by Sarah F.

Thirty-Three Days

THIRTY-THREE DAYS

That’s it.

Thirty-three days until November 3. And if I’m being completely honest, I’m asking you to give a damn about these next 33 days. Not because anyone expects you to give every waking hour. Not because you have to become a full-time organizer. And certainly not because the people who have been carrying this work all year aren’t exhausted.

We are exhausted, but we are also so close. This is the part where every little thing matters. A conversation with a neighbor matters. A knock on a door matters. A phone call matters. A ride to the polls matters. An hour at an event matters. Helping someone figure out where and when they can vote matters. Showing up when volunteers are needed matters.

We don’t get to know ahead of time which conversation will be the one that makes somebody finally decide to participate. That’s why we keep showing up. And right now, we need more people showing up. We need volunteers to canvass. We need people making calls. We need people helping voters get to the polls. We need people willing to work polling places and help wherever they are needed. We need people who can give a few hours and people who can give a whole day. And we need you at our October social.

Come spend some time with us. Come reconnect. Come laugh a little. Come write postcards. Come help us get ready for the final push. Bring someone who hasn’t been involved before. You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing. You just have to be willing to help.

Then, on October 17, we’re bringing No Kings: Vote Early to Courthouse Square Park in Albemarle. It’s a community event focused on encouraging early voting, with free hotdogs, kids’ activities, a live DJ, dancing and family fun. And we need volunteers there, too. Because none of this happens by itself.

I’ve watched people in this community step up again and again. I’ve watched people give their evenings, their weekends, their energy and their patience because they believe participation matters. That’s what I am asking for now. One more push. Not tomorrow. Not when things slow down. NOW.

There are only 33 days left, and every day between now and November 3 is an opportunity to reach somebody who hasn’t been reached yet.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. If you’ve been thinking about volunteering, please do it. If you’ve already been volunteering, bring somebody with you. If you’re tired, come anyway. We’ll be tired together.

We don’t need superheroes. We need neighbors. We need people willing to roll up their sleeves and say, “Okay. What needs to be done?” Then let’s do it.

Because 33 days from now, this election will be over. And I want to know that we gave these 33 days everything we had.

Let’s show up. Let’s take care of each other. And let’s finish this thing together.