! (Youth Organizers for Voter Outreach, Teaching & Engagement) - https://www.yo-vote.org
  
• WON (Women in Office Now) – https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/won
  

Upcoming Democracy Happy Hour Topics:

• Nov 9 - Midterm Election Report
  
• Nov 16 – Creating an Inter-Movement "Generative Change" Community to Save & Strengthen Our Democratic Republic with Walter Roberts & Caleb Christen
  
• Nov 23 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week - Holiday Break
• Nov 30 – Share your favorite democracy themed book or documentary

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

Election Information & Actions:

• Vote 411 – https://www.vote411.org/
• Washington State General Election Fact Sheet - https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/current-election-information.aspx
• 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS Participation Guide - https://citizenconnect.us/vote/
• Election Protection - Stopping Voter Suppression - https://protectthevote.net/?partner=fixdemocracy
• Washington has restored voting rights to people with past felony convictions immediately after they finish their prison terms. - https://www.freethevotewa.org/

Events:

• Dark Money – Screening & Discussion – Nov 4^th @ 6:30 pm - https://meaningfulmovies.org/events/dark-money-3/
• Save the Date! Democracy Lobby Week 2023 - https://lwvwa.org/page-18629/12967035

Ranked Choice Voting on the ballot in Washington State:

• Seattle - https://rcv4seattle.org/
• Clark County – https://fairvotewa.org/campaigns/clark-county-campaign/
• San Juan County – https://fairvotewa.org/campaigns/san-juan-county/
• RCV Yard Sign Request Form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfemtIooNqTJFPJzmuzeZM_0YxSV0zSz72zbBcWkuPdvs7Vfw/viewform
• Take Action Page - https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/

WA Groups & Actions:

• Common Power - https://commonpower.org/
• Seattle Supports Democracy Actions: Democracy Action Hour with Seattle Supports Democracy – https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/480738/
• Eastside Gladiators – Be the Change 509 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/712510762509752

National Actions:

• Citizen Connect - https://citizenconnect.us/
• Walking to Fix Our Democracy - https://www.fixourdemocracy.us/
  

The Midterms: What can we expect? Links:

Early Voting Signals High Turnout in U.S. Midterms - https://www.wsj.com/articles/early-voting-signals-high-turnout-in-u-s-midterms-11666876129

As many as 60 million people may vote by mail this year - https://thefulcrum.us/Elections/Voting/vote-by-mail-123470986

Elections 2022 live updates: Latest midterm news with early voting underway - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/live-blog/elections-2022-live-updates-latest-midterm-news-early-voting-underway-rcna54737

Turnout in U.S. has soared in recent elections but by some measures still trails that of many other countries - https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/11/01/turnout-in-u-s-has-soared-in-recent-elections-but-by-some-measures-still-trails-that-of-many-other-countries/

Concerns About Inflation Rise Heading Into The Midterms, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Republicans Have Edge In Enthusiasm To Vote - https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3861

What Issues Are Most Important for You Leading Up to the Midterm Elections? - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/learning/what-issues-are-most-important-for-you-leading-up-to-the-midterm-elections.html

Election Day is Nov. 8, but legal challenges already begin - https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-donald-trump-lawsuits-d93488cda4b33ee3a73657ffe28d6b8f

State courts are fielding a sky-high number of lawsuits ahead of the midterms - https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/state-courts-are-fielding-a-sky-high-number-of-lawsuits-ahead-of-the-midterms-analysis/

Judge Curbs Actions of Election-Monitoring Group in Arizona - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/us/politics/election-monitors-arizona-judge.html

Hand vote count on hold after Nevada high court says illegal - https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-cabinet-nevada-american-civil-liberties-union-59d6599a4c7667f4f8f6bcc5bb6c182d

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Blocks Counting of Wrongly Dated & Undated Mail-in Ballots - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/pennsylvania-supreme-court-blocks-counting-of-wrongly-dated-undated-mail-in-ballots/

New York Court Upholds Two Absentee Voting Laws - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/new-york-court-upholds-two-absentee-voting-laws/

‘Raise the challenge’: Eastman exhorts poll watchers to build a record - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/28/eastman-poll-watchers-record-00063893

GOP push to monitor voting in Texas’s Harris County spurs outcry - https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2022/11/01/gop-push-monitor-voting-texass-harris-county-spurs-outcry/

Two in five U.S. voters worry about intimidation at polls - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-two-five-us-voters-worry-about-intimidation-polls-reutersipsos-2022-10-26/

‘A madness has taken hold’ ahead of US midterms: local election officials fear for safety - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/27/us-midterms-rural-california-voters-election-officials-fear-for-safety

Officials brace for unprecedented efforts to disrupt 2022 vote - https://www.axios.com/2022/10/28/2022-election-security-voter-fraud-threats

‘Our security here is a joke’: Election workers lament lack of federal spending on security ahead of crucial midterms - https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/27/politics/election-security-federal-funding-violent-threats

Poll workers train for conflict: ‘A little nervous? I am.’ - https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-milwaukee-voter-registration-23fcceb35dd767013f3ecc7c9c26d5b8

Trouble ahead? Most Republicans don't trust midterm election count to be fair, poll finds - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/30/most-republicans-dont-trust-midterm-election-count-fair/10596652002/

7 Facts About Voting — and Myths Being Spread About Them - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/7-facts-about-voting-and-myths-being-spread-about-them

The critical role secretaries of state will play in midterm elections - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-critical-role-secretaries-of-state-will-play-in-midterm-elections

2022 Midterm Election Forecast – FiveThirtyEight - https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-election-forecast/

Midterm Elections 2022: The Must-Watch Races That Will Decide The Senate - https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2022/11/02/midterm-elections-2022-the-must-watch-races-that-will-decide-the-senate/?sh=28695fdc6955

Senate Control Hinges on Neck-and-Neck Races, Times/Siena Poll Finds - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/us/politics/democrats-republicans-senate-election-polls.html

In 5 key battlegrounds, most GOP state legislative nominees are election deniers, report finds - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/5-key-battlegrounds-gop-state-legislative-nominees-are-election-denier-rcna53776?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

Top Democrats Question Their Party’s Strategy as Midterm Worries Grow - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/us/politics/midterm-elections-worrying-democrats-strategy.html

The Most Important Elections Of 2022 Could Be In State Legislatures - https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/state-government-elections/

These are the key 2022 general election races in Washington state - https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/elections/2022-top-general-election-races-washington-state/281-2cefa119-6cdd-4d9b-9cc6-4c76d35c3c8c

WA State Elections – Results & Other Info - https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/

Ballot Measures Roundup - https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/ballot-measures-roundup/

Michigan Proposal 2 - https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_Proposal_2,_Voting_Policies_in_Constitution_Amendment_(2022)

Nevada – Question 3 - https://yeson3nv.com/

Oakland – Measure W – Fair Elections Act - https://fairelectionsoakland.org/

Oregon - One Ballot, Two Different Types Of Ranked Choice Voting - https://www.kxl.com/one-ballot-two-different-types-of-ranked-choice-voting/

A GUIDE TO PORTLAND’S CHARTER CHANGE - Questions about ballot measure 26-228 - https://www.sightline.org/2022/10/12/a-guide-to-portlands-charter-change/

2020 ALL OVER AGAIN? - https://act.represent.us/sign/2020-all-over-again-three-midterm-scenarios/

It’s normal not to know the official results on election night. Here’s why - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/its-normal-not-to-know-the-official-results-on-election-night-heres-why

A red vs. blue paradigm shift in uniquely dangerous elections - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/a-red-vs-blue-paradigm-shift-in-uniquely-dangerous-elections/

A Self-Care Guide to Help You Get Through Election Day - https://hbr.org/2020/11/a-self-care-guide-to-help-you-get-through-election-day

Democracy in the News Links:

Native American Heritage Month - https://www.ncai.org/initiatives/native-american-heritage-month

The Facts About the Attack on Paul Pelosi, According to Prosecutors - https://www.nytimes.com/article/pelosi-paul-nancy-attack-facts.html

The January 6th Hearings: Criminal Evidence Tracker – Trump Subpoena Edition - https://www.justsecurity.org/83792/january-6th-hearings-criminal-evidence-tracker-trump-subpoena-edition/

Inside the secretive effort by Trump allies to access voting machines - https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/10/28/coffee-county-georgia-voting-trump/

Supreme Court Rules That Lindsey Graham Must Testify in Georgia Inquiry - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/us/politics/supreme-court-lindsey-graham-georgia.html

Top national security prosecutor joins Trump Mar-a-Lago investigation - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/10/28/raskin-mar-a-lago-trump-documents/

The truth about election fraud: It’s rare - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/01/truth-about-election-fraud-its-rare/

Threats against judges skyrocketed during the Trump era, and experts are now fearing for the worst - https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-judges-threats-courts-scotus-2022-10

As Stakes Rise, State Supreme Courts Become Crucial Election Battlegrounds - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/us/state-supreme-court-races-campaigns.html

Roberts Extends Freeze on House’s Attempt to Obtain Trump’s Tax Returns - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/us/politics/trump-taxes-release-delay.html

Supreme Court Seems Ready to Throw Out Race-Based College Admissions - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/us/supreme-court-harvard-unc-affirmative-action.html

Highlights: Supreme Court Hears Affirmative Action Cases From Harvard and U.N.C. - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/31/us/affirmative-action-supreme-court

THE END OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WOULD BE A DISASTER - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/affirmative-action-supreme-court-harvard-admissions/671914/

Behind U.S. Supreme Court race cases, a contested push for 'color blindness' - https://www.reuters.com/legal/behind-us-supreme-court-race-cases-contested-push-color-blindness-2022-10-28/

National government associations and legal scholars want U.S. Supreme Court to reject NC Republicans’ theory on elections - https://ncpolicywatch.com/2022/10/27/national-government-associations-and-legal-scholars-want-u-s-supreme-court-to-reject-nc-republicans-theory-on-elections/

Biden administration urges Supreme Court to reject 'extraordinarily disruptive' theory in major elections case - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/biden-administration-urges-supreme-court-reject-extraordinarily-destru-rcna54291

U.S. Supreme Court being asked to remove last vestige of Jim Crow from state Constitution - https://mississippitoday.org/2022/10/28/us-supreme-court-could-take-up-mississippi-voting-case/

Google, Facebook And Other Internet Forums Face Supreme Court Reckoning – Report - https://deadline.com/2022/10/google-facebook-other-internet-forums-face-supreme-court-reckoning-report-1235158595/

Majority of Americans Want Supreme Court Reform, Here's How it Could Work - https://www.voanews.com/a/6808219.html

Solicitor General Calls Out Stunning Lack Of Women Arguing Supreme Court Cases - https://abovethelaw.com/2022/11/solicitor-general-calls-out-stunning-lack-of-women-arguing-supreme-court-cases/

Federal lobbying topped $3 billion through third quarter for the first time ever - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/10/federal-lobbying-topped-3-billion-through-third-quarter-for-the-first-time-ever

Outside spending adds to GOP midterm momentum - https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3704026-outside-spending-adds-to-gop-midterm-momentum/

House, Senate Republican candidates entering midterms with cash to burn, big ad spending - https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/10/house-senate-republican-candidates-entering-midterms-with-cash-to-burn-big-ad-spending.html

Republicans’ Secret Swing-Seat Weapon? Dozens of Rich Nominees. - https://prospect.org/politics/republicans-secret-swing-seat-weapon-dozens-of-rich-nominees/

Oil companies helping fund Republican takeover plans - https://www.eenews.net/articles/oil-companies-helping-fund-republican-takeover-plans/

Leonard Leo’s ‘Dark Money’ Group Donates Millions to Back Republican State Campaigns - https://readsludge.com/2022/10/31/leonard-leos-dark-money-group-donates-millions-to-back-republican-state-campaigns/

Trump Has Shifted More Than $1.4 Million Of Donor Money Into His Private Business This Election Cycle - https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2022/11/01/trump-has-shifted-more-than-14-million-of-donor-money-into-his-private-business-this-election-cycle/?sh=56c0e7a678f0

Gen Z Candidates Raising Funds for 2022 Midterms Campaigns Are Defying Expectations - https://www.teenvogue.com/story/gen-z-candidates-fundraising

Meta is making millions off political ads from fake ‘pink slime’ newsrooms - https://fortune.com/2022/10/27/meta-facebook-instagram-making-millions-political-ads-fake-pink-slime-newsrooms-newsguard/

Meta fined $24.7M for campaign finance disclosure violations - https://apnews.com/article/business-seattle-washington-8e0dfaf7f9d7246583da33693559d36e

Fortune 500 Companies Have Given Millions to Election Deniers Since Jan. 6 - https://projects.propublica.org/fortune-500-company-election-deniers-jan-6/

Amazon puts January 6 in the rearview mirror: "It's been more than 21 months" - https://popular.info/p/amazon-puts-january-6-in-the-rearview

Churches are breaking the law and endorsing in elections, experts say. The IRS looks the other way. - https://www.texastribune.org/2022/10/30/johnson-amendment-elections-irs/

You, Poor Voter, Must Stand Back and Watch as Billionaire Plutocrats Purchase Democracy - https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/10/28/you-poor-voter-must-stand-back-and-watch-billionaire-plutocrats-purchase-democracy

Taking on Corporations and Special Interests Obstructing Progress - https://accountable.us/

Monitoring Influence - https://www.monitoringinfluence.org/

Elon Musk bought Twitter. Now what? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/28/elon-musk-acquisition-twitter/

You’ve decided to quit Twitter. Here’s what you can use to replace it. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/29/twitter-alternatives/

Elon Musk Takes Over Twitter, Can We Stop Wasting Time on Campaign Finance Reform? - https://cepr.net/elon-musk-takes-over-twitter-can-we-stop-wasting-time-on-campaign-finance-reform/

Through local reform, women of color are re-imagining democracy - https://thefulcrum.us/Government/Local/women-of-color-in-politics

How to Save America From Extremism by Changing the Way We Vote - https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/10/31/ranked-choice-voting-multi-member-house-districts/