• Talk about the election like you would a new show or a great restaurant. Keep it casual and real.
• Share helpful info — such as how to get a mail-in ballot or which judges are on the ballot. We’ll make sure you have the tools.
• Keep things low pressure. Some folks are overwhelmed by politics. A calm, friendly nudge goes a long way.
• Focus on the why. Let people know that judicial elections really do affect their daily lives — even if they’ve never heard of the candidates.

Young Democrats Update

 Hello from the South Central Young Dems. Here’s what we’ve been up to:
 
In April, we focused on educating our members about our organization, local races and relational canvassing. In May, we endorsed a slate of candidates, canvassed for Cumberland County judicial candidate Sasha Sacavage and had the pleasure of attending Celebrate the Slate. We are thrilled so many of our endorsed candidates won their primary!
 
One member has been heavily involved with the West Shore School District School (WSSD) Board meetings. Several members attended the May meeting in opposition to policy 123.2 (“Sex-Based Distinctions in Athletics”), which maintains the separation of athletics teams by sex; the policy passed. We intend to continue to follow WSSD and other local school districts that may consider similar or additional discriminatory policies for trans youth.
 
We are busy this summer with various community events including Pride events, 50501 protests and social events to raise awareness of our group. We are anticipating canvassing for campaigns this fall, especially for our Young Dem candidates.
- Katie Juliana
 

Cumberland County Dems made their voices heard by publishing letters to the editor in The Sentinel:
 
Unprecedented?
It’s difficult to avoid the word “unprecedented” these days. It’s also difficult to escape hearing some pundit or another saying — whether with glee or dismay — “We’ve never seen anything like this before.” Oh, but we have. Just not here.

• People snatched from their homes, schools, jobs, churches and sent to places and prisons unknown: in Chile under Pinochet, 1973-1990.
• Censorship of literature, the arts generally, public discourse, journalism: in Spain under Gen. Francisco Franco, most of the 20th century.
• The corrupt codependency of the ultrawealthy oligarchy with the government: in Russia under Putin, beginning in the early 2000s.
• Voter suppression: under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia and under the Taliban in Afghanistan, ongoing.
• Harassment and repression of universities and academia generally: in Hungary under Viktor Orban and Turkey under Tayyip Erdogan, today.
• Sending the country’s military into city streets against its own people: in Syria under Bashar al-Assad, beginning in the Arab Spring, 2011.
• An ostentatious display of military might in a parade, all to the greater glory of the Dear Leader: in North Korea under Kim Jong-Un, regularly.
• All of the above: Germany, under Adolf Hitler, the 1930s

So yes, we have seen all this before. And history has shown us how it ends. Whether we have the will and the capacity to subvert that ending remains to be seen. It is in our hands, all our hands.
-Sally Ker, June 11