Early Voting, No Kings, and Oligarchy

Hello Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley,

It’s another Take Action Tuesday from the ICCV Legislative Committee. Early voting is going on in North Carolina. Election Day is 2 weeks away! Please do NOT wait until Election Day to vote. If you wake up that morning with the flu, or your car won’t start, or you have an emergency surgery, you will have lost your ability to make your voice heard. And, if you’re still not registered, you can register and vote at the same time during early voting. You CANNOT register on Election Day. Check last week’s Take Action Tuesday for a refresher on locations and hours of early voting in Catawba County.
https://www.indivisibleccv.org/october-13-2026

This past Saturday was No Kings: Vote Early. Organizers report over 3000 Get Out the Vote events across the country. ICCV sponsored 5 different “Mini-Rallies with a Twist,” one at each early voting site in the county. We also provided nonpartisan information on early voting at the Hickory Farmers Market on Wednesday and Saturday last week, as well as other events and locations over the past month.
Other local organizations sponsored car caravans to the polls, went “Fishing for Votes,” and more on Saturday. It was a joyful celebration of voting and, hopefully, encouraged others to vote, who may otherwise have sat this election out. Thank you to the intrepid souls who showed up at 8:30 in the morning, on the first day of cooler weather, to encourage voting!

Then what happened? Meta shut down the No Kings Instagram page. WHAT? Meta says it was an error, but the timing is certainly concerning. Newsweek reported that the account was suspended for about 90 minutes, and once it went public again, the organization still could not post or otherwise communicate for around 4 hours. https://www.newsweek.com/no-kings-protest-mets-12584351
Most of us never anticipated living in a world structured to benefit the wealthy – an oligarchy. Britannica defines an oligarchy as “government by the few.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/oligarchy
I would say we are there. And how do we fix it? We know it won’t be easy, but the power of the people is always stronger than the people in power!

WHAT TO DO and HOW TO DO IT

Please share this information with family and friends who may not be as well-informed.

First, we VOTE! Vote in numbers so vast that there can be no question about the results. Then, we prepare. We anticipate election interference and are considering what it may look like, as well as how we will respond to that. No Kings and National Indivisible, as well as other pro-democracy organizations are now planning how we will respond to various election interference scenarios. We should have more information on that in the next few weeks but know this – WE WILL FIGHT BACK! 

The deadline to register to vote was on Friday, October 9, at 5:00 PM, but if you missed the deadline, you may register and vote at the same time during Early Voting. You CANNOT register on Election Day. You must provide photo ID and proof of residence. If your ID does not have your current address, you must provide a utility bill or other document proving your address. Find more information at https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering/how-register/register-person-during-early-voting You cannot be turned away. If there is a problem with your registration, ask for a provisional ballot.

Make sure your friends and family are voting also. Help them create a plan to vote. If you have marginalized neighbors, ask if they need assistance voting. Early turnout numbers are higher than in 2022, but we must keep the momentum going.

Fun last-minute opportunity: 

If you're available, and I know many of us are busy wearing multiple hats, please join us as "Guardians of GOTV" during downtown Hickory's Monster Mash, this Friday evening. We will meet outside Taste Full Beans at 3:45 PM to distribute Early Voting information cards. We will dress up as red, white and blue superheroes (or not, your choice) to spread the word about early voting. Reply to this e-mail for more information. 

This week’s quote:

The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.
~ Montesquieu

Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy! 

ICCV Legislative Committee        

“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”