Because we weren’t able to raise enough funds for an affordable local office, we’ll be sharing space with the joint Kaine-Biden office soon. Stay tuned for more on this development. We’ll be putting our funds toward student (college and high school) interns instead.
Dues are Due!
Treasurer Jason Vandever reminds us that 2024 dues are due and can be paid via Act Blue or by mailing a check payable to Cville Dems to PO Box 916, Charlottesville, VA 22902.
If you’re already set up on Act Blue for a monthly donation, that recurriing donation covers you and you don’t need to do a thing!
Next Dems’ Meeting is June 24, 6:30pm
Voter Registration Moves Ahead, No Matter What!
Weekend rain has slowed us down a bit, but we continue to get out into the community to register new voters. We’ve tabled at Mel’s Diner, Sunshine Market on Cherry Ave., Community Day at Washington Park, UVA’s Community Fair for high-school seniors, Mudhouse on the Downtown Mall, Kardinal Hall, and of course, the Ix Market.
Please contact Suzanne (suzemichels@gmail.com) if you know of a local event or location ripe for our voter registration and/or rights restoration efforts or if you’d like to join the voter registration team! You’ll always have a partner and it’s pretty much always fun!
Volunteering for Campaign Efforts and Voter Registration to Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
Cville Dems will resume our Thursday Get Out the Vote efforts at IX Park after the June 18 primary election, from June 27 through October 31. As during the past four years, we’ll send postcards with voting information to anyone who has registered since January 1, 2024, until voter registration ends.
[In the meantime, if your fingers are itching to start writing postcards, there’s a (unaffiliated with Cville Dems) group meeting on Mondays from 10-12 at the Dunlora Club House. For more information, contact Mary Farrell at 703-655-3867 or wmekmf118@gmail.com. Also, May 24, 1-3pm with Donna Shaunessey, mail to: shaunesey@hotmail.com.]
Once early voting starts in September, we’ll call and remind them of the different ways to vote in Cville. Then, hopefully, precinct captains will coordinate a door knock for each new voter. We hope to to coordinate with Albemarle County Dems to reach out to their new voters as well.
We’ll also be mailing postcards, making phone calls, and knocking on the doors of Cville voters who voted in the 2020 Presidential election but haven’t voted since, urging them to once again exercise their right to vote!
But…postcard writing is just one of the many things we do on Thursday nights. We coordinate weekly with campaigns to launch canvassors, and have phone banks and text banks. So…for one night each week, volunteers from Cville and Albemarle County can come together to do whatever volunteer activity they choose while enjoying the companionship of fellow Dems.
This year, we’ll also be working closely with Rural Ground Game to increase the Democratic voter turnout in the 5th District as well as other rural Congressional Districts. We’re not sure what they’ll call on us to do, other than phone banking, text banking, and postcard writing.
RIGHT NOW, we need:
- volunteers to register new voters all over the city—at farmers’ markets, senior living communities, City of Promise, UVA Move-in Day, and many businesses and restaurants. If interested, email Suzanne Michels, suzemichels@gmail.com
- volunteers at Cville Dems tables at all polling places on June 18. If interested, email Mary Ann Harris, harrisma49@gmail.com.
- volunteers to do issue-related text banking for Rural Ground Game to the 5th District and other rural Congressional Districts. If interested, email Mary Ann Harris, harrisma49@gmail.com.
