I hope you were able to attend a NO KINGS: VOTE EARLY event on Saturday!!
We had a fun, successful event in South Hero. The weather turned out lovely for the outdoor Rally. There was music, pups, dancing frogs, signs, and so many enthusiastic participants. We counted 90, and probably missed some.
Inside at the VoteFest the highlights were the Town Clerks, who were busy answering questions and talking to folks, the Vote Trivia Board (so many things you didn’t realize you didn’t know about voting), and, of course, cider donuts! The best part was being able to talk with everyone about their concerns and seeing how determined everyone is to make sure we have a free and fair election. If you want to see some of the items discussed at the Election Defense Table, check out the info attached below.
I hope you saw yourself on the Channel 5 News Saturday evening! It is always impactful when WE are the News!!
The main goal of this No Kings was to get folks to go out and vote … and vote early. Voting Early is one of the best ways to protect the vote from any interference. We want to have the largest voter turnout ever for a Midterm Election.
I checked the Early Vote Count first thing on Saturday, before No Kings started. It stood at just over 8 Million votes cast. As of this morning, just over a day since No Kings, the early vote is over 9 Million votes cast. That is a million more votes in just a day! And early voting starts in 5 more states today, including the all-important Texas, and exciting Alaska and SC. Interestingly, Mail-in voting is lagging, while early in-person voting is surging. No doubt due to the chaos seeded by the Trump Administration’s failed attempt to suppress votes using the USPS.
You should also be aware of the vile actions of Meta on No Kings Day. Meta suspended the No Kings Coalition Instagram Account that day for 90 minutes. They restored it after huge public backlash, but they did not restore the Coalition Administrators’ access to the account for over 4 hours. And they supressed #NoKings across multiple platforms. How much of your life do you want to have controlled by these tech giants, who do not have your best interests at heart?
UKRAINE
I know we are all focused on using the Midterm Election to wrest unlimited power away from the Trump Administration. As well we should be. We will not take our eye off the ball. But we can and must do one more thing this week. We need to contact our Members of Congress and let them know that WE SUPPORT UKRAINE. Russia is our enemy. Russia is supplying intelligence to Iran that helps them target and kill American soldiers. Russia is supplying weapons to Iran. Russia is threatening our Allies. Russia is using Social Media to interfere in our elections. And. Much. More. Russia is our enemy.
Trump is now overtly aiding Russia while stripping vital support from Ukraine. In the past couple of days, he has made a deal to buy oil from Russia (after the world has spent years finding ways to do without Russian oil). He is lifting the sanctions on Russia that are strangling Russia’s economy. He has refused to sell defensive weapons to Ukraine, that Ukraine desperately needs. Trump is even calling for Zelensky to be replaced and for Ukraine to submit to Russian demands. This must stop.
In a rare moment, even Republican Members of Congress are appalled. We must pressure and support our Members of Congress to take action to prevent this travesty. Giving aid and comfort to the enemy; If this is not treason, I do not know what is. Trump has always fawned over Putin. And hated Zelensky. This old man must not be allowed to lead to the demise of the brave people of Ukraine, who have held the line for over four years against the brutal Russian assault, to protect, not just themselves, but the rest of Europe as well, from Russian aggression. Ukraine cannot wait for a new Congress in January. Trump cannot be allowed to be the singular reason that an entire country ceases to exist.
We can spare a moment to make those calls. Repeat daily.
Have you voted yet??? Make today the day!
We have the power, if we just stand up and use it.
Marilyn Lagrow
“Of the People, By the People, For the People”
Indivisible Champlain Islands