Why We Can't Take the Youth Vote for Granted | |
by Marcos Balido, Young Democrats of New Mexico Vice President | |
Marcos Balido, YDNM Vice President | |
The youth vote is critical to winning in 2024. Gen Z alone will make up over 30% of the voting block. Young people bring two valuable attributes to the Democratic party: a moral compass and the energy we need to win elections. Young people were raised with a good moral compass to know that progressive Democratic candidates are fighting for the basic human necessities we need. Now, combined with the knowledge and energy the youth possess, we must make every effort to reach out to young voters in the upcoming elections. We need concrete efforts to center youth voices in this election. How do we do this? By organizing youth voters, involving youth voters, and supporting them.
Young people want to be involved in politics but often feel left out. Yet, elections are won when we include everyone. So, bring young people into your political conversations. A tip for engaging with youth voters: We tend to focus on action, not small talk. So, an hour-long conversation or presentation isn’t as impactful for us as quick bullet points.
We in the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County must move away from mobilizing and into organizing. Mobilizing is only inviting people who may already be involved in the party to be involved while organizing people asks us to invite others who are not involved in the party to be involved. In other words, we should go beyond just inviting each other to events. We should focus on organizing the youth vote to bring them along with us in the democratic process. Young people are eager to volunteer and work on campaigns. So, invite them to fundraisers, canvasses, town halls, phone banks, and party functions.
If you’re uncomfortable chatting with young people, that’s okay. We have an entire caucus dedicated to young Democrats. Young people will listen to other young people. The Young Democrats of New Mexico, Young Democrats of America, and youth-oriented political action committees are critical components of the 2024 election. They can talk to youth voters for you, but they still need your support; share their content, donate, and help their efforts in organizing young people.
You can take action now by following the Young Democrats of New Mexico on Instagram, and donating to the Young Democrats of New Mexico today to help their efforts to reach out to youth voters across New Mexico!
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What You Can Do This Week to Prepare for November's Elections | |
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There are now 49 days until the November election! (And only 21 days before early voting begins!)
Here are four easy things you can do this week to prevent a conservative takeover from damaging our city and public schools:
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Read our all-inclusive candidate guide for November's elections. (You'll also find info about how to find your district, how to volunteer, and who will be on the ballot.)
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Request an absentee, mail-in ballot. (The county clerk's office will mail out absentee ballots starting October 10. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 24. More info about absentee ballots, including how to request one by mail, can be found here.)
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Attend a canvassing event this week. (Scroll down to community announcements or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for event info.)
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Become a recurring DPBC donor. (Monthly donations are the best, most sustainable way to keep DPBC operational. As a team of volunteers, 100% of donations go to our work engaging and organizing local Democrats.)
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Sign Up for Ward and Caucus Newsletters! | |
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The Blue Review isn't the only newsletter keeping local Democrats updated and engaged. Here's a small sampling of newsletters helping wards and caucuses stay united:
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Democratic Party HD 25 Wards: Sign up by emailing cklesert@gmail.com.
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Ward 15C Newsletter - Democrats Make Life Better: Sign up by emailing drewdigi@aol.com.
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Veterans & Military Families Caucus Newsletter: Sign up here.
Does your precinct, ward, ward group, caucus, or other Democratic Party-affiliated group have a newsletter? We want to help elevate your hard work and connect you to your Democratic audience.
Fill out this survey so we can help spread the word.
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5 Things We Read, Watched, or Listened to This Week (September Edition) | |
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If you’d like to share an article, book, podcast, video, or another piece of media that impacted you, email us at info@bernalillodems.org with a link and a quick note about why you want to share it.
1. "The Biden Administration Is Making It Easier To Get Government Benefits," HuffPost
Pull quote: "This is part of Biden’s hope to restore faith in government by showing that it can work for Americans. Making government work requires doing the big things, like the new industrial policy vision embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act, and also the small things, like eliminating barriers people face to get health care or housing or unemployment insurance."
2. "The U.S. has a 'primary problem,' say advocates who call for new election systems," NPR
Pull quote: "The group Unite America underscores what it terms the 'primary problem' with this finding: In 2020, 'only 10% of eligible Americans nationwide cast ballots in primary elections that effectively decided the winners in a supermajority (83%) of Congressional seats.'"
3. "The Climate Crisis Could Mean the Twilight of the American West," Rolling Stone
Pull quote: "River water from the Colorado supports 15 million more people today than it did when Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992. Ten million more than it did in 2006. The river now serves one in ten Americans."
4. "Majority of NM Hospitals Noncompliant with Price Transparency Law," New Mexico In Focus (via YouTube)
Pull quote: "All constituents in New Mexico are harmed when they can't get a price from a hospital in advance of care."
5. "Las Cruces rolls out city's first publicly funded basic income program," KRWG Public Media
Pull quote: "According to an analysis by [Stanford University], 'Evidence consistently demonstrates that unconditional cash in low and middle-income countries leads to a measurable decrease in poverty.'"
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Get Your Abby Foster Yard Sign! | |
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Show your support for Abby! If you live in City Council District 4 (check here: https://www.abby4abq.com/district-4)—please get a yard sign!
There are 6 locations in District 4 where you can pick up a yard sign today. Call/Text Penelope at 505/506-9986 or email her at Abby4ABQVOLS@gmail.com. Of course, we will deliver signs too!
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Get Your Joaquin Baca Yard Sign! | |
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It's the season for...yard signs! If you live in District 2, show your support for Joaquin Baca!
There are 6 Yard Sign Pick Up Locations around District 2—find one nearest to you to pick one up.
Check to see if you are in District 2: https://www.joaquinforabq.com/district-2
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City Council Candidate - District Four Forum | |
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September 20, 6:00 to 8:00 PM
North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center (7521 Carmel Ave. NE)
City Council Candidate District 4 Forum hosted by the District Four Coalition of Neighborhoods.
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Phone Banking with Janelle Astorga for APS District 1 | |
Rep. Joy Garratt HD 29 Campaign Kick Off | |
Canvass for Robert for APS School Board | |
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Help elect Robert Trujillo to the APS School Board District 1 every Saturday starting at 9:30 am.
2614 Raymac Rd SW
Albuquerque, NM 87105
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Canvass with Heather Benavidez for APS School Board District | |
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Join APS School Board District 4 candidate Heather Benavidez to get out the vote and knock doors. Join us every Saturday starting at 9:30 am at the Teachers union hall.
530 Jefferson St NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
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Canvass to get Ronalda elected to the APS School Board 2 | |
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Canvass with APS School Board District 2 candidate Ronalda Tome-Warito every Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m.
6215 Cochiti Dr NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
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Canvassing with Janelle Astorga for APS District 1 | |
Walk with Idalia Lechuga-Tena | |
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We are 7 weeks until the City of Albuquerque November 7 election—and momentum for Abby's campaign continues to build. This is a swing seat that we can win on the doors with your help!
Meet at 10am at Desert Ridge Trails Park on Saturday and Sunday. If you want to walk outside those times, let us know! For more information, call, text or email Penelope @ Abby4ABQVOLS@gmail.com or 505/506-9986.
Desert Ridge Trails Park, 300 Blue Cypress Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113.
Also, our campaign yard signs are in—let's make arrangements to get you your sign!
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NM Senate 12 Campaign Kickoff Fundraiser for Suzanne Bingham | |
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September 24 from 3 pm to 5 pm.
140 Laker Drive
Corrales, NM
We are having a campaign kickoff fundraiser for Suzanne Bingham the Democratic candidate for NM Senate District 12. Please join us and please consider becoming a host.
For more info, email: Lmahkee22@gmail.com
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APS Board Candidate Forum | |
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Sept. 25 at 5 pm at the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Boulevard NE.
Voters wanting to know more about the eight candidates vying for three spots on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education will have an opportunity to meet them during a candidate forum later this month.
The candidate forum will be live-streamed and posted to the APS Board of Education YouTube Channel.
You are invited to send questions for the candidates to boarded@aps.edu. Questions asked at the forum will come from those submitted in advance. Questions are due by Friday, Sept. 22.
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Come by to meet Nichole Rogers and learn more about our shared vision for District 6 driven by community!
September 26, 11:00 am to 1:30 pm - Candidate Forum hosted by NAIOP at 2101 Louisiana Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. (Cost is $60. For more information, visit https://www.naiopnm.org).
More information:
505-600-1773
NicholeRogers4Council@gmail.com
#Nichole4D6 share your forum photos using our hashtag!
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DPBC Candidate Forums for APS School Board | |
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Three out of seven positions on the APS Board of Education will be filled in the 2023 election, making this a crucial election for the future makeup of the School Board. One of the first jobs of the new Board will be to hire a new Superintendent. The person they hire will be responsible for the implementation of the District’s Strategic Five-Year Educational Plan by focusing on the achievement of students who are most at-risk within the district.
We have invited all candidates to attend our forums. We encourage you, along with your friends and neighbors, to attend, either in person or via Zoom. Consider hosting a Zoom party at your house. Each forum will be taped and made available on YouTube, and posted on the DPBC website.
Additionally, all candidates at each forum will be asked the same questions and given equal times for response. Questions will not be circulated prior to the event.
District 1 Candidate Forum
- Tuesday, September 26, 2023 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Herman Sánchez Community Center, 1830 William St. SE (South of Kathryn)
- Dr. Christine Sierra, Professor Emeritus of the UNM Political Science Department, will moderate.
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To watch this forum on Zoom, please register here: https://tinyurl.com/32j7n9as
District 4 Candidate Forum:
- Wednesday, September 27, 2023 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Thomas Bell Community Center, 3001 University SE (South of Gibson)
- Katie Stone, Executive Director and host of The Children’s Hour Inc, public radio program and podcast, will moderate.
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To watch this forum on Zoom, please register here: https://tinyurl.com/zh52ztpw
District 2 Candidate Forum:
- Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Central and Unser Library, 8081 Central NW 87121 (west of Unser)
- Katie Stone, Executive Director and host of The Children’s Hour Inc, public radio program and podcast, will moderate.
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To watch this forum on Zoom, please register here: https://tinyurl.com/3fjuymvy
If you have any questions, contact Betsey Swan at swan1936@comcast.net, 505-503-8373, 505-934-5817 (text).
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Backyard Banter with Bregman | |
State Central Committee (SCC) Meeting | |
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Democratic Party of New Mexico
State Central Committee (SCC) Fall Meeting
The meeting will include reports from the DPNM officers and standing committees, presentations from caucuses, and voting on rules, amendments, and DPNM resolutions.
We will be meeting virtually. Any voting pursuant to the meeting will be held after the meeting via absentee balloting.
Saturday, September 30, 2023, 11:00 AM
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Let's get on the doors for Joaquin Baca! | |
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Join Joaquin Baca, City Council candidate for District 2, as we go door-to-door to talk to neighbors about his campaign and the
upcoming election!
If you want to walk your neighborhood or precinct please contact Susan Herber at JoaquinForABQVOLS@gmail.com or (505) 582-7660 and we will make arrangements to get you walklists and a brief training.
Meet at Rio Grande Park
1744 Kit Carson Ave SW (parking lot)
https://www.joaquinforabq.com/get-involved
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Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District - Board Election | |
Gathering Up: The Gospel of Community | |
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On October 7 and 8, 2023, Dr. Bettye Kearse, a resident of Santa Fe, NM, will launch an exciting and important annual event: Gathering Up: The Gospel of Community, a fundraiser to benefit Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative (https://www.EJI.org). Though EJI seeks to enforce justice and correct injustice throughout the American legal system, Dr. Kearse, a retired pediatrician, is deeply concerned that in 23 states (not including New Mexico), children as young as 13 can be tried as adults and sentenced to die in adult prisons without chance of parole. The funds raised by Gathering Up will be donated to EJI's efforts to end this practice in all 50 states.
The inaugural two-day event will be held in person in Santa Fe, NM, and online around the globe. On Saturday, October 7, renowned baritone Marques Jerrell Ruff will present “The Evolution of the Negro Spiritual.” On Sunday, October 8, the program will include a video about EJI, Dr. Kearse reading from her award-winning memoir The Other Madisons: The Lost History of A President's Black Family, and participants, if they wish, moving to instructor-led dances choreographed to Gospel music.
You may contribute to EJI via Gathering Up by signing up for the events at https://bit.ly/3R5SVzb or by scanning the QR code in the image below. You may also donate through Gathering Up's fiscal agent, the Ceci Tchakounte Tadfor Foundation (https://tadforfoundation.org), at https://bit.ly/3sI5FSn. This year, the goal is to donate $10,000 to EJI.
Day 1 events will be held at the United Church of Santa Fe, 1804 Arroyo Chamiso Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505, and online around the globe.
Day 2 events will be held at the Railyard Performance Center, 1611 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501, and online around the globe.
Both days' events will be recorded.
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New Mexico Child First Network 3rd Annual Golf Tournament | |
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Join New Mexico Child First Network as we get out and SWING FOR A CAUSE!
8:30AM Shotgun.
Registration includes 18 holes of golf w/carts in a 4 person scramble format tournament. Breakfast burritos, drinks on course, lunch, prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place teams; Contests for Longest Drive for Men and Women, Closest to Pin for Men and Women, golfer swag bags, doorprizes and more! A day of Fun for all!
Join us for our 3rd annual benefit Golf Tournament on Monday, October 9, 2023 at the Albuquerque Country Club
https://www.nmchildfirst.org/
anne@nmchildfirst.org
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West Side Dems - Monthly Meeting | |
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West Side Democrats of Bernalillo County
*** This month's meeting is on TUESDAY, Oct 17. ***
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Taylor Ranch Library
5700 Bogart St NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
Our special guest will be former state senator and lifetime activist Dede Feldman.
Senator Feldman was the first woman elected as a New Mexico senator from Albuquerque’s near North Valley, and the author of three books about politics and change in New Mexico. She has been a pioneer for women in government and has a long history of promoting campaign finance reform, improved health insurance in New Mexico, and election reform.
Senator Feldman will share with us what motivates her to be active in the Democratic Process and how we may find ways to overcome any hesitation in canvassing for causes and candidates.
Join in person or via Zoom.
All Democrats are welcome!
https://westsidedems.org/
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Help us grow our social media presence | |
Go-to websites for BernCo politics | | | | |
