Wednesday, October 16, 2024
In this Issue: Join Us for Birthday Cake at Our Shades of Blue Awards Reception (It’s Kamala’s Birthday!) ● Lake Dems REV (Reach Every Voter) Project Continues to Gain Momentum ● Getting Out the Vote Is How We’ll Keep Trump Out of the White House Again! ● What is Your Plan for Voting This November? ● State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart to Receive Safe Place’s 2024 Joyce Fitzgerald Award ● There’s Still Time! Join the Election Protection Team ● Show Your Neighbors You Support Harris-Walz and Other Lake County Democratic Candidates ● Lake Dems Out and About ● ICYMI ● Upcoming Events
Contribute or Join/Renew Your Lake Dems Membership
Join Us for Birthday Cake at Our Shades of Blue Awards Reception
(It’s Kamala’s Birthday!)
Exciting news! We’re thrilled to announce that Terry Cosgrove will be keynote speaker at our Lake Dems Shades of Blue Annual Awards Reception. Terry Cosgrove is the former longtime president & CEO of Personal PAC, the leading reproductive rights group in Illinois. Under Terry’s leadership, the Illinois legislature transformed from anti-choice to the most pro-choice legislature in the country.
Simply put, Terry is one of the most influential figures in helping to protect reproductive healthcare, and someone whose political expertise continues to impact other states at such a pivotal juncture for this fundamental freedom.
We will also be presenting our Leadership Award to State Rep. Candidate Maria Peterson and our Volunteer of the Year Award to Joy Anes.
Are you planning to come? We’d love your help with planning and/or staffing the event. Let us know at info@lakedems.org.
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| RSVP at lakedems.org/ShadesOfBlue. | ||
| Are you planning to come? We’d love your help with planning and/or staffing the event. Just let us know at info@lakedems.org. |
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Lake Dems REV (Reach Every Voter) Project Continues to Gain Momentum
Our Precinct Committeepersons and Grassroots Volunteers Are Talking to Voters: We’ve had an amazing response to our Lake Dems REV (Reach Every Voter) project. We’re reaching registered voters who are very likely to support Democrats, but 1) might need to be convinced to cast their vote, or 2) might need more convincing to support our candidates all the way down the ballot. As you might know, studies show that we can improve these voters’ participation and support when volunteers have conversations with them, find common ground, and provide new information about our candidates.
Lake Dems is busy working to help our candidates win:
Lake Dems Voter Hotline: As we have each election cycle, we’ve activated our Democratic Voter Assistance Hotline at 847-433-VOTE (8683), staffed primarily by attorneys trained in election law and voter services. Feel free to use this number for any questions you may have, however large or small, relating to the election or to report any interference with voting or other problems at the polls.
Election Protection/Pollwatchers: As we’ve done before, Lake Dems lawyers and other volunteers trained in election law will be out at polling places throughout Lake County to troubleshoot. Our pollwatchers will be at numerous polling places around the county, and we can dispatch one to any other location, usually within minutes.
We’ve been distributing candidate literature and Lake Dems Voter Guides: Getting candidate literature to voters is vitally important. And our glossy Lake Dems Voter Guide, which has candidate names and photos and makes clear that voters can take it into polling places with them, is important too. Door knockers are also handing these out.
Yard signs: Lake Dems will be placing yard signs at early voting sites and Election Day polling places. We’re also distributing candidate signs to voters to display.
With so much at stake, we have to continue working hard. Let’s keep going, and let’s win in November!
You can make a difference. Are you willing to help? Sign up here: lakedems.org/REV.
Getting Out the Vote Is How We’ll Keep Trump
Out of the White House Again!
By Steven Gan
We all remember the moment toward the end of the Walz-Vance debate when Governor Tim Walz asked JD Vance to affirm that Trump lost the last election.
| Waltz: | “Did he lose the 2020 election?” |
| Vance: | “Tim, I’m focused on the future.” |
| Waltz: | “That is a damning non-answer, I’m pretty shocked by this. He lost the election. This is not a debate, it’s not anything anywhere other than in Donald Trump’s world.” |
Can you imagine what would have happened if Vance had acknowledged that Trump lost the election? Trump’s henchmen would have met Vance at the debate stage door and handed him a phone where Trump would have yelled, “You’re fired!!”
Anyone who wants to be part of Trump’s inner circle is required to deny even the smallest sliver of doubt that Trump lost the election. In other words, you must embrace all the falsehoods, conspiracies, gaslighting, and unadulterated lies that are the basis of Trump’s insane world.
Trump and his minions are clearly unfit to govern. How do we prevent them from occupying the White House again? We work to get the vote out like we’ve never worked before. Here are three things that each of us can do to support our efforts to Get Out The Vote (GOTV).
Turn Our Social Media Accounts into a GOTV Campaign: Let’s post and repost content on all our social media platforms sending the message that we all must vote, vote early, and vote for all our Democratic candidates up and down the ballot!
Volunteer: Let’s be a part of Lake Dems’ door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, and text banking activities, all of which play a huge role in reaching voters directly. Every single call and every doorbell rung will have an impact.
Encourage Mail-In and Early Voting: Let’s encourage our fellow Democrats to take advantage of early voting options, either in-person early voting or voting by mail. This is especially important for voters who have busy schedules or who cannot easily get to polling places.
Remember: Elections are often decided by a handful of votes. These last couple of weeks require all hands on deck. We must encourage everyone in our circles to get out and vote for Harris-Walz and Democrats all the way down the ballot. Only in this way can we prevent the right-wing MAGA Republicans from destroying our freedoms.
What is Your Plan for Voting This November?
Lake County Early Voting Has Begun
Early voting is available right now at the Lake County Main Courthouse lobby in Waukegan. More early voting sites will be open across the county beginning on October 21. Unlike on Election Day, Lake County voters can vote at any site countywide regardless of where they live.
Click here to find a complete list of early voting locations.
It’s Not Too Late to Apply for a Vote-by-Mail Ballot
The Lake County clerk’s office must receive your completed ballot application by 5:00pm on the Thursday before Election Day, October 31; don’t take a chance and wait that long.
Note that you do not have to use the U.S. Postal Service to vote by mail. There will be drop boxes in every early voting location starting October 21, and six 24-hour drop boxes that will be available until 7:00pm on Election Day, November 5. Click here for a complete list of drop box locations.
Note that you do not have to use the U.S. Postal Service to vote by mail. There will be drop boxes in every early voting location starting October 21, and six 24-hour drop boxes that will be available until 7:00pm on Election Day, November 5.
Click here for a complete list of drop box locations.
Lake County Democrats congratulate State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, who will receive A Safe Place’s 2024 Joyce Fitzgerald Award. We’re so proud of his leadership on behalf of victims and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart to Receive Safe Place’s 2024 Joyce Fitzgerald Award
There’s Still Time! Join the Election Protection Team
In an alarming moment during the vice presidential debate, Trump’s running mate JD Vance made it clear that MAGA followers still have no intention of accepting election results, and they’re planning to fill voting places with supporters for so-called “election integrity.” The good news is that we’ve seen this before and people like you can do something about it: attorneys and other poll watchers should join the Lake Dems/Tenth Dems Election Protection Team.
Click lakedems.org/ElectionProtection to be part of the Election Protection Team to protect voting rights during early voting (which begins countywide on October 21) and/or on Election Day, November 5.
We’ve been ahead of the curve on this. For years, our Election Protection Team of over 125 poll watchers – and we need even more – has helped in Lake County and the 10th Congressional District.
Attorneys with election law expertise lead our training sessions. Options include:
- Wednesday, October 16, 6:00 – 7:30pm, in Lake County
- Wednesday, October 23, 7:00 – 8:30pm, in Cook County
- Sunday, October 27, time TBA, on Zoom
Training is free and open to Democrats. (Note to attorneys seeking CLE credit: This training is approved for 1.5 hours of FREE Professional Responsibility CLE.)
Hope to see you at the training and at the polls.
Show Your Neighbors You Support Harris-Walz and Other Lake County Democratic Candidates
(We can deliver to Lake County and the 10th Congressional District)
And we have signs for our Lake County Democratic candidates, too! Watch your email for more information.
We need help with yard sign distribution.
If you’re willing, go to lakedems.org/volunteer and select Merchandise.
Lake Dems Out and About
We love to include event photos in our newsletter! To be considered for inclusion, please send yours to info@lakedems.org with a brief description of the event. Have an event coming up? To submit future events for consideration for our website and emails: lakedems.org/submit-an-event.
State Rep. Joyce Mason Honored by Illinois Action for Children
Lake Dems Postcard Writing Party for Eric Rinehart in Our Grayslake Office
Lake Dems Day of Action for Eric Rinehart (co-sponsored with Lake County Young Dems and Moraine Dems)
Lake County Democrats Veterans Committee and Fremont Dems Co-Sponsor a Day of Action for Jen Banek and Eric Rinehart
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Lake Dems Knock Doors to Help Win Over Wisconsin
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Lake Dems were in Wisconsin to hear Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten, as he shared his story of how policies advanced by Democrats have impacted the lives of his mother, his son Gus, and himself. If you’re interested in knocking doors in SE Wisconsin and Saturday or Sunday between now and Election Day, go to lakedems.org/wow to sign up.
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
State Rep. Nabeela Syed Receives Retiree Champion Award
More than 230 doctors and health care providers call on Trump to release medical records
Lilly Ledbetter, Activist Who Inspired Fair Pay Act, Dies at 86
Upcoming Events
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16
Write Postcards with Lake Dems to Elect Democrats. 2:00pm, Highland Park.
Brushwood Center Event 41st Annual Smith Nature Symposium Awards Dinner. 5:00pm, Lincolnshire.
Election Protection Team Training. 6:00pm, location in southeast Lake County provided upon registration.
Wauconda Township Democrats October Meeting. 7:00pm, Wauconda.
THURSDAY, OCT. 17
United for Choice for Eric Rinehart with Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick. 5:30pm, Highland Park.
Midwest Sustainability Group Fall Fundraiser. 6:00pm, Grayslake.
Pizza & Postcards in Grayslake. 6:00pm, Grayslake.
Joint Action Committee (JAC) Dad Bands for Democracy. 7:00pm, Highwood.
Indivisible Western Lake County (IWLC) October Meeting. 7:00pm, Lindenhurst.
FRIDAY, OCT. 18
Coalition to Reduce Recidivism Luncheon. 11:30am, Waukegan.
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
Day of Action for Hilary Winiarz in Wauconda. 9:30am, Wauconda.
Lake Dems Writes Postcards in the Grayslake Office. 10:00am, Grayslake.
Lake Dems Veterans Write Postcards in the Grayslake Office. 10:00am, Grayslake.
Lake Dems/Moraine Dems Write Postcards for Rinehart. 10:00am, Highland Park.
Day of Action with State Senator Mary Edly-Allen and Senate President Don Harmon. 11:00am, Grayslake.
Day of Action for Sara Knizhnik for Lake County Board. 12:00pm, Lake Zurich.
Knock Doors with Lake Dems in Wisconsin for Harris-Walz. 12:00 noon to 3:00pm, carpools leave from multiple Lake County locations.
SUNDAY, OCT. 20
Lake Villa Dems Day of Action. 11:00am, Lindenhurst.
Knock Doors with Lake Dems in Wisconsin for Harris-Walz. 12:00 noon to 3:00pm, carpools leave from multiple Lake County locations.
Lake Dems Shades of Blue Annual Awards Reception. 7:00pm, Riverwoods.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23
Election Protection Team Training. 7:00pm, location in southeast Lake County provided upon registration.
For the complete list of Upcoming Events, go to lakedems.org/events.
Click here to submit your event for consideration.
How Do I Join Lake County Democrats?
Lake County Democrats is made up of people like you, people who are passionate about building better communities and a better world. We’re a grassroots political organization, working with Democrats in all parts of Lake County – from Antioch to Highland Park, Libertyville to Waukegan, Barrington to Zion. Become a member online now (individual: $35/couples $60 – though more is always appreciated), or send a check payable to Lake County Democrats to P.O. Box 671, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Questions? Contact info@lakedems.org.
