TWENTY-SIX MORE DAYS
We. Have. Thoughts.
First, some wonderful news. Many of you may have met Gabrielle Soto. We first met her at our ICE Out Of Roseland protest. She’s been a tireless advocate for her husband Martin, who was taken by ICE while on a diaper run for their young son. Martin was imprisoned, first at Delaney Hall and then at the Elizabeth Detention Center. This week he was freed! Representatives Mejia and Menendez were there to welcome him home. Are we still weeping with joy? We are.
Twenty-six more days. What are we doing? We are supporting candidates across the district and across the country. How are we doing that? GLAD YOU ASKED.
First of all, YOU ARE A VOTING INFLUENCER! That’s one of our superpowers! Spread the word to all your family, friends, and neighbors that it’s time to VOTE. It’s already Election Day if you are a Vote-By-Mail voter. Is there a ballot still sitting on the kitchen counter?? Time to fill it out and send it back! The basic steps:
- FILL IT OUT (both sides!)
- SIGN IT
- SEAL IT (both inner and outer envelopes!)
- SEND IT BACK (drop box preferred)
Some fun and not-so-fun VBM facts:
- Historically, 70% of New Jersey ballots are returned via the Post Office, and only 30% via Drop Box. But GUESS WHAT? Right now we’ve FLIPPED that trend line!! As of today, 65% of ballots are being returned via drop box! Folks, this is the way.
- If you or a loved one must use USPS, we strongly recommend mailing at least 7 days before Election Day (October 27th) or bringing your ballot directly to your local post office and insisting on a hand-stamped postmark at the window.
- But we repeat: Drop Boxes are the best! Find your closest one here. Your ballot will show up on Track My Ballot within 48 hours. You’ve signed up for Track My Ballot, right?? If not, do it right now. We’ll wait.
And now, some important pointers on voting by mail, in case you need them:
- Fill out your ballot. And don’t forget to turn it over! You don’t want to miss anything. Local races for municipal seats and Board of Ed are often on the back of the ballot, and those are super important too!
- SIGN YOUR BALLOT. A ballot without a signature will not be counted. Make sure everyone you know understands that! Also, adding your email and telephone number where requested will enable the Clerk’s office to contact you to cure your ballot if there is an issue with your signature.
- Put your ballot in the certificate (inner) envelope and SEAL THAT ENVELOPE. Fact: The most common reason ballots are rejected is because voters either forget to put the ballot into the inner envelope, or forget to seal that envelope. This is an error that CANNOT be cured, so please, make sure to seal your certificate envelope!
- Put the certificate envelope into the mailing envelope (the outer envelope) and seal that. Now you’re good to go.
Guess what else is happening?? NO KINGS is back, baby! This time, it’s October 17, and it’s all about EARLY VOTING. And you know what that means: The Early Vote Evangelists are baaaaccck!
We know you missed us.
NJ 11th for Change is not organizing rallies on the 17th, but we are tabling! That’s the name of the game: We need to spread the word about early voting—that it’s easy, that it’s convenient, that you bank your vote RIGHT NOW. Is there an event in your town where you can set up a table? On the sidelines of a soccer game maybe? Your local farmers market or harvest festival? Let us know here. We will get you materials and swag and stickers!
On October 17th for No Kings Day, we will be tabling at The Montclair Farmers’ Market. Contact Mara to help out. But we also encourage folks to table throughout the New Jersey Early Voting period, which starts October 24th and runs through November 1st.
Finally, a word about donations. Our dear friend Bob Grant inspired us to think about the most effective way to support candidates. Canvassing, phone banking, text banking? YES, YES, and YES. Check out the events section for opportunities near you! But regarding donations …
We totally get wanting to help further afield. But at this point in the cycle, less than a month out,the folks who can really use your money, and where your dollars will go the furthest, are local candidates. For municipal and county candidates, $50 donations have a HUGE impact! Plus, you are so likely to get a personal handwritten thank you note, and they will never share your info with ActBlue.
Mind you, sending money to Federal candidates is definitely an option. For instance, Rebecca Bennett (let’s go NJ 7!) or Zack Mullock in NJ 2 (Jeff Van Drew is getting nervous, and we absolutely love that for him). Or of course, our own Congresswoman (who’s trooped through 4 elections in 9 months! SHEESH).
Did you just get a personal email from the President offering a literal bribe, like some of us did today? If you can spare it (we know, gas prices are INSANE), we suggest putting that money to work for the local candidate of your choice. We are big believers in funding the candidates we actually know and trust. Especially in the home stretch.
TWENTY-SIX DAYS.
Events…
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Montclair Dems: Calls for Rebecca
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Virtual event; join from anywhere
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Phone Bank with Team Mejia (M, W, Th)
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Virtual event; join from anywhere
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
House Party with the New Jersey Democrats
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM at The Frog in Morristown
Follow the link for details and sign up!
US Senate Debate Watch Party and Phone Bank in Morris County!
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Follow the link for details and sign up!
Friday, October 9, 2026
Make Calls to Elect Democrats in Morris County
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Follow the link to sign up!
Saturday, October 10, 2026
KNOCK-TOBER FEST: Knock Doors in Morris County for NJ Democrats
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM, 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Team Rebecca Weekend Phone Banks
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Virtual event; join from anywhere
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Montclair Carpool to CD7 for Rebecca Bennett
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
SOMA Area Carpool to CD7 for Rebecca Bennett
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Drivers Needed: Montclair Area CD7 Carpool for Rebecca Bennett
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Sunday, October 11, 2026
KNOCK-TOBER FEST: Knock Doors in Morris County for NJ Democrats
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM, 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Team Rebecca Weekend Phone Banks
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Virtual event; join from anywhere
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
AAPI’s for Rebecca Weekend Phone Bank
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Virtual event; join from anywhere
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Monday, October 12, 2026
Phone Bank with Team Mejia (M, W, Th)
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Virtual event; join from anywhere
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Packet Palooza in Morris County! (Office Help)
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Follow the link for details and sign-up!
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Phone Bank with Team Mejia (M, W, Th)
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Virtual event; join from anywhere
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Packet Palooza in Morris County! (Office Help)
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Follow the link for details and sign-up!
Save the Date…
League of Women Voters CD11 Candidate Debate
Analilia Mejia v Joe Hathaway
St. Elizabeth Campus
Follow the link for details and to sign up!
Request a Lawn Sign for Analilia!
Follow the link to submit your pre-order for later pickup!
Montclair Protest: Standing Up to Trump!
Sundays at 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Church Street in Montclair. Come from any/all surrounding communities. Come this Sunday, next Sunday, any Sunday, every Sunday for a peaceful protest of this outrageous regime.
