Dear MoveOn member,
Stacey Abrams is running an electrifying campaign for governor of Georgia. And the latest polls show that the race is now a statistical dead heat.1 When she wins, she'll become the first Black woman ever elected governor in America.
Except there's a huge problem: She can't win if Republicans succeed in voter suppression. And her opponent, the Republican secretary of state, Brian Kemp, is trying to do just that.
News recently broke that Kemp has just thrown 53,000 Georgia voters—80% people of color—off the voter rolls.2
Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit to restore these voters' eligibility, but we can't count on the courts to fix this before the November election.3 So Stacey's campaign is scrambling to expand their voter turnout efforts to make sure the election can't be stolen from her.
Rachel Maddow is calling this a "flashing red light" voter suppression emergency.4 Will you rush an emergency donation of $3 to Stacey's campaign to help make sure every one of her supporters is able to vote?
This attack on voting rights, sadly, is nothing new. It's a continuation of a long history of American politicians keeping Black and other marginalized voters away from the polls.
Who are these 53,000 disenfranchised voters? They're 53,000 community members who want to help choose political leaders and influence the choices that will impact their communities. They're mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, retirees, veterans, students, new Americans, and first-time voters.
53,000 voters who might cast the decisive votes in the hotly contested Georgia governor's race, where Stacey's unabashedly progressive campaign is inspiring tens of thousands of people to vote for the first time.
If you're ready to say that in 2018 it's time to confront this racist history, if you're ready to challenge the notion that a Republican candidate for governor can choose who votes and who doesn't, and if you're ready to stand with 53,000 people who want to participate in our shared democracy, now is your chance.
Can you chip in $3 directly to Stacey's' campaign for governor right now and help Stacey fight back?
Yes, I'm in. I'll make an emergency contribution to Stacey's campaign.
Stacey has a long history of fighting to give Black people and other marginalized voters the power to vote.5 And her campaign has built up a powerful voter protection and empowerment operation.
Stacey is running an incredible campaign—no surprise, given her history of fighting alongside communities to defend their rights and taking on the rigged political system in Georgia. So we know that an emergency donation to her campaign will be put to effective use to counter the Republicans' savage voter suppression efforts.
This is not the only case of Republican attacks on voters. Last week, a campaign aide for a Democratic campaign in Texas was arrested for trying to petition the county clerk to protect voting rights for students at a historically Black college.6
And across the country, there are well-documented efforts by right-wing groups to put up misleading advertisements to discourage voting—as well as efforts now enshrined in law, such as requiring ID to vote and including a Supreme Court decision made just days ago that could keep many Native Americans from North Dakota away from voting in that state's race that could decide control of the Senate.7
We must fight to register voters, educate voters, empower voters—and ultimately, we must replace the Republicans in statehouses and in Washington, D.C., who think that waging a war on voters is a winning strategy.
To improve voting rights and voting access across America, we need to elect transformative leaders who will pass pro-democracy, pro-voter policies—leaders like Stacey.
Can you pitch in $3 to support Stacey? 100% of your donation will go directly to her campaign.
Yes, I'm in. I'll make an emergency contribution to Stacey Abrams' campaign.
As Stacey knows, the way we'll win the fight against voter suppression is by winning elections. It is profoundly unfair that to build the fair system we need, we first have to win elections in the rigged system we have. But we have a choice: We can let our voices be silenced, or we can fight back. Stacey's fighting back. And I hope you'll join her.
Thanks for all you do.
–Senator Kamala Harris
Sources:
1. "Poll: Republican Kemp and Democrat Abrams statistically tied in Georgia governor race," The Hill, October 12, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/52974?t=18&akid=218712%2E10220574%2EZ3sakj
2. "Kemp Sued Over Georgia's 'Exact Match' Voter Registration Scheme," Talking Points Memo, October 11, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/52973?t=20&akid=218712%2E10220574%2EZ3sakj
3. Ibid.
4. "Kemp holding up 53K voter registrations as he runs for governor," MSNBC, October 10, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/52978?t=22&akid=218712%2E10220574%2EZ3sakj
5. "Voting Rights and Public Integrity," Stacey Abrams for Governor, accessed October 17, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/53002?t=24&akid=218712%2E10220574%2EZ3sakj
6. "Why one political activist felt changing Prairie View A&M's voting procedure was worth going to jail," The Dallas Morning News, October 11, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/53003?t=26&akid=218712%2E10220574%2EZ3sakj
7. "Supreme Court Enables Mass Disenfranchisement of North Dakota's Native Americans," ACLU, October 10, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/53004?t=28&akid=218712%2E10220574%2EZ3sakj
Here is what Michael Moore has to say about MoveOn: "MoveOn is working around the clock to help organize and turn out volunteers to get out the vote in November. I know that MoveOn members like you are moving heaven and earth to win this election. We're the majority. But we need to rise up. That's the only way out of this mess." Will you chip in $3 a week to help win this election? (MoveOn will contact you shortly after Election Day to see if you want to modify or cancel your donation.)
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a weekly donation.
PAID FOR BY MOVEON
This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on October 18, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
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