There are 15 days left until California voters decide whether to defeat or pass Proposition 8, the controversial ballot initiative that, if passed, would alter the state’s constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry and add language that defines marriage as only valid or recognized if it is between a man and a woman.
The most recent SurveyUSA Poll shows that supporters of Prop 8 have a slight 48-45 lead, although that is within the four-point margin of error, and it is also below the coveted 50 percent threshold. Essentially—there is hope we can still defeat Prop 8, but we NEED YOUR HELP!
In these final fifteen days, it is imperative that we put all of our cards on the table and do everything we can to defeat this ballot initiative. There are many ways to get involved in the critical fight for marriage equality.
Not sure how to help? Follow me below the fold for a 15 day action plan:
DAY ONE: Tuesday, October 21st
Educate yourself about Prop 8. Remind yourself of the reasons why it's so important that we defeat Prop 8. Learn the arguments in support of Prop 8 so you can be prepared to counter and debunk them. The more information you have, the more confident and effective you'll be in answering questions, making your case, and persuading others to vote no come election day.
DAY TWO: Wednesday, October 22nd
Make a donation. The proponents of Proposition 8 have a huge cash advantage right now and we’re going to need every penny for advertising in these final weeks to keep up with the barrage of bigoted and misleading advertisements their supporters are running. Every dollar helps, even small donations of $5 and $10 can make an impact—especially when there are a ton of them.
DAY THREE: Thursday, October 23rd
Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Believe it or not, opinion pages are often the most popular and closely read sections of the paper, especially letters to the editors. Plus, they often guide editors in making decisions about what issues to cover in news and editorials. Click here for tips on writing an effective letter.
DAY FOUR: Friday, October 24th
Get some snazzy campaign gear. Never underestimate the power of visibility! Show your support for NO On Prop 8 with a hat, tee-shirt, button, bumper sticker, or other accessories. You can also download free templates for bumper stickers and signs.
DAY FIVE: Saturday, October 25th
Call other voters. You can help out at a local phone bank or even phone people from the comfort of your own home. Phone banking is one of the single most effective ways to reach persuadable voters and actually motivate them to get out to the polls on election day.
DAY SIX: Sunday, October 26th
Volunteer at a field office or for a local action committee. The success of this campaign in these final days is going to depend heavily on significant grassroots-level involvement. So bring a friend and spend a Sunday helping to spread the word about why it’s so important to defeat Prop 8.
DAY SEVEN: Monday, October 27th
Maximize your MySpace or other social networking page. Utilizing social networking sites is a great way to reach a lot of people with minimal effort. Try changing your status message to say something like "McLovin1986 encourages other Californians to vote NO on Prop 8!" Post a bulletin making the case for marriage equality. Search for other supporters and add them as friends.
DAY EIGHT: Tuesday, October 28th
Email your friends and family members. Many people, on both sides of this issue, are afraid to openly share their views with friends and family for fear of conflict, confrontation, and judgment. Ultimately, though, we have to have the courage to speak out for what’s right in order to change hearts and minds. And as a person they know, love, and trust, you may be far more effective at persuading your loved ones to vote no on Proposition 8 than any television or radio advertisement. There are even templates available on the web to help.
DAY NINE: Wednesday, October 29th
Sign the Vow to Vote No Petition. Show your support and reaffirm your commitment by joining Equality California, the Courage Campaign, and thousands of other California voters in taking the pledge to vote no on Proposition 8.
DAY TEN: Thursday, October 30th
Blog about it. Blogging is a great way to not only spread the message about defeating Proposition 8-- but also the larger issue of marriage equality. If you don't want to write your own blog, you can still make the case by posting comments on other blogs about Prop 8. Tempting though it may be, try to avoid wasting too much time arguing with die-hard supporters of Prop 8. Chances are these folks aren't persuadable and you'll be more effective reaching out to undecided voters and encouraging those who already want to vote NO to show up on election day.
DAY ELEVEN: Friday, October 31st
Combine your political passion with your Halloween spirit. Use your creativity this Halloween to bring attention to this important issue. Perhaps dress up as a ballot with a check in the NO box next to Prop 8 or create a stencil to carve a pumpkin with the number 8 in the middle of a circle with a line through it. Or, for a more subtle approach, be sure to put out a lawn sign that will be visible to the parents of neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
DAY TWELVE: Saturday, November 1st
Go viral. Take advantage of the youtube era and share some of the many powerful online videos addressing this issue, like this one from Ellen DeGeneres, this PSA with an impressive cast, this moving video from myrighttomarriage.com, or this hilarious spoof of the PC and MAC Guy commercials.
DAY THIRTEEN: Sunday, November 2nd
Pray. If you are a spiritual person and you believe in the power of prayer, please consider putting one out there to your greater power for a little extra help in defeating this ugly attempt to instill prejudice and bigotry into our state's constitution. For those a little less inspired by this idea-- please consider making some more calls instead.
DAY FOURTEEN: Monday, November 3rd
Remind your friends and family to get out and vote. Voter turnout is going to be essential to defeating Prop 8. If you can, offer to drive others to the polls who may not be able to get there easily on their own. Set up a carpool for first time voters you may know who might be intimidated to vote for the first time. Remind working voters that, if necessary, the state of California requires employers to allow them up to two hours of paid time off to vote on election day if they cannot do so outside of their normal work hours.
DAY FIFTEEN: Tuesday, November 4th
Vote. If you do nothing else on this action plan, please do this.