We must get out the vote (GOTV) in such overwhelming numbers that cravenly racist gerrymandering and redistricting tactics are nullified.
On April 29, 2026, the 6-3 Roberts court majority eviscerated the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Immediately thereafter, several red-controlled states began redistricting Democratic areas to create Republican seats, thus depriving voters of color (in particular) of fair representation in Congress and in their state legislatures. Here are a few ideas about how you can help neutralize the threat to upcoming midterm elections (and beyond):
- If you live in a red or purple state, contact your Congressional and state legislators by mail, by email or web interface, and/or by phone. If they’re already doing the right thing, thank them and encourage them to continue their efforts. If they’re not working to ensure fair, representative elections and to ensure that every eligible voter can vote, tell them what you think and ask them to put their oaths of office (to the U.S. and/or state constitutions) ahead of partisanship. Your voice matters, and phone calls in particular are effective.
- If you live in a jurisdiction that is relatively unaffected by this latest blow to free and fair elections, contact your family members, friends, and coworkers in places that are affected. Encourage them not only to get registered and to vote, but ask them to get involved in helping each and every citizen get informed, get registered, get to the polls or otherwise get their ballots in on time.
- Sign up for GOTV phone banking before and during election periods and on election day. You can phone bank in places outside your state.
- Write op-eds or letters to the editor for your local newspaper, club or association newsletters. (For the latter in particular, you can frame a drive to GOTV in neutral, non-partisan terms.)
- Use your social media accounts to spread truthful information and to help GOTV. (Gutting the Voting Rights Act is not the only danger to our upcoming elections: there are still efforts underway to implement the execrable SAVE Act, which would disenfranchise tens of millions of eligible voters, particularly women who changed their names when they got married.)
More info & resources
Many pro-democracy organization are working hard to mitigate the effects of the dreadful Louisiana v. Callais decision. If you can donate time or money, they can use your support! Here is a (by no means complete) list of groups working to protect voter rights and fair representation; visit their websites and/or contact them to find a local chapter or a chapter in a battleground state:
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