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'A labor of love': Postcard campaign writers seek to increase voter turnout in midterm elections

Sylvie Sturm

October 30, 2018 |

Local News Matters |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

After lackluster experiences phone banking during the 2016 presidential election, volunteers altered their strategy to write postcards to citizens to turn out the vote in the 2018 mid-term elections. Writing postcards was seen as a viable, and personal, alternative to door knocking, phone banking, mass leafleting, and even relatively modern techniques like mass texting.

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How first-time voters are being mobilized in Florida

Mason Berger

October 29, 2018 |

PBS NewsHour |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Florida

Voter registration groups, such as Next Gen and the Florida Federation of Young Republicans, were the second most common method of getting new voters to register in Florida. To grab young voters, these organizations showed up in classrooms and club meetings and focused on issues that youth care about, including the cost of college and gun violence.

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How Sex Workers Made San Francisco Safer for Everyone

Hannah Albarazi

October 25, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

In San Francisco, a law that offers amnesty to sex workers who report violent crimes to police is designed to save lives and reduce crime overall in the city. It comes as the city’s police department faces a massive police sex scandal over officers abusing an underaged sex worker, something advocates say is all too common and leaves crimes women might report uninvestigated. Advocates applaud the new law, say it doesn’t go far enough and they worry new federal laws could undermine it.

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This Could Be The Most Progressive Country On Earth

Angela Cuming

October 24, 2018 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: New Zealand, Wellington

In New Zealand politics, families, children, and the environment come first. Amidst the rise of right-wing populist governments, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stands out for her energy fighting for progressive values and positivity. Her track record already shows a raise in paid parental leave to 26 weeks, time off policy for victims of domestic violence, and a ban on new exploration of oil and gas. Though she admits change is slower than ideal, Ardern stands out for being a leader that voices the need for change and then acts on it.

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Australia Tells America: Here's How to Fix Your Voting System

Tacey Rychter

October 22, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

Australia maintains a high voter turnout by making voting both easy and mandatory. Election day is always on a Saturday, and community groups host barbeques to mark the occasion. If an eligible voter still doesn’t cast a ballot, they can face a fine of up to nearly 80 Australian dollars.

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The Central Valley's Freedom Summer of empowering youth

Jennifer McNulty

October 21, 2018 |

Bay City News Foundation |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

25 students from two University of California schools went home to intern in the Central Valley for 3 months where they registered high school students to vote and taught them about civic engagement. Modeled after Freedom Summer, where students registered Mississippi voters in 1964, the Central Valley Freedom Summer project sought to increase the low turnout among young voters by teaching them the importance of civic engagement. The interns faced some resistance in the county, but were able to register or pre-register over 3000 young voters and hold events to get youth engaged in their communities.

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Can a Group of Scrappy Young Activists Build Real Progressive Power in Trump Country?

Jimmy Tobias

October 18, 2018 |

The Nation (New York) |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Leaders from Lancaster Stands Up, an independent political organization, are bridging the gap between Democrats and Republicans in small, rural, conservative towns. They are building a progressive base by going back to the basics: door knocking and having conversations with voters. Their membership has grown to 800 people, and they’ve closed the gap between a progressive candidate and the Republican incumbent.

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Iowa Civility Workshop

Richard Davies Jim Meigs

October 18, 2018 |

How Do We Fix It? |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Des Moines, Iowa

At a time when American politics are more divisive and uncivil than ever before, Revive Civility Iowa and the National Institute of Civil Discourse hosted a two hour workshop to encourage civil conversation among politically opposed members of the same community. Using skill-building exercises like active listening, the workshop sought to engender tolerance in participants to reach resolutions. As one of the organizers pointed out, "The biggest mistake most of us make when we try to solve problems with others is we suggest they change their minds."

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Reprogramming power: Audrey Tang is bringing hacker culture to the state

Anoush Darabi

October 18, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Taiwan

A community of technologists called g0v has produced open-source tools and redesigns of Taiwan’s public services. In collaboration with Digital Minister Audrey Tang, the group is helping citizens and civil society groups work with the government to improve services.

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Thousands of South Africans join GovChat

Vernon Pillay

October 04, 2018 |

IOL Business Report |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: South Africa

GovChat is the world's first platform that connects citizens with politicians via WhatsApp. It allows citizens to rate public services and report issues, submit service requests, and donate to community organizations. Thousands of people registered and began using the platform within the first 72 hours.

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