Virginians Go to the Polls Tomorrow to Help Save Our Democracy
Rural Ground Game organizers in Virginia have made over 700,000 calls to turn out the YES vote on a ballot measure that could flip four U.S. House seats.
Last week, my Weekly Skews colleagues Trae Crowder and Mark Agee, joined Lynlee Thorne from Rural Ground Game for a phonebank to help get out the vote for Virginia’s redistricting ballot measure. The YES campaign is led by Virginians for Fair Elections.
This vital measure, which Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell and Speaker Don Scott got passed twice in the Virginia legislature before it was sent to voters, is a direct rebuttal to the gerrymandering in Texas that Trump demanded last year. If the ballot measure passes, Democrats could pick up four additional U.S. House seats in November.
Unlike Texas, Virginia voters will have the final say, just as they did in California last fall.
The ballot measure asks a very clear, concise question:
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?
Democrats across Virginia are working hard to ensure passage, and phone banking plays a critical role. Our friends at Rural Ground Game have reached well over 700,000 Virginia voters and secured tens of thousands of YES votes. According to Lynlee, “Over 20% of voters who first say they are undecided change their support to YES during these calls. Volunteers report great experiences participating in our phone banks which would not be possible without the support of our incredible partners who help train and support volunteers during each event.”
Republicans are outraged that Democrats would let voters make the decision to create new districts. Their campaign to defeat the ballot measure has massive financial backing from JD Vance’s benefactor Peter Thiel, who has poured millions into the state, running ads using racist lies. They really do not want Democrats to win control of the U.S. House in November, because they know what that means: accountability for the cost, chaos and corruption that Trump has inflicted on all of us. Trump and Vance’s billionaire buddies have been the big — and only — winners for the past 15 months while rural communities have gotten screwed.
Election day is tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21), though early voting has been underway since early March. There’s still time to make a difference: If you’re in Virginia, make sure to vote by Tuesday. If you know people in Virginia, make sure they vote.
This is a Virginia ballot measure, but let’s not overlook how much winning on Tuesday can boost our entire country, as President Obama said in his GOTV message: