 NEWS FROM THE COCONINO COUNTY DEMOCRATS June 19, 2024 In this edition: See photos from our outreach at Flagstaff’s summer festivals and events. Make plans to attend the rally marking the anniversary of the Dobbs decision and finalizing our collection of signatures for the Abortion Access petition. Read what we have learned about voters’ greatest concerns. Get ready for a fantastic Fourth of July celebration. Sign up for voter protection, outreach, community service, and more in our work to defend democracy – we have something for everyone!  Dear Democrats and Allies, Forty-one more days until the Primary Election! We have a lot of work to do to get out the vote for Biden-Harris and the entire Democratic ticket. This weekend felt a lot more like fun than work. I was deeply honored and greatly humbled by receiving the Umoja (Unity) Award at the Juneteenth Gala event held by the Southside CommUnity Association and the Lived Black Experience. I gratefully accept this honor, and share it with the Reverend Dr. Bernadine Lewis. Her grace and professionalism allowed the dream of unity to grow closer to a reality in our community. Flagstaff Pride in the Pines is always a festive event, with attendees from all over the state. We joined the Pride Parade with the Coordinated Campaign, with Joan riding point on her unicycle and Aubrey pulling a wagonful of candy. Our entry drew cheers for Biden-Harris and local candidates. Coconino Democrats booth volunteers collected over a hundred signatures on the Arizona for Abortion Access petition and registered four new voters. And then the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, paid a surprise visit to the festival! She spoke of love, acceptance, and the need to fight together for all our human rights, and the crowd loved her right back. Huge thanks to the volunteers who managed the booths at Juneteenth and Pride, marched in the parade, interacted with voters, and helped with the First Lady’s appearance. As Dr. Biden stated, “we are going to win!” Blue AZ 2024,Laura   Join the Community as We Bring Our Abortion Access Petition Drive to Its Triumphant Conclusion! Northern Arizona and Flagstaff have every reason to be proud of our role in collecting signatures and building massive support for the Arizona for Abortion Access initiative. The Coconino Democrats, along with other members of the Northern Arizona hub for AAA, are hosting a public rally on Sunday, June 23 — 1 – 3 pm in front of Flagstaff City Hall. We will be protesting the one-year-old Dobbs decision reversing Roe v Wade while also celebrating the energy, passion, and dogged determination that have secured hundreds of thousands of signatures in support of the AAA ballot initiative. Turn in your petitions, have them notarized, and enjoy the fellowship and fun (including the Archuleta Family Ice Cream Truck) – we can’t wait to see you there! Learn More and Register for June 23 Rally What Are the Most Important Issues in This Election Year? Nancy Branham and her crew of volunteers at the Sunday Community Market in Flagstaff recently asked people stopping by their table to list the issues of highest priority to them in this election year. Flagstaff residents and visitors are clearly engaged and well-informed – nearly 40 different topics were mentioned! Those subjects receiving the highest number of mentions included: *Abortion, listed by 28 (and another 6 for women’s rights); *Fear of and the need to defeat Trump, 15; *Climate, environment, water, sustainability, 14; *Various elements of civil rights, voting, democracy, equality, 11; *Education , 8; *Foreign affairs, Israel/Gaza, war, 8; *Healthcare (affordability, accessibility), 6; *Immigration, 4. Our Communications Committee is working to develop short summaries of talking points on many of these issues, guides that we all can use this summer and fall as we talk with voters about the crucial choices facing us in November. Let us know if you would like to help with this voter education work by emailing us at today! Fourth of July Celebration 2024 Join the Coconino County Democratic Party and be part of the biggest parade float entry in our history! We’ve registered for two vehicle slots. We’ll be proud and patriotic with our dear friend Precinct Committeeperson Don Howard’s red firetruck decorated with signs painted by the children of our community at our 2024 event booths. We will also have a flatbed trailer equipped with seating for the differently abled, and 2 Vespa riders. Our entry can also accommodate 70parade marchers! We urgently need YOU to volunteer for this huge event: openings available for the planning and float-building teams, parade marchers, and our traditional Ice Cream Social at the Ice House following the Parade. See the Volunteer Sign-up Sheet link in the article near the end of this newsletter. And thanks to the Archuleta Family for bringing the ice cream truck !First Lady Jill Biden attended Flagstaff Pride in the Pines this year. We can be sure that there will be exciting surprises in Flagstaff for the 4th of July, too! Important Film Screening Coming to Flagstaff Mark your calendars for a fascinating and important film and discussion here in Flagstaff on July x. Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains, will be in town to present a screening of the new documentary, Bad Faith. Please join us on July 3, 5:00 at the Harbert Chapel, 424 S. San Francisco St. Learn more about the film, which focuses on the growing influence of Christian Nationalism and its impact on our democracy, at this link: https://www.badfaithdocumentary.com/ And join your fellow defenders of democracy to hear from the inspiring and knowledgeable MacLean in discussing this threat to our democratic ideals. Friends Don’t Let Friends Miss Voting in the Primary Arizona’s Primary Election is coming up on July 30. In addition to finalizing the candidates who will appear on our ballot in November, of course, the Primary is an excellent opportunity to test our voting and election systems. For individual voters, this means ensuring that your voter registration is up to date, your address is current, and your desire to receive an early or mail-in ballot (if you in fact want that) is on file. Please do encourage your neighbors, friends, and family to check and update their registration at https://servicearizona.com/VoterRegistration or my.arizona.vote The deadline to register is midnight, July 1.Also – any voters registered as Independents or Unaffiliated can request and vote either a Democratic or a Republican ballot in the Arizona Primary. Independents can find a clear guide to their options at https://bit.ly/3KNDyXC – please share this! We Aim to Flip the Arizona Corporation Commission! One important statewide race in November 2024 may be a bit under the radar. We will be electing three new members to the Arizona Corporation Commission, the group that regulates utility service across the state while overseeing numerous other aspects of business and entrepreneur operations. Three open seats on the five-person Commission offer us a fantastic chance to “flip” the ACC from its recent control by MAGA Republicans, so that we can modernize and green our energy supply system while offering flexibility and competitive pricing for utilities. We have three well-qualified Democrats running for these positions, and we are able to vote for all three! Joshua Polacheck is running a “traditional” campaign, which means he can accept larger amounts of money. Learn more and donate at: https://www.joshuaforarizona.com/ Ylenia Aguilar and Jonathan Hill have chosen to run as Clean Elections candidates, where they raise smaller donations, a portion of which can then be “matched” by the Citizens Clean Elections Fund. They can accept up to $210 per individual – but they must collect and spend that money by July 30. Learn about these two and donate at:- https://www.aguilarforarizona.com/– https://www.votehillaz.com/Let’s help all three candidates win their seats and #FlipTheACC! Observing at the Polls and in the Elections Center: Helping and Representing Voters Help keep our elections safe, secure, legal, and transparent! Learn more about roles with the ADP Voter Protection Team here and sign up for training and an assignment at https://bit.ly/VoProVolunteerForm . Poll observers are the eyes and ears ensuring that any difficulties at a polling place are detected and corrected quickly. Meanwhile observers who watch the receiving of ballots on Election Night, and the tabulation of ballots at the central Elections Center, are our best defense against distrust in our elections. The Arizona Democratic Party supplies training and excellent support for our observers. Our huge county has dozens of diverse polling places – help us cover the ground so that all registered voters can exercise their right to vote!  Updates on Uranium Mining and Transport Near Flagstaff Those of you who joined us at the June Action Meeting on Saturday, June 9, heard Coconino County Supervisor Patrice Horstman give a short history and comprehensive update on the Pinon Mine (formerly Canyon Mine), currently mining uranium near the South Entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. Our county Board of Supervisors has been steadfast in opposing any expansion of mining activity and ore transport impacts in our region. They are leading collaborative multi-agency efforts to increase awareness and hold regulatory entities accountable for enforcing standards for public health and safety. You can read Supervisor Horstman’s most recent newsletter for more information, here: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/wAPyJXfRLAvmFlEF?ref=email . You might also be interested in communications from other members of the Board: check them out and subscribe here: https://coconino.az.gov/104/Board-of-Supervisors Show Your Blue Pride with Yard Signs! We have Ruben Gallego and Biden-Harris yard signs at the office — stop by and get yours. Order a Nez for Congress yard sign at their website:https://secure.actblue.com/donate/shopnez You may have up to 16 square feet of yard signs on your personal property. That’s five signs for five different campaigns!Help remind neighbors and passersby who (and what) is on the ballot this year. Arizona for Abortion Access Ballot Initiative As of today, there are just eleven days left in the campaign to get AZ for Abortion Access on the ballot. Flagstaff is operating at full speed to bring the campaign over the finish line! We need to keep it up, because hitting the goal of 800,000 signatures may cut down on the lawsuits that the opposition will inevitably bring.Here’s a look at our remaining events. There are still opportunities to SIGN the petition and to GET YOUR PETITIONS NOTARIZED and turned in. SIGN the petition DAILY: Monday – Saturday from 10 am to 2pm through June 27th at the AZ List hub, located within the Coconino County Democratic Party office. Get your petitions NOTARIZED and turned in Friday June 21st, Tuesday June 25th, or Friday June 28th from 11:30 – 1:30 at the Coconino County Democratic Party office.https://mobilize.us/s/Ri8zTB SUNDAY June 23rd – FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY MARKET: Circulate your AAA Petitions at the FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY MARKET (On June 23rd, turn get your petitions notarized at the Dobbs Decision Day event.) Sunday June 23rd from 1pm – 3pm: Indivisible Northern AZ and the Coconino County Democratic Party will co-host our final event: “Dobbs Decision Day Rally and LAST CHANCE to SIGN.” · RALLY to PROTEST THE DOBBS DECISION from 1pm to 2pm! Let’s GO BIG with this event and show that WE WON’T GO BACK!· SIGN the petition from 1pm to 3pm· Get your petitions NOTARIZED and turned in from 1pm to 3pm (we will have three notaries on site).· FREE ICE CREAM for AAA volunteers from 1pm to 3pm sponsored by Indivisible Northern AZ!· All petitions collected through the end of this event will be delivered to the AAA coalition on June 24th, and we would like to get as many as possible. Join Us in Our Key Outreach and Voter Education Work This Summer Flagstaff’s community calendar of fantastic festivals and celebrations is in full swing, and the Coconino County Democrats are fully engaged. We have something for everyone – from the most outgoing festival fan to the more introverted writer or strategist. We have a new “one-stop-shop” way of signing up for any of these opportunities – keep reading for the link and give it a try. New Volunteer Signup Sheet! As our outreach and community activities heat up with the summer and the campaign season, we are introducing a new and convenient tool for signing up. This link below will take you to a spreadsheet where you can learn about all of our events and sign up for those you’d like to help with. The tabs at the bottom are by month; click on JULY if you’d like to see what we have going that month, for example. Each sheet then presents all of the events for that month, from serving dinner at the Flagstaff Family Food Center, to tabling at one of our summer festivals, to talking to voters at the Sunday markets. Put your name and contact information into the sheet where you’d like to help; no need to email or call or click Submit, because the sheet will be updated and your information will be visible to the organizer as soon as you sign up. Thanks for being part of the fun and the great work we are doing this election year! Volunteer Events and SignupCalendar of Events To share an upcoming event in our bi-monthly newsletter or the monthly events calendar on our website, please email us the details by Friday prior to each newsletter. Fight for Democracy. Protect our Freedoms.Support the 2024 Election. Become a monthly donor today.DonatePaid for by the Coconino County Democratic Party. Donations are political contributions and not tax-deductible.Copyright © 2024 Coconino County Democratic Party, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
NEWS FROM THE COCONINO DEMOCRATIC PARTY – JUNE 19, 2024
Posted in Action Alerts and tagged Call your Congressman, Contact your elected officials, Remove Louis DeJoy, Save the Postal Service, Social Security.