The Gov Hub Newsletter: November 4, 2024

Welcome to The Gov Hub Newsletter by Girl and the Gov®. This weekly pop of politics is designed to share action items, resources, and quick links to civic engagement tools and topics. 

P.S. & BTW, this week’s edition is a mini edition focused on the election [holy moly!]. We’ll be back with the longer kit and kaboodle next week [and hopefully loads of good news bears]. In the meantime, scroll and roll to the polls.

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THE ACTION ITEMS

Get ‘em done

ACTION 1 – ELECTION 2024

The Ask: Save the election protection hotline in your contacts.

The Background: If you’re at the polls, and there are issues – ex: voter intimidation – you’re going to want to be prepared. Call or text the hotline numbers easy peasy [hopefully you won’t need them, but just in case] to help. In advance, save the number to your contacts and then share the contact with your friends and fam group chats.

ACTION 2 – ELECTION 2024

The Ask: Go VOTE!

The Background: If you haven’t early voted, make a plan now [not later], and go VOTE. Make your voice heard because every vote matters, up and down the ballot.

ACTION 3 – ELECTION 2024

The Ask: Post your “I voted” sticker to your IG Story or make a TikTok showing it off.

The Background: Lead by example – be the social proof that voting is the it girl thing to do by showing your “I voted” sticker on your social channels. You might be surprised at how influential your post may be. 

Looking for more action items? Check our library of past Gov Hub’s.

FULL SEND…TO A FRIEND

Just about guaranteed to make it to the group chat

• The Texas GOP is tryin’ to claim voter fraud and liar, liar pants on fire ahead of Tuesday because they’re running scared about a U.S. Senate that they may lose. That seat? Yea, it’s held by Cancun Cruz and is being challenged by Rep. Colin Allred who supports paid family leave for all and protecting reproductive rights.

• Steve Kornacki aka Khaki Kornacki who suddenly switched to gray pants and broke all of our election nerd hearts, is officially on TikTok. You can follow all of his election prep here.

• Ballot counting procedures aren’t the same in every state – and as a result, the time it takes to get tallies up n’ ready, are different. That’s v much the case for PA and Wisconsin, which because of their pre-processing rules, will take longer than other states to provide a result.

• In a plot twist of all plot twists [from our lens], a new Des Moises Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll has VP Harris leading 47% to Trump’s 44%. While we rec not jumping to conclusions on this traditionally ruby red state that Trump has won twice, this certainly should raise eyebrows – especially the part where two out of the four competitive Congressional districts show a lean toward the Dem candidates.

• The man that wears eyeliner and has yet to drop his make-up routine, JD Vance went on Joe Rogan and suggested that parents are forcing their kids to be trans or nonbinary to get into top colleges… he also is of the other delulu thought that him and Trump going to “win the normal gay guy vote.” 

• Speaking of JD Vance’s eyeliner, and Trump as a teenage girl impressions, meet the TikToker’s behind the impressions yielding millions of views and laughs via USA Today.

• One man who is known for having had a brain worm, leaving a dead bear in Central Park, driving with a dead whale on the roof of his car, and a litany of other really weird things is promised a prominent role in the Trump admin if he wins. And so is Elon Musk, a man that allegedly violated the terms of his education-related visa and plays with dictators.

• Unfortunately on another Trump is terrifyingly relevant note, the man who has refused to accept that he lost in 2020, went on record at a rally this weekend saying that he “should never have left the White House in 2021.” It’s giving the dictator he wants to be on day one vibes, ain’t it?

ELECTION SZN 2024

Guides and backgrounders

• Abortion is on the ballot via ballot measure in TEN states. These are the deats to know heading into election day.

• Election disinformation has already been circulating, but these are the six baseless, absolutely nutty fraud claims to have on your radar on election day and the days following.

• In Ohio, there’s a ballot measure that could end gerrymandering in its current form in the state, but the language to it is confusing AF. Get the real, real on it and share with an Ohio voter so that they know before they go [to the polls].

• Despite noncitizen voting already being illegal in federal elections, there are eight ballot measures across the country that are designed to double down on noncitizen voting.

• Polls will be open until these times in each of the battleground states. Do remember, if you’re in line, STAY IN LINE. 

• Those ballot measures for NYC are certainly something to do your research on before you go to the polls – something perhaps Eric Adams wouldn’t want you to do. Get the gist on all of them here.

• In Mississippi, there are three House races with party-to-party match-ups to watch, and one that is literally a shoe-in because no one is challenging the incumbent [reminder: if you don’t run, you can’t win].

• If you’re a Texas voter, you’ll need to make sure you bring these things to the polls with you. We rec making a list and checking it twice.

• Meanwhile, in Arkansas, four Republican-held seats are being challenged by Democratic candidates. The GOP has had a full delegation for the House and Senate since 2013, so a win would be a BIG WIN.

• The Electoral College is hard to explain, but Ben Sheehan nails it, giving this minute and 30 second overview of how it works.

HGW LISTENS

Tune in while you wait in line

• Get in the voting day vibes with this keep calm and Kamala-on [tysm SNL for that] with this look at what to expect on election night with your GATG gals – and a deep dive on how hot men vote for Harris.

• Tap into that pep talk, pep rally energy with none other than Rep. Maxwell Frost with this episode of Girl and the Gov, The Podcast.

• It’s givingggggg good news bears is possible when we show up and vote, and that “it” is this episode of Girl and the Gov, The Podcast with Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

SHOP GIRL AND THE GOV® MERCH

Add to your rotation or get ahead on holiday shopping

ELECTION WEEK READS

Stories to tap into

• Politico: She Saw Jan. 6 Coming. Here’s What Worries Her Now.

• NPR: What a big Republican win Tuesday could mean for Obamacare

• AP: Who will replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader? It remains deeply uncertain

• RollCall: Justice Department expands where it will monitor on Election Day

• Inc: Is Your Business Near a Polling Station? These 3 Tips Can Help Prepare for Election Day Disruptions

• Vogue: Kamala Harris Just Made a Surprise Pre-Election Cameo on Saturday Night Live

BEFORE YOU GO…

..say hello