Welcome to Organizer’s Corner — a (free) newsletter from your friends at Get Pod Local! Because we can help you stay inform — but then what?
Enter in your weekly call to actions (CTA!) from our Resident Precinct Chair, Joey Cade!
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No Kings (and Beyond)
It was invigorating to be in the streets with fellow Americans last Saturday, Oct 18, for our local No Kings protest.
Together, we loudly and proudly demanded an end to the authoritarian takeover, the illegal actions of ICE, the racist, Christian Nationalist maga/GOP, and the oligarchs and elected officials who are billionaire bootlicking bastards. No Kings was intergenerational and very diverse, in age and ethnic community. You could also feel the recognition of the class war against us all. So coming together felt important - full of hope & opportunity - for what we can accomplish as one.
The sweetest moment was when, as we stood in a fierce rain storm, one of the speakers yelled, “They can’t defeat us if we are united, because together - WE ARE THE STORM!” Just then, there was a huge clap of thunder that we could all feel in our bones. And the crowd erupted in cheers and hugs and fists in the air. Because it’s true and we know it in our bones. If we work together, we WILL take back America. And we will seek to know real justice, real peace.
Together, we committed to do the work to take back our country.
First, we come together - check! ✅
Then, we get involved
Find a way to get in the game locally, wherever you live
And Now, We Vote Together
And we make sure everyone we meet votes with us in EVERY ELECTION. When we get in the habit of voting together, we build power together.
And, unfortunately, we have to care about voting - because this is one way we fight the authoritarian takeover of our country.
The racist, Christian Nationalist TX GOP is absolutely stealing our elections - through voter purges, elimination of voting centers, policies that restrict access to the ballot at voting centers, and suspicious delays in processing newly registered voters.
Read: Texas’ Mass Voter Purge Highlights a National Strategy of Suppression
Read: Election experts cautious as Abbott touts voter roll purge
Read: Texas counties struggle to process voter registrations using state’s new system
They’ve purged millions of TX voters in recent years and recently permanently purged many more. PLUS, many people who have registered in recent months are finding out they aren’t registered yet due to “technical delays” at the Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM) system causing new voters to not be processed and the update of voter files to be “faulty”, meaning many have been left off the registration rolls who have registered correctly. Estimates are that up to 25% of voters in some locations will have issues voting this year in Texas.
THIS IS ON PURPOSE
We must fight this by making sure we vote - no matter what - and we need to prepare for more shenanigans to steal the election in TX in 2026….
Read: Map Reveals Where Trump Plans To Monitor California, New Jersey Elections
Please take advantage of being able to vote now. It may be even harder in 2026. But we won’t give up. We must keep fighting for our right to vote, no matter what.
What To Do If You Are Turned Away When You Go Vote?
If you believe you have been wrongly denied a ballot at a polling place, or if your registration status is incorrect, here are some steps to take:
Check your registration: Visit the official Texas Secretary of State’s portal at VoteTexas.gov to confirm your registration status.
*** Cast a provisional ballot: If you are at a polling place and your name is not on the voter roll, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot. ALWAYS. Election officials are required by law to investigate your eligibility and will notify you after Election Day whether your ballot was counted. ***
If your voting location has a GOP election judge you may be told that you can’t vote and must leave. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Step outside and call your local county elections office. They should back you up and get you access to a provisional ballot. If the site’s election judge still wants to deny you, you can leave and try another voting center.
If you cast a provisional ballot, I recommend you call your local county Democratic party headquarters for assistance curing your vote.
First, call your local county elections office, to report that you voted with a provisional ballot and want to cure your vote. They are meant to contact you to handle that later.
But because they are highly under staffed and just go in order of the reports, I recommend calling your county Democratic party because they are motivated to assist you in any way they can to get your vote cured. This is one reason having a strong country Democratic party matters. In Dallas County, the Dallas Democrats have a great Voter Protection team who will help.
Keep your information updated in the voter rolls: If you have moved to a different county within Texas, you must re-register. You can update your information at Texas.gov.
Contact authorities: If you believe your rights have been violated, you can report it to your local election officials or the Texas Attorney General’s office. Nonpartisan voting rights organizations also track such incidents and may offer assistance.
It’s not fun to do all of this, but it’s your right as an American to vote, so fight as hard as you have the energy for.
Once We’ve Voted…
we each then need to devote ourselves to Getting Out The Vote (GOTV) until election day. With the extremist takeover we’re fighting, voting isn’t enough anymore. The easiest way to do this is to message your people in the threads you are already in.
Ask in your fam thread if they’ve voted yet
Offer to help friends at work or school make their plan to vote
You can ask your neighbors if they need help voting
You can even contact your Dem party HQ to ask for a list to block walk if you want to go big
But Whatever You Do, Please Help GOTV (get out the vote)
Only when we ALL vote, will we get a truly representative democracy. Our government is currently being held by an extremist minority who’ve taken every level of power. We must fight back. And the first, most important way we fight is by VOTING, and making sure everyone else votes. Claiming our right to access the ballot is essential to fight authoritarians.
Thank you for voting. Thank you for getting out the vote. Let’s BE THE STORM together and take back America!
- Joey
And Now, TWO Moments of Zen
Tomorrow Is Day 8 Of Early Voting In Texas!
These are our recommendations:
These are our recommendations. The worst are Props 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, and 15. Please encourage everyone you know to vote NO on these. [Progressives across the board agree with these for NO]
Other Texas Voter’s Guides:
Other Elections Across the Country:
17 statewide propositions will appear on the November ballot. Here’s what Texas voters need to know.
Houston has a special election for their 18th district to finally fill Rep. Sylvester Turners seat.
We do not live in Houston but Joey Cade and I recommend these two candidates:
Mayoral Races
This is a race to watch as the Incumbent Mayor Aftab Pureval is running against JD Vance’s half-brother, Cory Bowman.
Organizer’s Corner is a Newsletter brought to you by our very own, Joey Cade Lots of folks have ideas of what can help / what you should do — and while no one has all the answers, we (specifically Joey) do have some. Okay, a lot. Joey is not just a co-host of Get Pod Local …she’s also the Precinct Chair for Dallas’ Precinct 1052.
We’re Also On Youtube!
Get Pod Local The Podcast: Season 2 with Jalon and Joey
Joey and Jalon sit down with Politicians, Community Leaders, and movers and shakers making a difference. And almost every episode, the Dallas Mayor catches a stray. He deserves it. It’s fine. Episodes drop every Tuesday!
GPL Presents: New Newsletter with Jalon Nichols
Every week, Jalon catches you up on what is going on out here, who is doing it, how does that impact your everyday life, and what everyone is saying about. We are based in Texas, so we have a lot of Texas news, but we cover the whole wide world. There is a LOT of stuff going on everyday, and no one can keep up with it all, but we attempt to….for you. (Clap for us).
GPL Presents: Organizers Corner w/ Joey Cade
Every Sunday night, Joey Cade, our Resident Precinct Chair, lays out our Call To Actions for the week. Because knowing what’s going on is one thing. But doing something about it is another. Let’s do both!
GPL Presents: Water Cooler with Jalon and Joey
Every morning, Jalon D’na and Joey Cade check in and talk about something we read or saw on slack. Click below to sign up for that daily newsletter!
GPL Presents: Daily Briefs with Jalon Nichols
Everyday, Jalon reads you the headlines of the day — just to keep you in the know. Think NPR at the top of each hour, with a lot of shade some jokes.