Dear Obama friends,
As voter registration draws to a close, I hope everyone is feeling pleased with all your registration and get-out-the-voting-word work. Congratulations on your stellar efforts!
Looking ahead to the few weeks left before the showdown day, what’s left to be done on our action plan?
-First, we need to make sure that we all send in ballots, and that all our fellow registered Americans, do, too. According to www.votefromabroad.org, if you have not received your ballot by October 4th (that’s today), there’s no harm (and in fact, security) in sending in your write-in ballot (FWAB) in case your ballot doesn’t get to you in a timely manner. Then if/when your ballot arrives, fill it out and send it, as well. It won’t be counted twice. I’ll be making an illustrated instruction sheet on filling out your FWAB.
-Lauren Kunis in Chicago from the Obama campaign is organizing Italian Americans in Italy to phonebank Italian Americans in Ohio. There will be an email out shortly about this activity.
-October 11-12th is “Call Your Family and Friends in the U.S. Weekend” (if you can think of a catchier name for this, let me know). All AIO members are encouraged to call family and friends in the U.S. and talk to them about who they’re voting for. It is not always easy to talk people into doing things, but it is sometimes successful to listen people into action. Ask them, what are your concerns? How do you think this candidate might address this? Although there is value in talking to people with whom you have no previous relationship (AIO Veneto, Perugia, and Rome have seen the benefits of one-on-one outreach to the public!), people are generally more prone to be influenced by their family and friends, particularly if treated with patient and respectful listening. If your family and friends are Obama supporters, encourage them to volunteer for the campaign. You can tell them what a lovely time you’ve been having, and about all the charming people you’ve met volunteering. October 18-19th is “Call Your Family and Friends in the U.S. Back Weekend”, to follow up on your previous calls.
-Letters to the editor, especially in swing states, are encouraged! You can write about what your AIO group has been up to here, why you support Obama, what issues unique to that state that Obama will address, or in the spirit of Calvin Trillin, write a poem. There are all kinds of possibilities! I recommend keeping it positive.
-Please let me know if you have brilliant (or pretty good) ideas to share for a Italy-wide YouTube video finale, or any other special activity/action ideas for our final days!
Grazie di cuore a voi tutti!
Best regards,
Molly
