When you want to avoid the news but also help save democracy

“It's not where the glamor is, it's where the power is.”

Here are a few gifs/memes I couldn’t choose between re: the 2024 American Presidential election:

I am determined to be wiser this Presidential election cycle than I was the prior two and stay away from stories that will freak me out without giving me any good information. I was at a concert the night of the first debate and glanced at a newspaper’s front page at one point. I then resolved not to look again until after the election.

It’s been a bit of a challenge without that dopamine hit of news-refreshing. I certainly have not been using the time wisely. The house isn’t cleaner, I haven’t written or read more or resumed meditating. But I have walked the dog more, watched more movies, started reading more random subReddits, and listened to more hours of podcasts recapping old episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race that I have already watched numerous times.¹  

Yet, I want to sleep at night on November 5th knowing that I did what I personally reasonably could to support democracy in the form of electing Democratic candidates at both the state and national level. 

Are you looking for the same thing? To feel both sane and effectively involved? Is that possible? Here’s my approach.

The Evil Witches States Project Giving Circle is raising money for state candidates in Pennsylvania.

Why Pennsylvania? Here’s why:

• Over 350 of you newsletter readers live there. Hi!

• No matter who wins the Presidential election, shoring up Democratic power at the state level will be extremely important in maintaining democracy as we know it. Pennsylvania is a state where we can make a difference like we did in Michigan and Virginia. “Even if Trump wins, the more majorities we win in state capitals, the more protections we’ll have, and the more places we can actually pass laws that improve people's lives regardless of what the federal government is doing,” says Melissa Walker, head of Giving Circles at the States Project (and a witch!). She pointed out to me how little the US Congress has done to pass laws that affect Americans (35 in the last year) compared to the states (over 300 in Michigan alone.) Here’s more about what’s at stake.
  

• Ensuring a blue government in PA also helps the Democratic Presidential candidate.  Pennsylvania seats its newly elected officials before the safe harbor deadline. “If the right wing were to take the majority in Harrisburg, they could issue subpoenas, pass resolutions, and take other official actions to prevent ballots from being counted or to bypass or delay the popular vote, especially if there’s been a close election,” says Walker. With a Democratic majority, none of that would be possible.
  

These efforts work — in 2022, The States Project, with Pennsylvania-focused Giving Circles, was the top donor in the effort to win the PA House, and it flipped by 63 votes. This efficiency means that you can opt out of spiraling, out of trying to change minds that you can’t, out of wondering whether your very scant volunteer time is being used well. 

What can you do?

• Donate what you can – any amount makes a difference – ⭐⭐⭐⭐here⭐⭐⭐⭐.

• Want to increase your impact? Become a recurring donor. 

• Don’t have funds but want to help? Spread the word—forward this post, or if you want, I will place in the comments a template email for you to customize and forward to friends/family.

If you’re still not sure there’s any point in trying to fundraise for local elections or why you should care about elections in a state you don’t live in, check out these prior issues to learn more about why the states are where it’s at.

Want to go the extra mile? Start your own Giving Circle (you can choose a target state that is meaningful to you.) I am happy to answer questions in the comments or email about how I’ve done it. It’s not that hard and it is absolutely possible to do it your way, on your schedule. I have a high goal because I have big email list and fundraising experience, but any amount truly helps. Email Melissa Walker at melissa@statesproject.org if you think you may want to go for it or have questions.

If you can send a million bullshit emails a day arranging your family’s appointments and obligations, a few quick emails or texts asking people to help the Giving Circle will feel like a drop in the bucket, and you can get back to your regularly scheduled stress.

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End credits

Thanks for reading this issue of Evil Witches, a newsletter for people who happen to be mothers. If you’re new, you can learn more about the newsletter/community here. Feel free to forward this email to anyone you know looking for a way to participate in the election in an efficient way.

The newsletter archives live here and if you want to check out a few random past pieces, I’ve covered things like kids’ summer reading, Evil Witches’ tried-and-true advice for international travel, the relatable world of interior design narratives, how it would be so much easier to love your family if they had no possessions (so let’s disrupt the space/time continuum to fix that,) and an interview with the talented and hilarious Lauren Haldeman, one of my fave moms-who-cartoon.

If you read some of those issues and think, “Damn, these people are saying a lot of things I say/think!” I hope you consider supporting this independent, nonsponsored work and joining the subscription level, which gives you extra context and access to fun, honest, witchy discussion threads, like the last meals we had before becoming parents and the first things we ate after.

If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for future issues you can reply right to this email. You can follow us on Instagram here, run by witch Carly.

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One witchy thing

1. If you’re also following the news/are online less, how have you been using your time? Unwise/unproductive answers preferred.