Hello Democrats!

In the last month, our lives have been changed in ways that we might never have imagined.

Our levels of anxiety are high.

While we’re staying at home as much as possible, it can be difficult. It’s important to develop and implement a stay-at-home routine that involves self-care, good nutrition (most of the time), and checking in with friends and family.

It’s also extremely important to take care of our community right now.

Some of our neighbors rely on food pantries, for example, and with the Trump administration poised to cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (formerly known as food stamps) on April 1, food pantries like Harry Chapin Food Bank are in need of help.

While we must all take personal responsibility for our actions, we rely on members of our community to take equal responsibility in order to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus / COVID19 pandemic.

We are personally doing everything we can to protect ourselves and our families. But it is also evident that our elected officials are not.

Instead of heeding the advice of public health officials and making data-driven decisions, our elected officials at the County, State, and Federal level are timid. Many are placing profits over the lives of people.

You know that saying: “Elections have consequences.” Well, we’re seeing, firsthand, how electing the wrong people results in governmental aid being distributed based on favoritism versus need.

What You Can Do

Now, more than ever, we must push #ForwardTogether to work on electing true leaders.

Rest assured, Collier County Democrats are hard at work despite the pandemic. While our Gala and other in-person activities are on hold, there’s lots that you can do to help if you’re stuck at home–such as postcarding and phone banking.

We’ve already sent out over 1,500 post cards and more have been ordered. We’ll be setting up phone banks so you can call fellow Democrats from your own home and talk to them about the upcoming election.

As we continue this period of social distancing, we still need to stay connected. We’ll be using a digital meeting platform to stay in touch.

Keep an eye out for an email in the next few days for more details about volunteer opportunities and checking-in, digitally.

Do This Right Away

If you need something quick to do right now, register for your Vote-by-Mail ballot so you won’t have to worry about going to the polls in August or November.

Click this link to request your Vote By Mail Ballot Request Form.

In 2019, we grew our voter registration edge over Republicans and have surpassed 5 million registered Democrats for the first time in history.

Working with your amazing teams and our staff of over 100 campaign professionals, Democrats mobilized more than 12,000 volunteers state-wide to complete over 40,000 volunteer shifts.

On March 17, we saw our efforts to expand voter registrations and vote-by-mail enrollments result in Florida Democrats voting in higher numbers than in the 2016 Primary, despite the incredible circumstances.

While we are adjusting our strategies to meet the current situation, we aren’t stopping until we take back our state and make Donald Trump a one-term President.

My friends, our work continues…in our homes, on our phones, writing postcards and letters. It is our love for our country and America’s promise of Liberty and Justice for all that keeps us going.

As patriots, we understand that this country can be a true beacon of light and hope for the rest of the world and we’ll help to restore that hope when we win in November.

Our friends, family, and neighbors need us to work as hard as ever, now. Let’s all commit to recruit five volunteers this week. Ask them to click on the “Get Involved” link on our website (www.collierdems.org) to join our team!

Let’s keep moving #ForwardTogether

Annisa Karim
Chairwoman, Collier County Democratic Party