Author Archives: Shabbir

The most important thing we can all do is to GOTV to help increase voter turnout. Think about this in 2 parts:

1. Getting new (or lapsed) voters to register
2. Getting registered voters to vote

Imagine if each of us could get just 5 friends to register and vote! In my opinion the best plan is to contact your own friends and people on your phone or email lists. An excellent free app, Vote With Me, identifies each person on your phone contact list, and lets you know if they are registered and their voting history. They have pre-formed texts to help you contact your friends. Start with VoteWithMe and build up from there. Ask each of your friends to contact 5 people in their own circle. People pay attention to people they know, and receiving a message from a known source is the best way to influence someone to register and vote.

If you exhaust your personal contacts and want to do more, look for an organization you believe in, and volunteer to help them GOTV.

Many different organizations are working on getting new voters to register and getting voters whose registration may have lapsed to reregister. Each has different focus and each have excellent ideas. Here are some of the best non-partisan websites:

Rock The Vote

League of Women Voters

The following websites are for consultants to political campaigns, and have good ideas for GOTV:

The Campaign Workshop

Advocay and Communications Solutions

Every state requires voters to register, and each state has slightly different rules and deadlines. A very good website to help people in every state register or find out information on how to register is Vote.org. You can also visit your secretary of state website for your state. Just google voter registration for your state

Dear Friends I am overwhelmed! I asked for only 5 people, but over 200 of you clicked to commit to vote on November 3rd. Thank you! I am reaching out now to request you connect with 5 of your friends, and encourage them to register to vote prior to the deadline. A great way is to use the free App “VoteWithMe”. This app can tell you who in your phone contacts are not yet registered to vote. VoteWithMe also has several preloaded texts you can send to your friends and business contacts to remind them to register to vote. Ofcourse, VoteWithMe is only one way, and you can reach out to your friends by email or phone or whatsapp or other social media. Former President Barack Obama said this election is the most important one in our lifetime, and President Trump also said so. Every vote counts, so please commit to reach out to just 5 of your contacts to get them to register to vote this week. Click this button:I’ll help get the vote out! If you are like me, by now you are probably tired of all the political advertisements, social media posts, and emails you have received from candidates and political organizations, and these quickly find their way to your mental dustbin. However, if you are reading this it’s because you know me, and it’s proof that your friends and associates will pay attention to a personal appeal from you to register to vote. I can guarantee you there will be at least 5 people on your phone contact list who have not yet registered to vote, and this is your chance to send them a gentle reminder. By far the most effective way to influence someone to register to vote is a personal appeal from someone they know. You may also get a windfall bonus, connecting with old friends you haven’t talked with in a long time. I was surprised and pleased to hear from several old friends in response to my earlier email. Another easy way to improve voter turnout in a key swing state: Florida, which has 14 million registered voters, and 8 million people voting in last election, had until recently laws preventing 1.4 million past felons from voting. That’s 10% of all registered voters in Florida, and 18% of votes cast! This becomes really important when one considers the last presidential election in Florida was won by a very slim 1.3% margin, just over 100,000 votes. The Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, won by an even slimmer 0.4% margin, just 33,000 votes in 2018. An amendment to Florida’s constitution was approved in 2018 by an overwhelming majority of Florida voters allowing felons to vote. (Only for felons convicted of non-violent crimes, like possession of marijuana.) However, the Governor then put in new restrictions that all fines and fees must be paid before being allowed to vote.  The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is a fantastic grass roots organization that was highly effective in overturning Florida’s felon voting law, and they are now working on helping felons pay off their fines and fees, so they can register to vote in time for this election. FRRC was established by a former homeless person, Desmond Meade, who was recognized by Time magazine in 2019 on their 100 most influential people list. FRRC is non partisan, and helps all felons regain their voting rights. Please join Mike Bloomberg who recently donated $16 million, and myself (I gave a far smaller donation :), to help turn out votes in Florida by donating to FRRC to pay off felon fines and getting them to polls this November 3rd. Deadlines for registering to vote are fast approaching, and in many states such as Florida and Texas this deadline is 4 weeks before election day. That’s in just seven days — on October 5th. Each state has its own peculiar procedures for registering its residents to vote, and one useful website is Vote.org, which can lead you and your friends  through registration process for each state. Please visit my blog, YourImportantVote.com, where you will find several new blogs and guest blogs, and some great resources, listed below. You are invited to publish a blog as a guest, if you have some ideas relevant to voting, and can keep it under 500 words and non-partisan. I’d also love to hear your comments on this or on any other subject. Please email me. Thank you and stay well. Shabbir Nomanbhoy RECENT POSTSWhat if I don’t agree with a candidate on everything? Perfection vs. Optimal ChoiceCan women make a difference in politics? The women’s tsunami around the cornerWhat are barriers to voting? And how to overcome themOK, I’m convinced! What else can I do to help?Don’t Vote –unless….Racism and DiscriminationPAST POSTS  Do I have to…? Is voting a right or duty?Why vote? My vote won’t make a difference anywayHow did I get here? My personal political evolutionAm I getting the best deal? Economic implications of votingIs talking about politics taboo? Importance of political talkResources COMING SOON  Why should I donate my money to politicians? Make the most effective use of your political cloutWon’t my friends mind if I ask them about voting? My experience so far

Copyright © 2020 Your Important Vote, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because we may have interacted socially or for business. I may write you one more time before the election with updates, but if you’d prefer not to receive another email from me on this subject, please click here to unsubscribe. Our mailing address is: Your Important Vote401 E Ontario StreetApartment 1008Chicago, IL 60611 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Dear Friends, During a conversation four years ago, I asked a young friend who he planned to vote for in the presidential election. He told me he was not bothering, as his vote wouldn’t have any effect. I tried half-heartedly to convince him to vote, but he didn’t. I regret not making a stronger appeal to him back then.  I am writing to make a personal appeal for you to vote this November! I don’t wish to influence which candidate you vote for, only to encourage you to cast your vote conscientiously for the presidential candidate that you believe can best lead our country. You’re probably hearing from any number of politicians, celebrities, organizations and pollsters about who to vote for. I simply want to share my personal thoughts on why your vote is important.  Your vote this November will decide the policies and laws that affect your daily life for the next four years, and maybe for decades to come. Whether you are concerned about the disruption in your personal life caused by the pandemic, or the larger question of the pandemic leadership vacuum that has brought the United States to its knees, make sure you vote. Whether you are worried about your own job, business or children’s schooling, or whether you have larger concerns about our country’s economy, racism and police brutality, healthcare, education or foreign policy, please express yourself with your vote this November. Even if you don’t fully agree with a particular candidate’s policies or positions, abstaining from voting means you are essentially supporting the positions or policies least aligned with your own views. In our two-party system, we can never be in perfect agreement with any candidate, but it’s about choosing the one you think is better. Each missing vote gives the other side a greater chance to win. Don’t take that chance! Go vote this November for the leaders or issues you believe in most. My goal is modest: I want to get just 5 people I know personally to cast their vote this November. Can you help me achieve this goal?  It will mean a lot to me if you commit now by clicking the button below. Thank you.

I’m Voting

If you want to go further, please join me in this campaign by getting 5 people in your own network to vote. You will be surprised at your own effectiveness when you appeal to people you know on a personal level. Call or write emails or texts to as many of your contacts as you can. YourImportantVote.com, a blog I started, has a sample email and texts you can use, or write to your contacts in your own words. You may also freely forward this email if you wish. Want to do more? Check my blog for ideas!

Visit Blog

My two favorite resources are www.vote.org, a site to help you register to vote in any state, and VoteWithMe, a free app which gives you voting history of each contact on your phone, and helps you send them reminder texts.  Thank you for listening. If I can help you in any way to vote, please email me. I don’t want to influence your vote, but the process of registering or voting can be intimidating, especially for first time voters, so please reach out to me, or someone else you trust.  Best Regards, and remember — Your Vote is Important! Shabbir Nomanbhoy

You are receiving this email because we may have interacted socially or for business. I may write you a couple more times before the November election, but if you’d prefer not to receive another email from me on this subject, please click to unsubscribe from this list.

P.S. Check out my blog: www.YourImportantVote.com I’m writing a series of blog posts to address the most common reasons for skipping the ballot box, and related topics, in more detail than is possible in a short email. Also included on my blog are resources that may help you with your own vote, or to get more involved in the political process. Please click the headings below to read more. I’d love to get your comments and feedback. RECENT POSTSWhy vote? My vote won’t make a difference anywayDo I have to…? Is voting a right or duty?How did I get here? My personal political evolutionAm I getting the best deal? Economic implications of votingIs talking about politics taboo? Importance of political talkResources COMING SOONWhat if I don’t agree with a candidate on everything? Perfection vs. Optimal ChoiceCan women make a difference in politics? The women’s tsunami around the cornerWhat are barriers to voting? And how to overcome themOk, I’m convinced! What else can I do to help?Why should I donate my money to politicians? Make the most effective use of your political cloutWon’t my friends mind if I ask them about voting? My experience so far

Copyright © 2020 Your Important Vote, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because we may have interacted socially or for business. I may write you one more time before the election with updates, but if you’d prefer not to receive another email from me on this subject, please click here to unsubscribe. Our mailing address is: Your Important Vote401 E Ontario StreetApartment 1008Chicago, IL 60611 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

There are many ways to help in big ways and small. You have 3 things that you can donate: your time, your money, or your influence.

You can work at a polling booth on election day. It’s a paid job, and you get the satisfaction of helping make sure voting is smooth. Click here.

Donate your time to any cause or political candidate you believe in. Working for a cause, any cause you believe in, will give you great satisfaction.

You can donate some money, anything from under $5 up to $2700 to the many candidates running for office. Research the candidates positions on their websites, and reach out to them to discuss anything you want changed. Their staff will respond if you are in their district.

You can support an organization that helps candidates you believe in. For example, If you believe strongly in womens equality, Emily’s List supports women candidates at all levels, and here are several more organizations suporting women running for political office: https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a23678900/women-political-organizations-run-for-office/. If you believe in eliminating discrimination due to racial bias, here are some organizations that support black candidates. https://movement.vote/funds/black-led-fund/

The best thing you can do is to reach out to every person you know socially or business contacts, and email them personally. Research shows that the most effective influence in voting, getting people to register to vote, and getting people to vote, comes from personal appeals from people they know and trust.

By Shabbir

Do you always agree with your spouse on everything? Or your parents Or children? How about with your best friend? Of course not! No two people can think exactly alike and agree on everything.

Similarly, you cannot expect to agree with every position taken by the politician to whom you grant your vote. You must choose the person closest to your way of thinking. No politician is perfect, and you must make the best choice, i.e. vote for the one that most closely fits your way of thinking.

In our two party system in USA, we generally choose between one of two candidates running for office under the two major parties, Democrat and Republican. Sometimes there are more choices such as Independent or Green Party. You must choose the candidate that represents your views as closely as possible on as many issues as possible.

Not voting is a bad option, as that essentially supports the candidate you least agree with. By not voting, you take away a vote from the candidate closest to your preference. You must make a choice and vote.

How about if you don’t agree with your candidate on major issues? Well, you still must make the choice based on who is closer to your position, and then try to influence their position by writing to them or calling their office. You can definitely influence after they get elected by making yourself heard. You must vote first and influence their position after. So get out there and make an impact with your vote this November.

By Shabbir

2018 was dubbed the “Year of the Woman”, and a record number of women were elected to the Senate (25), House of Representatives (102), and numerous other elected offices such as Attorneys General, Governors, State Reps and Senators, and city councils around the country. Many of these women were Democrats and 2018 is also called the Blue Wave. https://www.vox.com/2018/12/6/18119733/congress-diversity-women-election-good-news

2020 is the hundredth anniversary of when women gained the right to vote in USA, and there are even more women vying for Senate and Congress, and elected positions in every state.

Organizations like Emily’s list, which supports Democratic women running for office, and NFRW for Republican women, and the non-partisan grandmammy of all, The League of Women Voters, have played a big role in this recent surge of women candidates. These organizations provide training, support, mentorship and funding at all stages of their candidacy, and have been extremely influential in promoting the right female candidate in the right district. Several new organizations have also sprung up as resources for women, and demand for such services has surged.

For example, Emily’s List is a wonderful not-for-profit organization that focuses on helping women around the country run for elected office ranging from School Board to Senator. Emily’s list was started by an ordinary woman (surprisingly not named Emily – read the history behind the name Emily on their website) named Ellen R. Malcolm in her basement in 1985. Since then Emily’s List has supported nearly 1300 women get elected, including 16 Governors, 26 Senators, and 150 Congresswomen. Emily’s List was a major cause for the wave of women elected to Congress in 2018. Emily’s List has a great website featuring each candidate they support, with a short bio and their positions on various policies. They not only support their candidates with funds, but also provide training and supportive advice, and they have a knack for picking winners. (In 2018, I supported 11 of their candidates, and to my great surprise, 10 got elected. I wish I had the same luck with my stock picks!)

All around the world things are changing for women. Change is slow but steady. Even Saudi Arabia now allows women to drive without a male escort and has allowed women to vote since 2015. Yes, I know this sounds crazy today, but remember that Switzerland only allowed women to vote in 1971, and USA only in 1920, and in Shakespearan England, women were considered property, much like slaves. Today, there is change all around as countries like Rwanda, Bolivia, Cuba and Mexico lead the way with more than 50% women in their parliaments. (No European nations in the top 10, and USA trailing at a sad 75^th!). C suites and Boards are being filled by women, slowly but surely, as women head diverse corporations like GM, Pepsico, Citicorp and others. Young girls, changemakers like like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, are revered and honored around the world. While I wish for my two daughter’s sake that change were faster, I am very sure that things will indeed change and women will be considered equal in every way in all aspects of life.

I am a strong believer in women’s leadership being better and more sustainable for our political institutions as well as our future as a democracy in USA. Notwithstanding some bad actors like PFC Lyndie England and Brig General Janis Karpinski at the Abu Ghraib prison, women are kinder, gentler leaders  who are less likely to promote a win at all costs strategy.

We are well on the way to a tsunami of women being elected leaders around the world as well as in USA. This November, if there is a woman candidate in your district for any office, take a few minutes to get to know her positions better, and vote for the best candidate.

By Shabbir

There are people who don’t want us to vote, and they have placed many barriers in our way, including everything from removing mailboxes to purging voter rolls. We are almost a century past Jim Crow laws and literacy tests for voting, but there many subtle and not-so-subtle barriers being placed in our way to prevent us from voting this November. Don’t let them take away your basic right as a US citizen. Make a plan and vote as early as you can for this November election. (Do not vote twice as its illegal, and you could go to jail 🙂

The biggest barrier is that 48 out of 50 states have laws preventing felons from voting in some way. These laws are discriminatory in large part against those in lower economic strata. For example, in Florida which has 14 million registered voters, and 8 million people voted in last election, had until recently 1.4 million felons not allowed to vote, Fully 10% of all voters, and 18% of those casting votes! This becomes really important when one considers the last two recent elections in Florida were won by only 10,000 votes. A recent amendment to Florida’s constitution approved by an overwhelming number of voters now allows felons to vote, but the Governor then put in new restrictions that all fines must be paid prior to being allowed to vote.  The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is a fantastic grass roots organization that was highly effective in overturning Florida law, and it is now working on helping felons pay off their fines and fees. FRRC was formed a former homeless person, Desmond Meade, who has been selected as Time’s most influential 100 people. FRRC is non partisan, and helps all felons regain their voting rights.

The recent attacks on the postal service is another bar to voting, as many citizens depend on US Mail to receive and deliver their ballots. Contact to your congressman or senator to demand ontime postal service, a service mentioned in the US constitution. ContactCongress.org is a website that tells you who is your Representative or Senator, and how to get in touch by phone, mail, email, social media, etc.

By Avi Ornstein

I had the good fortune of growing up in a melting pot. My extended family is a combination of varied nationalities and races, as are the friends of several generations of the family. The first girl I took to a dance was black, as is my nephew. In my many years of teaching, I judged each student on their effort and performance, rather than on external factors. That, in itself, does not, however, absolve me form the existing problem.

The school I attended was small and integrated and, while I saw conflicts in the media, we were fortunate that we did not experience it directly. I actually became more aware of the social issues when I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which was published when I was a sophomore. I was moved by the message in his final chapter: “Where the really sincere white people have to do their “proving” of themselves is not among the black victims, but out on the battle lines of where America’s racism really is – and that’s in their own home communities; America’s racism is among their own fellow whites.  That’s where the sincere whites who really mean to accomplish something have got to work.”

.

Unfortunately, racism is deeply ingrained in American society. In 1974, author Isaac Asimov was referring back to 1935 when he said “Those were the days when racial quotas were as American as apple pie.” In 1940, Ruth Benedict noted in her book Race: Science and Politics that “…racism is an ism to which everyone in the world is exposed; for or against, we must take sides.  And the history of the future will differ according to the decision which we make.” Martin Luther King, Jr., had responded to another person’s comment by noting “In your statement you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence.  Isn’t this like condemning the robbed man because his possessions of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?”

In the June 1976 issue of Technology Review, Rev. John Crocker pointed out: “Some people begin to claim superiority over other people. The dominant ones employ the sciences to support their claims by measurements which say that the dominant ones are superior. (Every kind of educational and psychological testing…demonstrates this assertion.)”

Robert A. Heinlein noted in Revolt in 2100: “You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.” This is a condition that should not be accepted. And that is the important point – it will only change if we work at seeing it occur! This is why everyone must consider the true facts and use them to reach their decisions – and they must then follow that by being sure to actually vote!

I would like to close by quoting Robert Heinlein again. He addressed this issue beck in 1958 in Methuselah’s Children: “When discrimination was removed, the problem solved itself and cultural assimilation took place.”

By Samina Sundas

In the United States voting is a right, a privilege and a responsibility. People fought long and hard to be able to vote, yet sadly many do not bother to vote.

Important reasons to vote:

1. Your vote matters. Many claim their vote does not matter. There have been many elections decided by a few votes. Vote so you are choosing your leaders.
2. Vote to defend what is important to you, your family and your community.  Politicians make laws that protect or restrict social freedoms. This includes controversial issues like capital punishment, gay rights, civil rights, prayer in school and religious freedoms.
3.  Chief executives like governors and presidents appoint judges and justices.  When a new Supreme Court Justice is appointed, he or she is appointed for life influencing the social direction of America for generations.
4. Comprehensive health insurance is a major issue for everyone, and millions can lose their coverage due to pre-existing conditions. The issue impacts your health and your family’s health too, especially the seniors with pre-existing conditions.
5. Choose leaders who will protect your life, your civil rights and human rights.
6. Environment is a huge issue for us.  Vote to save our world. Global warming and environmental issues are serious. In California we have been dealing with fires every year and the rest of the country is facing record breaking hurricanes and other natural disasters.
7. Vote to keep social services for the poor and protect social security.
8.  Vote for those who fought for your right to vote. There was a time in this country when women, minorities and adults younger than 21 could not vote. Many people worked hard and sacrificed their lives so we have right to vote. It is your duty to exercise it.
9.  Vote for those who died for your freedom. Soldiers and civil rights workers have given their lives for your right to vote. Soldiers continue to fight and die in wars. Your vote decides if we go to war.
10.  Most importantly please vote for the next generation. Our choices today impact our children, grandchildren and all generations that follow. Make choices that will improve their lives by voting. It also sets a good example and encourages civil responsibility.
11. You lose your right to complain if complain if you do not bother to vote.  
    
    
12. Please make a choice to vote with your conscious and make our world better for all of us. One day you will be able to share that story with your kids and grandkids.