Call to Action: August 1, 2018
DAYS UNTIL MID-TERM BALLOTS WILL BE MAILED: 77
DAYS UNTIL MID-TERM BALLOTS ARE DUE: 97
STOP THE RUSSIANS FROM ATTACKING OUR ELECTIONS
We hang our hopes on the next election. But recent events have exposed the success of the cyber war Russia aimed at the heart of our democracy in the 2016 elections. Now, with a blue wave rising, the Russians are back.
In 2016, they launched a three-pronged attack to turn the election toward Trump:
- They ran a propaganda campaign through Facebook and Twitter designed to set Americans against one another.
- They used advanced cyber tools to steal information on voters, candidates and campaigns.
- They uncovered vulnerabilities in the entire chain of election machinery.
That was then.
Yesterday, Facebook announced it had disabled a more sophisticated propaganda campaign. It inflamed divisive issues like abolishing ICE and “Unite the Right,” and reached more than 290,000 Facebook users.
Last week, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo), a top Republican target, became the first to reveal that her campaign was attacked. At least two other midterm candidates have also been attacked.
The entire chain of election machinery is still vulnerable.
Oregon’s senators have introduced the Protecting American Votes and Elections Act to mitigate the risks. We support this and we demand that Russia be sanctioned for the damage they’ve inflicted.
**ACTION ONE: CALL OUR SENATORS**
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR SENATOR MERKLEY AND SENATOR WYDEN:
(Leave a message if you can’t get through)
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because I am concerned and angry that so little is being done to defend our elections from Russia. I support the PAVE Act and demand that Congress enact sanctions against Russia in response to the damage they’ve done to our country. Thank you.”
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/
SENATOR RON WYDEN
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/
**ACTION TWO: CALL ELUSIVE GREG WALDEN**
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
(Leave a message if you can’t get through)
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because I am concerned and angry that, so little is being done to defend our elections from Russia. I support the PAVE Act and demand Congress enact sanctions against Russia in response to the damage they’ve done to our country.”
COMPLICIT GREG WALDEN
DC (202) 225-6730, Medford: (541) 776-4646,
Bend (541) 389-4408, La Grande (541) 624-2400
https://walden.house.gov/contact-greg/email-me
It has become clear that we need a different Congress to force Trump to respond to Russia’s attack on our elections!
- Make sure you and everyone you know is registered to vote.
- Join the ORD2 Indivisible team of volunteers. We Need You! Send an e-mail to letting us know what you’d like to do or to learn more about our volunteer opportunities and needs.
- Learn more about Jamie McLeod-Skinner, candidate for the Oregon District 2 US House of Representatives seat, https://jamiefororegon.com/
- Make sure every candidate for Congress is answering questions about how they will work to protect our elections.
2018 is the most important election in our lifetimes.
**ACTION FOUR: SHARE YOUR HEALTH CARE, MEDICAID / MEDICARE STORY**
How has Medicaid and Medicare affected you and your family? We’d love to know.
We ask that you record a short 1- to 2-minute video with your health care stories that we can share. Another option, should you prefer, is to use this template to write a letter to our MOC’s with your health care testimonials.
When you have completed your videos and letters, please send copies to us at and/or post them on Facebook Messenger, whichever is easier for you.
Our plan is to share the videos and letters as far and wide as we can, reaching out to others so they know how critically important health care and the Medicaid & Medicare programs are in the lives of millions.
SOURCES:
- Facebook: Removing bad actors on Facebook
- American Progress: “Warning Lights Are Blinking Red: It Is Time to Secure Our Elections from Ongoing Russian Attack”
- VOX: We have the first documented case of Russian hacking in the 2018 election
- TechCrunch: Democrats introduce an election security bill that proposes paper trails and mandatory audits
- LA Times: Was the 2016 election legitimate? It’s now definitely worth asking the question
