11,305 Arlingtonians have registered to vote so far this year

Here’s another number: 150.

As in, in conjunction with DPVA, we have hosted nearly 150 individual voter registrations events so far this year. We have been at the Metros, the grocery stores, the bars, condo buildings, fairs, festivals, the libraries, the high schools, the senior living centers, the farmer’s markets, naturalization ceremonies, affordable housing units, we’ve walked around Ballston mall, outdoor movies, and even hung out at dog parks looking to sign people up. When I told you we were going to leave it all on the field, I wasn’t kidding.

But our work so far is just the beginning. I want you to think of it as an opening punched through the opposition’s line by our ACDC  super volunteers.

Now, is the time for everyone in this room to get involved, because we need to hold that gap just long enough for all the Presidential year volunteers to join us and charge through.

And the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Progressivism is under attack around the globe. Britain just left the EU, the Philippines just elected a Donald Trump of their own, and in France the ultra right wing National Front is ascendent.Now is not the time to dismiss Don the Con as a buffoon. Stop looking at the polls and thinking we got this. I’m not just telling you to avoid complacency. I’m urging you to acknowledge something far more significant: this could be a realignment election.  What we are asking for is for this committee and those in your networks to provide us with the strength necessary tofinally knockout the lunatic fringe that has plagued the GOP for the past 8 years.The goal here is not to just win the election, it’s to win the argument so thoroughly that it’ll be placed back on the shelf where it has sat for the past 70 years. It’s time to go on offense and remain there until November.If the first phase of our voter registration effort was about shaking off the rust and the second phase was about picking the low hanging fruit, then this next phase is about working the margins until they lead to far more than marginal gains.But I need your help. I need leaders to step up to coordinate initiatives going forward. The ask is not for a year of your time, for 6 months of your time, or even for 4 months of your time. I merely need your all-in between now and October 17.  

The plan for the next two months includes focusing on Bus Stops on the Pike, the Multi-unit Buildings, and places of worship. Concurrently we will be working social and actual media. We will continue to back up the Joint Campaign and DPVA. And finally we will do one more sustained blitz of the metros.

Can u help manage a bus stop? Can you help us get in a building? Do u want to help with social media? Would your church let us do some non-partisan voter registration? Do you have contacts in the media? Would you be willing spend a weekend morning talking to your neighbors at a farmers market?

I urge every single person in this room to give some hard thought to what u can personally contribute to this campaign.

My name is Josh Katcher and my email address is Josh.Katcher@gmail.com. Email me at anytime of the day, and let me know how you want to get involved.  

I’ll see you in the trenches.