Cville Dems

"Turn Out the Vote Thursdays" at Ix Art Park
2023-10-12 16:00 - 19:00, 2023-10-19 16:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Ix Art Park, 522 2nd St. SE, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902, United States
“Turn Out the Vote Thursdays” 4-7pm at the Ix Art Park on the Brazos Tacos lawn, weather permitting. Come when and for how long your schedule and mood dictate; it needn’t be every week or the entire three hours!
For the past three years, we’ve been fortunate to have so many dedicated people join us at Ix Art Park to eat, drink, chat, and pitch in together to help our Democratic candidates win. In 2022, we had 100+ volunteers who attended at least one time, with many attending almost every week. If you’ve joined us before, please join us again. If you haven’t tried it yet, come on down and meet fellow Dems and enjoy yourself while working for a big win on November 7!
At various times the group will be:

Writing postcards and making follow-up phone calls to newly registered voters. That combination has been very successful, resulting in this group voting at a consistent 75-80% rate in 2021-2023.
Distributing “walk sheet” name and address lists of Dem-leaning people for our campaign canvassers to visit.
Sending some specific issue-message postcards (a new idea we’re considering).
Writing postcards and phoning Albemarle residents we’ve registered.
Writing postcards and phoning for campaigns near Charlottesville.

If you can, bring a chair to sit on and a clipboard or something similar to write on.

MoveOn.org Banned Bookmobile Event (10/18/23)
2023-10-18 16:00 - 18:30 | Charlottesville Free Speech Wall, 605 E. Main St., Charlottesville, VA, 22902
Come Get Free Banned Books from MoveOn.org!
Join us on Wednesday, October 18, from 4:00-6:30pm, at the Free Speech Wall (605 E Main Street on the Downtown Mall) to meet up with (and get free banned books from!!) the MoveOn Banned Bookmobile and hear from featured speakers including award-winning local author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson (“My Monticello”) and a variety of officeholders and candidates.
It’s fine to drop by to catch the event, but helpful to sign up here with MoveOn.
The Banned Bookmobile is on a national tour to highlight the terribly frightening and undemocratic attempts by extremist Republicans to ban books in schools and libraries nationwide; per WVTF and the Virginia Education Association, there have been 400 attempted book bans in Virginia this year as of September, and one public library almost closed due to efforts to ban LGBTQ content (but they fought and won that battle!).
Not available for sale at the event, but Actor Levar Burton and MoveOn Political Action collaboratively released in early October a new original “Read Banned Books” T-shirt for National Banned Book Week in support of this campaign,. The limited-edition shirt features the likeness of the lifetime literacy champion LeVar Burton (long-time host of the PBS “Reading Rainbow” show) and can be purchased here.
Nancy Damon is organizing the event (thank you Nancy!). If you’d like to be a speaker, please contact her at nancycdamon@gmail.com.

Cville Dems Executive Committee Meeting (10/23/2023)
2023-10-23 18:30 - 20:00 | VA
Agenda and meeting location will be shared via email a few days before the event.

CANCELLED: "Turn Out the Vote Thursdays" at Ix Art Park
2023-10-26 16:00 - 19:00 | Cancelled, United States
No more work at Ix needed, we wrote and mailed approximately 7,500 postcards! This is far more than we’ve ever done before, and it happened due to:

Superb organizing by Mary Ann Harris, Nancy Damon, and Suzanne Michels – huge kudos!
Sincere gratitude to everyone who pitched in throughout the Summer and Fall by writing postcards and/or donating money to buy postcards and stamps.

So our Thursday at Ix work is done for this cycle, no more meet-ups at IX Park this Fall!
Now for the details about those 7500 postcards:

700 to new City of Charlottesville voters
1,800 to new Albemarle County voters
2,000 to City residents
500 for Rachel Levy in Louisa County
500 for Michael Feggans in Virginia Beach
1,000 for Susanna Gibson in Henrico County
1,000 for Lily Franklin in Montgomery County.

It was a pleasure spending time with old friends and getting to meet new friends — spending our Thursday afternoons together working to help elect the best candidates locally and statewide! We’re most definitely looking forward to sitting around the picnic tables in the Spring when the BIG 2024 presidential election cycle begins.
We hope most of you will join us for the big Sunday October 28 Canvassing push with Sen. Mark Warner at Pen Park!
And… make sure to remind all your Dem-leaning friends, both City and County, of the importance of voting; we can’t take victory for granted, it’s all about turnout!

CANCELLED -- "Thursday at Ix Park" (BUT we have alternatives!!)
2023-11-02 16:00 - 19:00 | Cancelled, United States
No more work at Ix needed, we wrote and mailed approximately 7,500 postcards! This is far more than we’ve ever done before, and it happened due to:

Superb organizing by Mary Ann Harris, Nancy Damon, and Suzanne Michels – huge kudos!
Sincere gratitude to everyone who pitched in throughout the Summer and Fall by writing postcards and/or donating money to buy postcards and stamps.

So our Thursday at Ix work is done for this cycle, no more meet-ups at IX Park this Fall!
Now for the details about those 7500 postcards:

700 to new City of Charlottesville voters
1,800 to new Albemarle County voters
2,000 to City residents
500 for Rachel Levy in Louisa County
500 for Michael Feggans in Virginia Beach
1,000 for Susanna Gibson in Henrico County
1,000 for Lily Franklin in Montgomery County.

It was a pleasure spending time with old friends and getting to meet new friends — spending our Thursday afternoons together working to help elect the best candidates locally and statewide! We’re most definitely looking forward to sitting around the picnic tables in the Spring when the BIG 2024 presidential election cycle begins.
And… make sure to remind all your Dem-leaning friends, both City and County, of the importance of voting; we can’t take victory for granted, it’s all about turnout!

"Donut Forget to Vote" Saturday Morning 11/4 Event!
2023-11-04 08:30 - 11:30 | City of Charlottesville Registrar’s Office (Office of Voter Registration), 120 7th Street NE City Hall Annex, Room 142, Charlottesville, 22902, United States
On Saturday November 4, the last day of Early Voting, we’ll be partying 8:30-11:00am near the Cville Registrar’s office (120 7th Street NE at City Hall Annex, near the Pavilion). Come join us and a medley of candidates who will chat with us and encourage us (and those walking by!?) to get their vote in. Donuts never hurt, so we’re offering them too!
Please contact Suzanne Michels suzemichels@gmail.com if you’d like to help with this event or have any questions. Thanks to our friends at Himalayan Fusion for help with staging logistics.
Sen. Creigh Deeds needs all our Cville blue votes to keep his seat and a Dem majority in the VA Senate. Don’t let the City’s uncontested races lull you into complacency; we need to work to make sure our neighbors and friends turn out to vote! So far this cycle, Early Voting is way down, which is worrisome…

Election Day 2023 (In-Person Voting 6am-7pm)
2023-11-07 06:00 - 19:00 | VA
Go to your precinct polling location (check where that is this year with the City of Charlottesville’s Interactive Precinct Map, because 40% of us have different polling locations this year than in previous years!).
Bring your ID (for Virginia’s voter ID policies, see this overview and list of acceptable forms of ID).
Same Day Registration (new as of 2023): If you’re not registered before Nov 7, you can go to your precinct polling place to register to vote and submit a provisional ballot; your polling place is determined by where you live. To find your correct polling place, contact the Charlottesville Voter Registration Office at 434-970-3250 or go to iwillvote.com (but if you go to the wrong precinct, the pollworkers there will redirect you to the right precinct).

November 7 Victory Party (hosted by Albemarle Dems)
2023-11-07 19:00 - 22:00 | Vivace’s Restaurant, 2244 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA, 22903
The Albemarle Dems are holding a Victory Party at Vivace’s, 2244 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903… and since we did all our canvassing with them this election season, let’s join them to enjoy the fruits of all our hard work!!

Cville Dems Full Committee Meeting (11/27/2023)
2023-11-27 18:30 - 20:00 | VA
Agenda and meeting location to follow.

Cville Dems Reorganization Meeting (Precinct and Officer Elections)
2024-01-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Carver Recreation Center, 233 4th Street NW, Charlottesville, VA, United States
January 6 Reorganization Meeting: Opportunities for New People with New Ideas!

Cville Dems Executive Committee Meeting (January 29, 2024)
2024-01-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Central Branch — Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, 201 E. Market St, Charlottesville, VA, 22902, United States
The meeting will begin at 6:30pm on Monday 1/29 in the Madison Room of the at the Jefferson Madison Central Library. The agenda will be shared a few days before the meeting.
NOTE: this meeting was previously announced as 1/22, but had to be pushed back a week because the election of officers was pushed back a week due to the City’s weather-related closing of Key Rec where we were to meet.

Meet the 2024 5th District Candidates!
2024-02-03 15:00 - 17:00 | Potters Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Road, VA, 22903, United States
Please come and meet the Democratic House of Representatives candidates running
against Rep. Bob Good in the 5th District.
Learn about their vision for the 5th district and find out what you can do to support their efforts!
Live music and cash bar (and food).

Virginia "Super Tuesday" Presidential Primary — Early Voting now through Saturday March 2
2024-02-23 08:00 - 2024-03-02 17:00 | City of Charlottesville Registrar’s Office (Office of Voter Registration), 120 7th Street NE City Hall Annex, Room 142, Charlottesville, 22902, United States
Early voting is underway, and ends on Saturday March 2! Early in-person voting is the safest and easiest way for most people to vote (the deadline to request a ballot for mail-in voting has already passed).
Here’s election information taken from the City’s Election webpage:

Vote at the Registrar’s Office (City Hall Annex,120 7th St. NE, Room 142 — 434-970-3250)
Voting began January 19 and can be done Monday through Friday until Friday, March 1 from 8:30am-4:30pm
The office will also be open on two Saturdays, February 24 and March 2, from 8:30am-5:00pm
Curbside voting from a car is available to anyone with a disability, limited mobility, or who is over age 65; just call 434-970-3250 when you arrive at the Registrar’s Office
Bring your ID (for Virginia’s voter ID policies, see this overview and list of acceptable forms of ID)
Sample Ballot

Full Committee Meeting (February 26, 2024)
2024-02-26 18:30 - 20:00 | TBA
Every Cville Dem and potential new Dem is welcome to attend (bring a friend if you want!), please mark your calendars to join us on Monday, Feb. 26, 6:30pm and see what we’re up to (and learn how you could plug into working to win this November’s pivotal election!). The agenda will be publicized a few days before the event.
Location for this one meeting:
Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
233 4th St NW
Charlottesville, VA 22903-4593

Tuesday March 5 "Super Tuesday" Presidential Primary — In-Person Precinct Voting
2024-03-05 06:00 - 19:00 | Local Polling Locations (see Interactive Map), Charlottesville, VA, United States
Election Day is Tuesday March 2! In-person voting is the safest and easiest way for most people to vote (the deadline to request a ballot for mail-in voting has already passed).
Here’s election information taken from the City’s Election webpage:

Vote from 6am-7pm at your local polling place (many precinct’s were changed in 2023, use the City’s Interactive Precinct Map to find your current Polling Location).
Bring your ID (for Virginia’s voter ID policies see this overview and list of acceptable forms of ID)
Sample Ballot

Orientation Meeting for Cville Dems Voter Registration Team
2024-03-10 14:30 - 15:30 | Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave #101, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, United States
Just before the first “Democracy on Tap” event (this Sunday 3/10 at 2:30pm at Kardinal Hall), join the Cville Dems Voter Registration Team for its annual kick-off orientation. Suzanne Michels will provide an overview of how things work and how you can join in. New people will be warmly welcomed, and if you’ve done it before this is a great time to reconnect with the team and see old friends!
About 85% of Cville voters vote blue, so registering someone in our area helps really helps in statewide and District races.
Questions? Contact Suzanne at suzemichels@gmail.com .

"Democracy on Tap" Speaker Series Launches this Sunday (3/10) at 3:30 pm!
2024-03-10 15:30 - 17:00 | Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave #101, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, United States
The Cville Dems and the Albemarle Dems are hosting our first “Democracy on Tap” speaker series event this Sunday at 3:30pm at Kardinal Hall. Miles Coleman, Associate Editor for Sabato’s Crystal Ball (a comprehensive, nonpartisan political analysis and handicapping newsletter published by the University of Virginia Center for Politics) will share information about the crucial upcoming elections.
Light snacks will be provided.
“Democracy on Tap” events featuring great speakers and camaraderie among local Democrats will be held monthly at Kardinal Hall. For all the old-timers, think of this as a revival of the always-popular Democratic breakfasts of the past.

University Democrats "Meet the Candidates" Event TODAY (Wed. 3/13)
2024-03-13 18:00 - 19:30 | University of Virginia (UVA) – Nau Hall, Charlottesville, VA, United States
The event will take place at 6:30pm in Room 101 of Nau Hall, which is on the south side of Jefferson Park Avenue just behind Old Cabell Hall. A small reception begins at 6pm, and at 6:30pm the candidates will be introduced, UDems members will ask some questions about issues affecting students at UVA and statewide, and the event will end with closing statements and an open Q&A.
UDems officers will be outside the building to guide those unfamiliar with Grounds. Public parking is a challenge—the best options are Newcomb Parking Garage or the lot by Scott Stadium.
All of the candidates are in the process of building out their campaigns and would very much appreciate your support – whether that is in terms of volunteer time or campaign funds. We have the raw talent to beat Bob Good in November, but the candidates need your help to make this a reality! The candidate websites are:

Gloria Witt — https://www.gloriawittforcongress.com/
Paul Riley — https://paulrileycongress.com/
Gary Terry — https://garyterryforcongress.com/
Toby Johnson — https://sites.google.com/view/toby-for-va5/home

Come to the "Meetings of Opposites" Program on March 16
2024-03-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Gordon Ave Library, 1500 Gordon Avenue, Charlottesville, VA, 22902, United States
The “Meetings of Opposites” programs bring together people with opposing views on politics and other issues. Henry McHenry will lead the Saturday March 16 program taking place at the Gordon Avenue Library meeting room from 1-3pm. The workshop will be timely given today’s perception wars:
After a video demonstrating the mechanism of perception which produces optical illusions and prevents accurate assessment of visual information, we notice that the same mechanism seems to be at work in the ways we interact with each other. We are swamped in perception wars, because the assumptions that keep us in our positions, Us-Against-Them, reside in narratives that own us and that we can’t see out of. To experience a way of being together different from the one perception enables and enforces, we will engage with each other in physical exercises and activities, some as simple as a handshake.

State Senator Danica Roem's VA Book event (3/23/24)
2024-03-23 10:30 - 11:30 | Paramount Theater, 215 E Main St, Charlottesville, 22902-5231, United States
[https://cvilledems.org/events/state-senator-and-now-author-danica-roem-at-book-festival/]

Next "Democracy on Tap": April 7 with Local History Expert Sterling Howell
2024-03-29 08:00 - 17:00 | Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave #101, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, United States
Second “Democracy on Tap” Speaker (4/7/24) will be Historic!

Sen. Kaine's 2024 Campaign Launch comes to Charlottesville (4/4)
2024-04-04 11:00 - 13:00 | Revealed Upon Signup
Senator Tim Kaine is launching his 2024 re-election campaign with his “Standing Up for Virginia” tour! And he’ll be coming to Charlottesville on April 4th!
With so much at stake, we need Senator Kaine to keep standing up for Virginia, as he fights to promote good paying jobs, protect our democracy, and safeguard our fundamental rights!
Join Senator Kaine, elected officials, & community leaders in Charlottesville and learn about ways to get involved. Together, we will re-elect Tim Kaine & help deliver victories for Democrats up and down the ballot in November!
Further information will be provided upon RSVP. See you there!

Second "Democracy on Tap" Speaker (4/7/24) will be Historic!
2024-04-07 15:30 - 17:00 | Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave #101, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, United States
For our second “Democracy on Tap” event, Sterling Howell, Programs Manager of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, will describe the changing role of the society since its founding in 1940, and discuss the value of local history and why it should be supported in our time when history, books, and other institutions are under attack.
“Democracy on Tap” events are held monthly at Kardinal Hall on first Sunday of each month starting 3:30pm.

Full Committee Meeting (VERY Abbreviated, 4/22/24)
2024-04-22 18:30 - 19:00 | Central Branch — Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, 201 E. Market St, Charlottesville, VA, 22902, United States
We’ll have a brief full Cville Dems meeting followed by a Caucus in Charlottesville on Monday, April 22, in the Swanson Room, Central Library branch (explained below). Doors will open at 6pm, followed by the meeting 6:30-6:50pm. Registration for the Caucus will begin at 7pm, and the Caucus will begin at 7:30pm.

Call to Caucus
2024-04-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Central Branch — Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, 201 E. Market St, Charlottesville, VA, 22902, United States
The Caucus is an event to elect Charlottesville delegates and alternates to attend both the Fifth Congressional District Democratic Convention (May 18 in Fluvanna County) and the DPVA State Convention (June 22 in Richmond). If you’d like to be elected as a Charlottesville delegate or alternate, you must pre-file (explained here and here). We need to elect 14 delegates plus three alternates at the Caucus – yes, we need 17 people to volunteer for this important Democratic representation of Charlottesville at both the Fifth District convention and the DPVA State convention in Richmond. Delegates must attend both conventions. It is satisfying and enjoyable to be part of this political process, which goes all the way to determining the next President and Vice President.

"Democracy on Tap" May 5 Will Be a District 5 Candidate Forum
2024-05-05 15:30 - 17:00 | Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave #101, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, United States
On Sunday May 5 at 3:30pm our “Democracy on Tap” program will present all three Fifth District candidates – Paul Riley, Gary Terry, and Gloria Witt – discussing their platforms and viewpoints as they work to defeat and unseat Rep. Bob Good. This event is shortly before they compete in the June 18 Primary for a position on the Congressional ballot in the fall, so come with questions for your potential representative.
Our April 7 “Democracy on Tap” meeting featured Sterling Howell discussing Charlottesville history. He’s pictured here chatting with Bobbie Williams. Thanks, Sterling!

Get Out the Vote Thursdays Resumes 6/28
2024-05-25 00:00 | VA
Get Out the Vote Thursdays will resume on Thursday, June 27 at IX Park. We’ll then meet every Thursday to canvass, phone bank, text bank (new for us), and/or write postcards.
We’ll be reaching out to specific potential voters we identify in the City of Cville and the 5th District, and also coordinating with the campaigns to help them reach their targeted individuals.
Together we can reach out to thousands of registered voters and turn them into actual Democratic votes this November; we hope you’ll join us to make this happen!

June 7 Cville Dems Summer Bash is nearly here: Silent Auction, Live Music, and more!
2024-06-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 2nd floor (JSAAHC), 233 4th Street NW, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, United States
Our third annual Summer Bash is coming soon Friday, June 7, 6-8pm, on the lawn of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center at 233 4th Street NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903-4593, (with a rain date of Saturday, June 8, 6:30-8:30pm, inside the Carver Recreation Center (same building as the Jefferson School).
Sponsorships and tickets are still available. Our goal is to raise $20,000 and we still need $4,000 more to reach that goal.
Full info is at the registration page:
https://cvilledems.org/event/2024-cville-dems-summer-bash-june-7-6-8pm/
Our guest speaker will be Dr. Cameron Webb, plus appearances by our 5th District Candidates, Paul Riley, Gary Terry, and Gloria Witt, and State Senator Creigh Deeds and State Delegate Katrina Callsen.
Brought back by popular demand, there will be some live music and a silent auction. Silent auction items include a scone-making workshop with Minhee and Josh Throneburg, computer help with Kendall Dawes, genealogical help from Mike Cameron, movie nights at the home of Fred and Nancy Damon, plus more to come. Many of the auction items will be sign-ups, so a number of people can enjoy each fun event.
The Soul Food Joint will provide a chicken dinner option and Pearl Island Catering will provide a vegetarian option; we’ll send out an email to confirm which option you’re choosing. We’ll need help with set-up; putting tablecloths on already set-up tables, checking in attendees, and hypers to drum up enthusiasm for the silent auction items and events. Please email Nancy Damon at nancycdamon@gmail.com if you can help.
Details, including food options and ticket and sponsorship cost levels and access, are at the link above.
Please support and attend this community-building event. We can have a lot of fun while we do vital work to elect candidates who will work positively towards the future of our democracy. Consider a sponsorship, buying tickets for friends and family, or coming solo and meet like-minded Dems. You may even get inspired to join one of our volunteer teams!
To help with planning purposes, please purchase your tickets and sponsorships as soon as possible!

"Democracy on Tap" Avery Chenoweth on our local Latino Community
2024-06-09 15:30 - 17:00 | Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave #101, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, United States
Our June monthly “Democracy on Tap” event will feature Avery Chenoweth, author and documentarian, who will talk about the Latino community in Charlottesville. He was executive producer for the new bilingual documentary, “Sometime, Somewhere/Algún día, en algún lugar,” by local (Argentinian-native) director Ricardo Preve. Avery is also a Spanish interpreter for Habitat for Humanity International and a volunteer with Sin Barreras. Sunday, June 9, 3:30pm, at Kardinal Hall.
