Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

In after Baud. Damn.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

“Alexa, change the president.”

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

“In this country American means white. everybody else has to hyphenate.”

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Be a wild strawberry.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

They spent the last eight months firing professionals and replacing them with ideologues.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Postcards for VAAC (Voting Access for All)

Postcards for VAAC (Voting Access for All)

by | 63 Comments

This post is in: 

In Michigan, people who are in jail, awaiting trial, are eligible to vote.  But many or most of them them don’t know it.

These are people who haven’t been convicted of anything, but can’t afford $5,000 or whatever for  bail.  (Don’t get me started on how wrong that is!)

VAAC wants to send postcards to 1,200 people  who are in jails in Michigan, awaiting trial, letting them know they can vote and sharing information about the process.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

If you commit to doing 100 postcards or more, they will send you everything you need in a box!

  • pre-printed VAAC postcards
  • pre-printed labels telling them about the process
  • postcard stamps
  • mailing labels

All you have to do is:

add the labels and the stamps to the postcards

write a 10-word message to them in your own handwriting

mail the postcards or ship your completed box back (still checking on that detail)

They need postcards for 1,200 folks who are in jail.  That would be 12 people who can do 100 postcards, or fewer people doing more cards.

Who’s up for helping people in Michigan to vote?

Update:

We have 12 sets of 100 postcards available.

If you are one of the 12 people,, VAAC will ship your “postcards in a box” box next week, so you should have them in 7-10 days or so, depending on the mail.

Rules of the road:

  • You can start writing as soon as you get your postcards in a box
  • You put your postcards for recipients in the mail.
  • Postcards should be mailed by Sept 15.

So it seems like you’ll have about 2 weeks to write your postcards once the box arrives.

Please send me your name and mailing addresses by email, so they can send your box!

And send your nym so I can match the emails I get with nyms from this thread.

Update:  The original 12 slots for 100 postcards all have been filled.  Thank you!

Update on Wednesday morning:  I heard from VAAC this morning, they may be able to use the additional 6 of you after all!  Waiting to hear more.

Reader Interactions

63Comments

  2. 2.

    Mary S.

    I’d be happy to do 100 — I grew up in southwest Michigan (but I don’t live there now). How do I go about getting set up — do I contact VAAC directly?

  3. 3.

    Steve in the ATL

    Busy day crushing the hopes and dreams of the working class.  What have I missed?

  9. 9.

    3Sice

    Trump sounding like he smoked toad venom is totally not weird. The indoor garage rally in front of a couple of dozen staffers and local GOPers was sad, low energy.

  11. 11.

    Joy in FL

    What’s the timeline?

    I would like to do this, but I want to know the timing. Just a general idea is enough to help me decide.

  14. 14.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    I’d be in for 100. How do we sign up and when would the postcards need to be sent?

  15. 15.

    banditqueen

    I’ll do 100 — their set up sounds like it’s been well thought out and the recipients deserve to know their rights!

  16. 16.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Leto: another day that ends in y. Though I did think of JV. Vance yesterday when passing by Davenport, Iowa.  Have to admit it was mildly erotic, if I may couch it in such terms.

  20. 20.

    rodwell

    I am willing to do 100.  Same questions on the details.  How will they be sent to me, what is the handwritten message and how will they be sent to the designated individuals?

  21. 21.

    LifeInTheBonusRound

    I’m up for 100.  I have roots in Michigan and am eager to keep it moving blue. I will email WaterGirl my info (real name, mailing address, phone #). Maybe all of y’all who are stepping up could do the same thing and then she has the info to move us forward.

  22. 22.

    lowtechcyclist

    I’ll do 100, if there’s still any left – I see we’ve got quite a few volunteers already!

    ETA: Same question as several others – how do we sign up?

  23. 23.

    KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager))

    I really want to do this if there are any left. I feel strongly about voting rights for incarcerated or previously incarcerated people.

  24. 24.

    Maxim

    So far, we’ve got 17 people who have said they’d do 100 postcards. Maybe WG can check with the VAAC folks to see if they have more than 1200 people who need to be contacted.

  26. 26.

    Mousebumples

    WaterGirl, let me know if you need help coordinating this at all. I can help, if needed, but it sounds like we have enough volunteers, as is.

    This sounds like a great project. And I’m thinking people in jail (whether pre-trial or otherwise) would love some mail. Hopefully we can brighten some people’s day, too!

  28. 28.

    Mousebumples

    General postcarding FYI – WaterGirl has this postcarding thread under 2024 Activism link in the header/hamburger menu.

    I’ve got a bunch of postcarding groups there for investigation.

    Other groups for potential jackal consideration – Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan each have individual state name postcard projects as Facebook groups. Georgia Postcard Project has a website if you Google.

    Need to be local (in that state) for Postcard pickup and dropoff. NYC locals have an option for NC & GA. CT has something for GA.

    I’m postcarding tonight. Let’s win this – and run up the score!

  29. 29.

    WaterGirl

    @BR: May I suggest that you would be better off waiting until it’s clear which races can be winnable – we also look at how much money candidates have.

    Sometimes they have a ton of $$ but aren’t spending its – we don’t give $$ to those people because it’s like salt in the ocean.

  30. 30.

    WaterGirl

    Okay, I’m back!   You guys rock!

    We have 12 sets of 100 postcards available.

    VAAC will ship your “postcards in a box” box next week, so you should have them in 7-10 days or so, depending on the mail.

    Rules of the road:

    • You can start writing as soon as you get your postcards in a box
    • You put your postcards for recipients in the mail.
    • Postcards should be mailed by Sept 15.

    So it seems like you’ll have about 2 weeks to write your postcards once the box arrives.

    Please send me your name and mailing addresses by email, so they can send your box!  And send your nym so I can match the emails I get with nyms from this thread.

  35. 35.

    WaterGirl

    @Joy in FL: You’ll receive your “postcards in a box” in about 10 days, then you’ll have about 2 weeks to mail your postcards.

    Postcards should be mailed by Sept 15.

    If the timing works for you, send me your name and your mailing address and I will pass that on to VAAC so they can ship your postcards in a box!

  43. 43.

    WaterGirl

    @rodwell:

    Send me your name and your mailing address and I will pass that on to VAAC so they can ship your postcards in a box!  And your nym!

    Yes, you will be given words you can write, but they can be flexible, too.  Something nice in a real person’s handwriting.  You will mail the postcards directly to the recipients on or before Sept 15.

  45. 45.

    WaterGirl

    @lowtechcyclist:

    Send me your name and your mailing address and I will pass that on to VAAC so they can ship your postcards in a box!  And your nym!

    Yes, you will be given words you can write, but they can be flexible, too.  Something nice in a real person’s handwriting.  You will mail the postcards directly to the recipients on or before Sept 15.

  46. 46.

    WaterGirl

    @KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager)):

    Send me your name and your mailing address and I will pass that on to VAAC so they can ship your postcards in a box!  And your nym!

    Yes, you will be given words you can write, but they can be flexible, too.  Something nice in a real person’s handwriting.  You will mail the postcards directly to the recipients on or before Sept 15.

  47. 47.

    WaterGirl

    @Maxim:

    Send me your name and your mailing address and I will pass that on to VAAC so they can ship your postcards in a box!  And your nym!

    Yes, you will be given words you can write, but they can be flexible, too.  Something nice in a real person’s handwriting.  You will mail the postcards directly to the recipients on or before Sept 15.

    1,200 is the number needed.  So first come, first served.

  50. 50.

    WaterGirl

    Looks like we have 18 people who are interested, and 1,200 addresses.

    So first come, first served, email-wise?  :-)

    Thanks, everybody!

  51. 51.

    WaterGirl

    In order of receipt of names & mailing addresses by email.
    First set of 4 people:

    LifeInTheBonusRound
    banditqueen
    Goku
    lowtechcyclist

  54. 54.

    WaterGirl

    In order of receipt of names & mailing addresses by email.
    Third set of 4 people:

    Salt Water
    Warren Senders
    Eunicecycle
    Sorryforlaughing

    That’s it, all 12 sets of 100 are spoken for, with names and addresses sent to me by email.

  55. 55.

    Sorryforlaughing

    Are there still sets of 100 postcards available? Also sorry, Watergirl but where do I find your email?

  58. 58.

    WaterGirl

    I just sent names and addresses to VAAC for the first 12 people who sent me their information by email.

    If you were one of the 12, I just sent you an email message confirming that.

    Thank you everyone!

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