It's GET OUT THE VOTE TIME.
Early voting is on from now till Thursday (June 21) and the Primary Election is Tuesday, June 26. Our candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor is Ben Jealous, who will appear tonight (Monday, June 18) with Bernie Sanders in Silver Spring (SS Civic Center, doors open 6:30). Why is this election important? Ben says “It's time to dream big again. And when we have leaders in D.C. who can't get the job done, it's time to get it done here at home."

 GOTV – FOR EARLY VOTING THROUGH THURSDAY, JUNE 21^ST  – FOR PRIMARY ELECTION DAY JUNE 26^TH

Early voting for the Primary Election is under way -- it began Thursday June 14th and continues through the 21^st in advance of Primary Day, June 26. Don’t get ambushed by inconvenience in this extremely important election.

Wait, aren’t they all important? Sure, but the ones that seem most important are in your rear view mirror and they are the ones when you didn’t get around to voting – and the results were pretty horrible. Take 2014. Please.

Our candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor is Ben Jealous, who will appear tonight (Monday, June 18) with Bernie Sanders in Silver Spring (SS Civic Center, doors open 6:30). Why is this election important? Ben says “It's time to dream big again. And when we have leaders in D.C. who can't get the job done, it's time to get it done here at home -- we have big plans for Maryland, and no plans to step back. This campaign is built on a foundation Bernie laid, from championing Medicare-For-All to equal public education and debt-free college.

“A blue wave is coming in 2018, and we can't let it leave Maryland behind. We need to protect and build on progressive values here at home.” 

Get the picture? Plan ahead to make sure that accidental non-voting doesn’t happen, because waiting till Primary Day, June 26, puts you at risk of not voting – again – because of all those things that just keep coming up.

That’s what Early Voting is for. MAKE A PLAN to vote early, so that if things don’t work out one day a few more days to remedy that. Talk to your neighbors to make sure ALL your voices are heard.

STATEWIDE ACTION

The heat is ON and we're turning people out to the polls! Can you join us for a few hours? One person's vote can change an election! The coming week's events are below! RSVP to ensure materials for all attendees!

Gaithersburg 5-8 pm Tues June 12th

Montgomery County Phone Bank (Remote) 6-9 pm Weds June 13th

Montgomery County Phone Bank (Remote) 6-9 pm Thurs June 14th

For knocking doors, remember to bring a charged smart phone with the MiniVAN app from Apple / Android stores), something to drink, and comfortable walking shoes! Please bring a laptop or tablet for phone banking!

Q: What about if it's raining? A: We will still be canvassing if it lightly or moderately rains! However, we will stop canvassing if there is lightning or heavy rain. The decision to pause or stop canvassing is based on the canvass host's judgement! 

Want to join us at Early Voting Polling Locations to talk to voters coming in to vote? Send us an email!

Upcoming Canvasses! Stay tuned for more TBA!

Anne Arundel County:

Phone Bank & Pizza Party 6:30-8:30 pm Thurs. June 21st

City of Annapolis 10 am - 1 pm Sat. June 23rd

Frederick County: 

Frederick City - Launch from Frederick Pride! 12-4 pm Sat. June 23rd

Golden Mile - Frederick City 10 am - 2 pm Sun. June 24th

Howard County: 

Location/Time TBD - Sun. June 24th

Montgomery County:

Phone Bank (Remote) 6-9 pm Thurs June 21st

White Oak Canvass 10 am - 1 pm Sat. June 23rd

Prince George's County: 

Seat Pleasant  10 am -2 pm Sat. June 23rd

OUR CHAPTERS AROUND THE STATE

PMD Montgomery

Help us get out the vote!

• June 19th, Phone Bank, anywhere! RSVP. 
• June 20th, Canvass, Wheaton. RSVP.
• June 21st Phone Bank, anywhere! RSVP.
• June 23rd Canvass, White Oak. RSVP. 
• June 24th Canvass, Location TBD. RSVP

Hand out lit!

• Sign up to staff a polling center. After entering your name, write Progressive Maryland. We will then make sure you get the lit you need! 

We have fun too! Celebrate all our hard work with a happy hour. You can learn about more Get Out the Vote opportunities. 

• Wed, June 20th Happy Hour, Silver Spring. RSVP. 

Our progressive voting guide is now in Spanish!

• Elecciones Primarias Democratas: el 26 del Junio,2018

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Progressive Prince George's

We're in the last 8 days of the elections and our candidates in Councilmanic Districts 7 & 9 are right on the cusp of winning! Help us knock doors and increase viability. We can win these races with your help!

RSVP here:

 Saturday June 23^rd Canvass in Seat Pleasant  10 am -2 pm

Take Action Anne Arundel County

Actions:

Anne Arundel County EPS Foam Ban! 

• Helpclean up our streams, creeks and rivers to ensure future generations have a safe source of food
• Emailor call your County Councilman, BY JUNE 18, to let them know you support the ban on styrofoam food packaging 
• Signthe Trash Free Maryland petition here. 
• Writea letter to the editor of the Capital Gazette

Election Events:

We need your help to mobilize voters to launch our own blue wave in Maryland during early voting and on primary day. RSVP for a canvass or phone bank in June.

We have strong progressive candidates endorsed by Progressive Maryland. Two of these candidates, Ben Jealous for Governor and Chrissy Holt for State Senate District 30, are in contested primary races. They need our help to get them into the General Election. Eve Hurwitz for State Senate District 33 and James Kitchin County Council District 7 are both running unopposed in the primary. Both are running to flip the current seat in their respective districts from red to blue. We need to build support for them to win the General Election in red leaning districts. All four of these candidates are great partners who share our progressive values and will help ensure our victory on issues we care about in 2019. 

Thursday June 21 at 6:30pm -- Phone Bank & Pizza Party in Annapolis

• This phone bank will be focused on Get Out the Vote for the primary on June 26
• We will be working out of a private residence in Annapolis
• Bring a laptop and cell phone. 
• Pizza and soda provided.
• RSVP hereand you will be emailed the address for the phone banking party.

Saturday June 23 at 10am -- From Protest to Power Canvass in Annapolis

• This canvass will focus on PM endorsed candidates: Ben Jealous for Governor and Chrissy Holt for State Senate. 
• Meet at Ceremony Coffee Roasters at 90 Russell Ave. in Annapolis
• RSVP here

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Frederick County Progressives

Talbot Rising

Talbot Rising gives you below the tools to power the blue wave to make it the tsunami we need:

1. Phone bank to Get Out The Vote for Jealous and Pullen! —Step outside your comfort zone!  Sign up for the Talbot Rising Monday night phone banking parties -- just two more, June 18 (TONIGHT!) and 25 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Democratic Party Headquarters, 26 West Dover Street, Easton.  (After phone duty, we’ll celebrate with refreshments). If you want an early start, the Pullen campaign will be doing phone banking on June 6-7, from 6 to 8 pm at Democratic HQ.
2. Canvas some neighborhoods!  Burn some shoe leather or rubber to Get Out The Vote for Mike and Ben.  Call their campaigns for dates and times: Pullen campaign– call Justin Butler at 410-829-6435 or [email protected]. Jealous campaign– call Kaitlynn Sumpter at  240-529-9166 or [email protected].  

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Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

Baltimore comrades, Check in on Max Obuszewski’s highly useful calendar and tip sheet at http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

To keep up with progressive events in and around DC consult the invaluable calendar at the Washington Peace Center, http://washingtonpeacecenter.org/alerts

Events from our Allies

… mostly campaign events with our endorsed candidates…

Wednesday, June 20 Our Revolution MoCo Happy Hour/Rally in Bethesda with Nina Turner and ORMoCo's Nationally Endorsed Candidates, 5:15-7:15 pm
The Barking Dog
4723 Elm St. Bethesda, MD 20814
Click here to sign up via our Google Docs form.
Click here to sign up via Facebook.

Join Ben & Senator Kamala Harris in Langley Park on Wednesday for an early vote rally!

Wednesday, June 20 Courage to Lead Rally at 4 p.m.,  Casa of Maryland , 8151 15th Ave. Langley Park, MD 20783 -- RSVP

It all happens for free… right? Not exactly. Organizing for change in our society and our high-maintenance politics requires both people and money. Keep change moving with a quick, secure impulse-buy contribution here. You know you meant to do it last week and now here you are again...

OUR BLOG POSTS IN THE PAST WEEK

Reading the Progressive Maryland BlogSpace: our blogs for the previous week are shown below, but if you want a handy way to keep track – and never miss a blog post – you can sign up to get this Weekly Memo by email. Remember this is your blogspace and your participation is heartily invited. See something going on that you don’t like – or that you do like and hope to see more of? Send us your thoughts; submit to the moderator at [email protected]

We recently published these blog posts:

June 14, 2018 Progressives to Dems: "We must do more than resist"

Progressives at the "We the People Summit" yesterday (Wed. June 13) challenged the Dems who are claiming to move left to show the walk to go with the talk. We note that the summit showcased the usual Dem suspects and though they were full-throated on the issues, the list of out-front Democratic progressives does not seem to be getting longer.

June 13, 2018 Why did the WaPo publish "Why Can't We Hate Men?"

Paradoxically, at the WaPo "the four powerful men in charge have evinced zero interest in either “lean[ing] out, step[ping] aside,” or ceding power to women or to anybody else for that matter," notes Hal Ginsberg. "In fact, libertarian Bezos and neoliberal Hiatt consistently embrace political and economic policies that enhance the power of male-dominated multinational corporations and the military-industrial complex."

June 12, 2018 What MoCo could do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

MoCo executive candidate Marc Elrich has a coordinated program to fight climate change and improve the economy's efficiency with a job-creating benefit through solar power and energy-friendly roofs in new homes and public buildings. MoCo activist and environmental writer Susan Nerlinger outlines them here in a blog post that originally appeared on the PMD Montgomery page.

June 11, 2018 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for June 11-18 2018

Early voting begins Thursday June 14th and continues through the 21^st in advance of Primary Day, June 26. Don’t get ambushed by inconvenience in this extremely important election.

Wait, aren’t they all important? Sure, but the ones that seem most important are in your rear view mirror and they are the ones when you didn’t get around to voting – and the results were pretty horrible. Take 2014. Please.

So plan ahead to be SURE you vote this time. See below on getting you AND your neighbors to the polls.

>>REMEMBER – these blog posts are expressions of political opinion from our wide-ranging membership and circle of allies. They are not expressions of opinion by Progressive Maryland. Don’t be surprised if they sometimes vary in their political content. You might even disagree with them – a good reason to contribute a blog of your own. Send it to the moderator, Woody Woodruff, at [email protected].

>>Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace from June 2015 through December 2016 are all available with descriptions and links here. You can follow blogs for 2017-18 starting from here