‘Keep Democracy Alive’: Postcards to voters

Early voting has begun in Massachusetts, and in several other states. It will be interesting to find out if more Americans registered and voted because of the energy and commitment of small groups like this one. Some studies indicate that even a small percentage increase can translate to many thousands of votes. The postcards sent out to voters are handwritten, nonpartisan, and focus on the process of voting. Most begin, “Thank you for being a voter.” 

A group of year-round Island residents and summer visitors spent Mondays throughout the summer writing and addressing postcards to encourage people to register to vote, or to remember to vote. It was part of a nationwide get-out-the-vote effort.

The project began as an idea of Bob Reardon’s. He wanted “to assemble Island organizations in an ad hoc, nonpartisan alliance whose efforts would be directed toward voter registration and get-out-the-vote initiatives, for president and both Houses of Congress.”

He contacted Carla Cooper, who recommended Rita Brown and Carole Early. They began meeting in the fall of 2023 to discuss what they could do together. All shared a long history of membership in local nonprofits that focused on social justice and voter education. 

Together they chose the name Keep Democracy Alive, wrote a charter, and built a website and email list. Most importantly, they reached out to recruit partners: the Cottagers, League of Women Voters, Hebrew Center, Black Lives Matter, M.V. Democrats, Indivisible M.V., Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard, M.V. Diversity Coalition. They were eager to ”Do Something,” as Michelle Obama famously urged American citizens. And they did.

Dorie Godfrey, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Society, was invited to join them. She had been involved with the church’s universal justice work for years, including a “Get Out the Vote” drive, and was particularly eager to collaborate with other Island organizations. Once the alliance decided to hold postcard parties, all that was left was to order postcards, find a place to work, and alert the Island community that they needed help. 

Each organization agreed to host a party. Jobs included setting up and taking down tables, then setting out postcards, samples of each state’s scripts and instructions, voter names and addresses, stamps, and pens. They were on hand to help anyone who had a question. Postcard writers donated more than $5,000 for postage. Many bought extra postcards to write at home.

A group of volunteers met for the first time at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Monday, June 3, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, enough time to address and stamp 20 postcards per person. They continued meeting through June at the Hebrew Center, moved to the Unitarian Church for July and August, then returned to the Hebrew Center through Sept. 23.

At the last meeting volunteers learned the following statistics: Over 16 weeks of postcard parties, 9,256 postcards were mailed or ready to be mailed to voters in Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Ohio, and Michigan. Between 40 and 50 volunteers attended the parties each week, and completed an average of 637 postcards per party. Postcards by Vineyard residents and visitors were part of 36 million postcards completed by Postcards to Swing Voters, and the more than 3.5 million Reclaim Our Vote postcards.

Bob Reardon said, “Rita, Carole, and I are indebted to many volunteers who oversaw the postcarding sessions — like Stacy [Goldfarb], who was one of the gems of support, Bill [Bridwell], who did everything, and Dorie [Godfrey], who was an indispensable leader toward our success.”

The parties were fun. They created a sense of community among the writers, and a sense of achievement. Many volunteers attended every week. Others came on the only Monday they were on the Island. Family members attended together. So did friends. At the end of the last party, volunteers were told, “Congratulations, and thank you!”