Dear Democrats,

Our ticket is set! With the very exciting announcement last week that Joe Biden picked Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, we have a chance to elect the first woman, the first South Asian American, and the first Black vice president! Senator Kamala Harris is a brilliant, compassionate, fierce leader, and I know I speak for all of us when I say I could not be more excited to support her as our next Vice President of the United States! Senator Harris has spent her life fighting for the people and is ready to help restore the soul of our nation. The Biden-Harris team is a force to be reckoned with, and I’m confident will help Democrats win up and down the ballot.

What a week we have coming up. We are the only state in the nation that will simultaneously conduct our 2020 Primary Election at the same time as the Democratic National Convention! As we enter this week, Democrats are voting in record numbers of Vote by Mall, and many counties have already surpassed their 2016 total turnout, with two days of voting left to go. Let's keep the foot on the gas to get voters to the polls (or drop off VBM ballots) for these important primaries and county and municipal races throughout the state. 

And here we go: the 2020 General Election cycle officially starts with this week's exciting National Convention. We all know the path to victory runs through Florida, and we will be the key to the election. We have built an incredible foundation for the Biden-Harris team, now let's bring them home to the White House!

We only have 78 days (2 months and 17 days) until November 3, 2020, to flip Florida and the White House Blue!
Forward,
Terrie Rizzo
Chair
Florida Democratic Party
VBM and Primary Turnout Numbers
Over 1.3 million Florida Democrats have enrolled to Vote by Mail since the COVID-19 pandemic began, giving us a 684,222 voter Vote-by-Mail enrollment advantage over the Florida GOP! In 2016, Florida Democrats held a slim 8,800 edge in Vote-by-Mail enrollment, and in 2018, our margin was just under 50,000.

And our voters are voting -- 1,059,830 Democrats have voted (by mail or early) compared to 733,665 Republicans - giving us a 326,165 voter turnout lead! Historically, Republicans have opened up a big lead early in voting returns and Democrats play catch up; this is not happening this cycle due to the massive amounts of work FDP staff, DECs, clubs and caucuses, the voter protection teams, our partner organizations, and the Biden campaign have done in Vote by Mail and voter education.

Let’s keep our foot on the gas for the next 78 days! Please continue to make VBM enrollment calls and to share our VBM sign up links for every county in both English and Spanish.

NOTE:  Return your Primary ballots! If you still have a VBM ballot, be sure to sign and date the back of the envelope and return it today to an SOE drop-off location. OR if you prefer, you can vote "live" on Election Day at your regular precinct. (You do not need to turn in your unvoted VBM ballot; although it will help expedite the check-in process.)
Primary Election Key Dates
  • August 18: Primary Election Day (7 p.m. deadline to return VBM ballots)
  • August 20, 5 p.m.: Deadline to file ballot cure affidavits or evidence of voter eligibility
Encourage people to sign up for voting-related updates at www.vote.org/election-reminders.
Rules for Picking Up and Returning Vote by Mail Ballots
With the Primary Election on Tuesday, it is too late for voters to mail their ballots*.

Voters who still want to receive a mail ballot have these options:
  1. Go to the SOE office before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18, present identification, and request a ballot. If requesting a mail ballot on Election Day, the voter must sign form DS-DE 136, affirming that an emergency prevents the voter from going to his or her assigned polling place to vote. Form DS-DE 136 is available in English and Spanish.
  2. A member of the voter's immediate family or the voter's legal guardian may go to the SOE office before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18 and request a ballot for the voter**. If requesting a mail ballot on Election Day, the voter's family member or guardian must sign form DS-DE 136, affirming that an emergency prevents the voter from going to his or her assigned polling place to vote. Form DS-DE 136 is available in English and Spanish.
  3. A voter may designate in writing a non-family member to pick up a mail ballot. The person designated may not pick up more than two VBM ballots per election other than his or her own ballot and those of immediate family members**. The designee must provide written authorization by the voter (voter's signature must match signature on file), picture identification, and a completed Form DS-DE 37 in English or Spanish. If requesting a mail ballot on Election Day, the voter's designee must also sign form DS-DE 136, affirming that an emergency prevents the voter from going to his or her assigned polling place to vote. Form DS-DE 136 is available in English and Spanish.
The SOE must receive completed mail ballots by 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 18*. Ballots can be dropped off at any SOE official drop-off location prior to August 18 or at the SOE office on August 18. Voters can check the status of their ballots on their SOE's website or by phone.

Who can return completed VBM ballots?
  • Voters can return their own ballots.
  • Anyone who is paid by a campaign, political party, or political committee can return his or her own ballot, those of his or her immediate family members, and up to two other individuals' ballots**.
  • Volunteers can return an unlimited amount of completed ballots**.
For more information, see this FL Division of Elections Guide.

*Mailed ballots of FL voters out of country must be postmarked by Tuesday, August 18 and received by August 28.
**In Miami-Dade County, a local ordinance provides more restrictions on designees picking up and returning ballots:
  • The voter must provide a written and signed statement authorizing the designee to pick up or return the ballot. If the designee is an immediate family member, the statement must include the circumstances requiring the designee to pick up or return the ballot. If the designee is not an immediate family member, the designee must also include a statement signed by a physician on that physician's stationery that, due to a medical emergency involving the voter or voter's dependent, the voter is unable to vote at the polls and is unable to pick up or return a mail ballot in person. A designee may pick up or return no more than two VBM ballots other than his or her own ballot per election, only one of which may be for a voter not of the designee's immediate family. A designee may only pick up or return a VBM ballot on the day before or day of the election for an immediate family member and on the day of the election for a non-family member.
Vice President Digital Toolkit
On Tuesday, Joe Biden announced that Senator Kamala Harris will join the Democratic ticket as our Vice Presidential nominee. We have our ticket; now let's make history!

Florida for Biden has prepared a digital toolkit for this historic moment. Florida Democrats can help build momentum around the VP pick with the sample tweets, Facebook posts, and graphics provided in the VP Digital Toolkit!

Join us to celebrate this pick and spread the word across social media that Florida Democrats are ready for the Biden-Harris ticket!
Democratic National Convention - Uniting America
The Democratic National Convention starts Monday, August 17. This year's virtual convention offers the opportunity for everyone to participate! Here's an overview of the daily schedule for Monday, August 17 through Thursday, August 20:

Each night of the Convention features a different theme and a full line-up of keynote speakers:

Monday, August 17: We the People featuring Former First Lady Michelle Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Jim Clyburn, Convention Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep. Gwen Moore, Former Gov. John Kasich, Sen. Doug Jones, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Tuesday, August 18: Leadership Matters featuring Former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Former Secretary of State John Kerry, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Former President Bill Clinton, and Former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden plus the roll call from all 57 states and territories

Wednesday, August 19: A More Perfect Union featuring Sen. Kamala Harris, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Gov. Tony Evers, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

Thursday, August 20: American's Promise featuring Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Cory Booker, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Chris Coons, and the Biden Family
Free Swag!
We may be social distancing, but we can still show our Party spirit. And what better way to show off our spirit than with Free Swag! Visit the JoeBiden.com Store for free Team Joe Swag, including printable placards, social media banners, bingo and crossword games, Zoom backgrounds, desktop and phone wallpapers, coloring pages, and sticker and button packs. And download the official 2020 #DemConvention Digital Toolkit here for exclusive swag to show off your convention spirit, including social media profile frames and cover photos, printable signs, social media graphics, phone wallpapers, and Zoom backgrounds.
Florida for Biden Campaign Primary and Convention Events
The Florida Biden Campaign will be testing their GOTV systems to turn out Primary voters in counties and cities without Democratic contested races. They will also be hosting events for the National Convention.

Use the Florida for Biden #DemConvention Digital Toolkit with resources for hosting a #DemConvention Watch Party, social media posts and graphics, Spotify Playlist, Bingo, printable signs, and Zoom backgrounds.
Virtual Fundraisers
We host a virtual fundraiser each week to benefit one of our critical programs. Below are details on our upcoming events. 

Monday, August 24, 5:30 p.m. ET: Millennial and Gen Z Outreach Virtual Fundraiser 
Guest speakers: Kentucky Representative Charles Booker, Florida Representatives Dan Daley and Anna Eskamani, and FDP Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo. >> Click Here to RSVP
Monday, August 27, 7:15 p.m. ET: Vote-By-Mail Virtual Fundraiser 
Guest speakers: DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos, Representative Lois Frankel, and FDP Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo. >>Click Here to RSVP
Wednesday, September 2, 6 p.m. ET: FDP Virtual Fundraiser for Vote-by-Mail 
Guest speakers: Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and FDP Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo. >> Click Here to RSVP
Thursday, September 3, 5:30 p.m. ET: 2 Months Out Virtual Fundraiser 
Guest speakers: Senator Cory Booker and FDP Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo. >>Click Here to RSVP
Roundtable with South Florida Hispanic Leaders
On Thursday, South Florida Hispanic leaders State Senator José Javier Rodríguez, former State Representative Jose Juan-Carlos “J.C.” Planas, DNC Member and Latino Victory board member Leopoldo Martinez Nucete, House District 18 Candidate Ricky Junquera, and Florida International University Professor Eduardo Gamarra participated in a Facebook Live roundtable to discuss how Donald Trump is more focused on dividing us and attacking our democracy than helping Florida Hispanics. To view the discussion visit Vamos Demócratas.
Training Resources
Register for FDP's free trainings here:
FDP's State Voter Protection Training Director Henry Burden is providing Voter Protection Program Training each week, Tuesdays and Saturdays, through the end of October. These trainings are open to anyone interested in assisting with voter protection this election cycle. Register for a live, virtual Voter Protection training here. Those not already connected with a county voter protection team should complete the Voter Protection Interest Sign Up form.

The Team Blue Pipeline Program (TBPP) professional development training program is a collaboration between the DNC / ASDC Best Practices Institute and DNC Talent Bank, which seeks to provide professional development and training opportunities on a continuing basis to Democratic staff, volunteers, activists, and candidates. Sign up for their upcoming webinar:
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and Arena are hosting Campaign Academy 2020 — a free virtual training program taking place during the National Convention. Campaign Academy 2020 will give participants a look behind-the-scenes of political campaigns and prepare them with the skills, knowledge, and tools to find meaningful campaign volunteer experiences. See the full Campaign Academy 2020 schedule here.

The National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) has daily virtual live trainings focused on ways to continue your work during this time of COVID-19. See the NDTC full schedule here.

Incentive Grants
Congratulations to Citrus County DEC for already meeting their August Incentive grant goal!
Monthly incentive grant goals are based on the number of volunteer calls made into the county's or caucus's FDP vote-by-mail virtual phone bank. These phone bank targets include cold and warm Democrats with high support scores and cell phones who are not enrolled in VBM. The script includes a Joe Biden ID, vote-by-mail ask, and a request to forward the call to the local SOE's office. Because these are patch-through calls, these phone banks should only be used during SOE business hours. Additional guidance, including instructions for how to patch-through calls to the SOE, are included in our Incentive Grant Program Guide. County DEC phone banks are available at m.floridadems.org/phonebank.

Down Ballot Elections
Our Down Ballot Elections Department is working to support candidates in flipping seats across the state. FDP hosted a special event with Ft. Myers mayoral candidate Jacquelyn McMiller on Facebook Live Friday. Jacquelyn is in a unitary election on August 18 - if she receives 50% +1 votes, she wins, or the race could go into a runoff in November. It's time we flip Ft. Myers blue! Watch the event here.
Democratic Digital and TV Ads
The Joe Biden for President campaign, DNC, FDP, and partner organizations are running ads on television and online to speak to Florida voters where they are. Watch and share these videos widely.

Last week Joe Biden's campaign released "Swing," a TV ad for Florida seniors, spotlighting Trump's plan to steal from Social Security to pay for a new round of coronavirus relief.
100 Razones Para Derrotar a Trump
We want to encourage as many Latinos in Florida to support Biden in November, so we are collecting stories from the Hispanic community in Florida to show why defeating Trump is personal to them. Starting on Day 100 until Election Day, we will highlight a story on our social media platforms. The stories can be in the form of video, images or in writing.

Please share this with any voter, supporter, community leader, friend, or family member who you think would be interested in sharing their story with us! We want to highlight stories not just of voters, but also those who cannot vote. If they are helping to defeat Trump or have been affected by the cruel policies of the Trump administration, we want to hear from them too! Stories can be in English or Spanish, but we do want to emphasize collecting them in Spanish. 

We have prepared guidelines in English and Spanish with information about our "100 Reasons to Defeat Trump" campaign, tips on how to share your story, examples of stories and pictures, and instructions for submitting your story.
#DefeatTrumpFL
When the Trump FL bus tour kicked off last Monday, Florida Democrats welcomed them by once again getting the #DefeatTrumpFL hashtag trending in Florida!
Press Conferences
The FDP Communications and Political teams work hard to hold the Trump and DeSantis administrations accountable, organizing multiple press calls and events weekly to highlight Florida's Democratic elected officials and community leaders, our Party values, and solutions for issues our communities face.
Here's a summary of last week's press events:
  • Last Monday, ahead of the Trump Campaign’s stop in Kissimmee, we held a virtual press conference with Congressman Darren Soto, State Senator Victor Torres, and Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer to blast Donald Trump for his failure to lead during crises, from his inept response to the coronavirus pandemic to his cruel response to Hurricane Maria that devastated Puerto Rico.
  • On Friday, former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, U.S. Representatives Al Lawson and Lois Frankel, and Barbara DeVane of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans led a virtual press conference to discuss how Donald Trump is threatening Social Security with his promise to ‘terminate’ the payroll tax if he wins re-election. 
You can see results of these press conferences in the FDP News Digest below.
Democracia al Día
Tune into our Spanish-language radio show every Saturday:
  • 9 a.m. ET on La Mega Tampa Bay 101.1 FM and 1110 AM
  • 10 a.m. ET on La Zeta 105.3 FM and La Numero Uno 99.1 FM and 1280 AM in Tampa
  • 11 a.m. ET on Acción 97.9 FM and 810 AM in Orlando
  • 12 p.m. ET on Actualidad 1040 AM and 103.9 FM in Miami
The program features community leaders and local elected officials speaking on issues important to the Hispanic community such as healthcare, the economy, voting protection, the work of Democratic leaders, and the failed policies of the Donald Trump administration. Each show is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Google Play.
FDP News Digest

















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