Local Projects for No Kings IV
Early Vote Local Projects Recommended by Riverhead No Kings
NO KINGS EARLY VOTING ACTIONS, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 9AM- 12PM
Join an existing local action or create your own to help spread the word across the East End that early voting in New York begins October 24th. Each suggested action includes enough information to adapt it to your community, including recommended locations, as well as details for joining events that are already planned. Organizers are also encouraged to bring participants to the Riverhead for Celebration of Democracy March, Rally & Community Resource Fair 2-5pm, Suffolk County Supreme Court Steps, Griffing Ave between Court St & 2nd St.
Register here: https://www.mobilize.us/10steps/event/1032130/
BRIDGE, OVERPASS, STREET ACTIONS
LAUNCH YOUR OWN: The goal is to spread the message that an early vote is harder to sabotage. As part of the national Visibility Brigade, every other Sunday the East End Visibility Brigade (EEVB) provides physical messaging in the real world to connect with and activate voters to demonstrate that resistance is possible. Organize your event in the most visible area possible, an overpass, busy intersection, well-trafficked circle, often used on or off ramp. Please have LARGE signs with relevant slogans e.g., Vote Early, Vote by Mail, An Early Vote is Harder to Sabotage, Vote Early—Vote Securely, etc. You may also want an American flag to display.
FOR GUIDANCE, QUESTIONS, VOTING RESOURCES & MATERIALS: Contact Kerry Flanagan of EEVB eastendvisibilitybrigade@gmail.com. If you are in a pedestrian area and want to offer voter information, contact Randy Wade of League of Women Voters lwvhsinf@gmail.com.
PLANNED ACTION: Join the East End Visibility Brigade, October 17, eastendvisibilitybrigade@gmail.com, 10am-12:00 pm on the NY-25/W. Main Street bridge over the LIE at Exit 72, Riverhead. Park on River Road, across from Hotel Indigo, 1830 W. Main Street, Riverhead, and meet on the bridge. Our message is “VOTE EARLY TO PROTECT YOUR VOTE.”
Register on MOBILIZE: www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/1047081/
VOTE EARLY LOCAL ACTION
LAUNCH YOUR OWN: The goal is to raise visibility, encourage and enable early voting. We suggest planning the action for 1-2 hours in an area with good pedestrian traffic. You’ll need at least three people, two to hold a banner clearly stating “VOTE EARLY, VOTE SECURELY” and one to hand out information with early voting days, times and locations in English/Spanish, voter registrations forms, and I PLEDGE TO VOTE EARLY sign up sheets. Feel free to adapt the action to make it your own with other signs, music, speeches, chants, etc.
*Depending on your location, it’s good to let the local law enforcement know your plans.*
FOR GUIDANCE & QUESTIONS: Contact Kathryn Szoka of Progressive East End Reformers (PEER) kathryn.szoka@gmail.com
FOR VOTING RESOURCES, MATERIALS & QUESTIONS: Contact Randy Wade of League of Women Voters lwvhsinf@gmail.com or Kerry Flanagan of EEVB eastendvisibilitybrigade@gmail.com
PLANNED ACTION: Join Kathryn Szoka, kathryn.szoka@gmail.com, of PEER in Sag Harbor. Contact her for the exact time and location.
REGISTER CITIZENS TO VOTE AND ENCOURAGE EARLY VOTING ACTION
LAUNCH YOUR OWN: This outreach activity uses direct, one-on-one conversations to provide community members with practical, nonpartisan voting information, including early-voting dates and locations, vote-by-mail options, voter registration, and where to find information about candidates. Volunteers can spend 1–2 hours at a high-foot-traffic location, working individually with clipboards or as a small group with an information table, and distributing English/Spanish-language early voting locations, voter registration forms, absentee ballot forms, and candidate information. Post offices, libraries, supermarkets, coffee shops, and other community spaces work well.
*Please obtain proper permissions from your preferred location before your action. Experience suggests it is most effective to approach people who are leaving versus entering the establishment.*
FOR GUIDANCE & QUESTIONS: Contact Richard Cahill rmcahill@gmail.com
FOR VOTING RESOURCES, MATERIALS & QUESTIONS: Contact Randy Wade of League of Women Voters lwvhsinf@gmail.com
PLANNED ACTION: Join Richard Cahill, rmcahill@gmail.com, at the Jamesport Post Office, 1451 NY 25, Jamesport NY 11947. Contact him for the exact time and details.
CANVASS FOR YOUR CANDIDATES
LAUNCH YOUR OWN: The goal is to knock on doors in your area to provide information on your candidates and convey the importance of each vote, particularly early voting and mail in voting. Plan to spend 1-4 hours canvassing, and while you can do it alone, it’s preferred to have at least one other person for safety purposes. Contact a candidate or your local party organization to receive information on where your efforts would be most useful on October 17, or ask if you can join another group. Candidates and party offices offer training, and provide a list of voters to visit, candidates’ palm cards, flyers with early voting information and locations in English/Spanish.
FOR GUIDANCE, VOTING RESOURCES & QUESTIONS: Contact Adelle Wallach, awallach135@gmail.com or Randy Wade of League of Women Voters lwvhsinf@gmail.com.
PLANNED ACTION: Join Adelle Wallach, awallach135@gmail.com, to canvas in Riverhead. Contact her for the exact time and details.
PLANNED ACTION: Join Randy Wade, vision4me@me.com, to canvas for select candidates in Southold. Contact her for the exact time and details.
ADDITIONAL ACTION IDEAS:
Feel free to adapt one of the ideas offered, or come up with one that best fits your community! Walks/marches displaying early/pro voting signage, mini-rallies in high trafficked areas offering voting resources/registration, or an event of your choosing. Be creative!
SHARE YOUR EVENT
If you plan your own event, register here to get on the No Kings map: https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/host/
And email us at riverheadnokings@gmail.com so we can share with local media outlets.
Very Important Deadline
Applications for voter registration and for voluntary or absentee mail-in voting must be received by October 24 at the Board of Elections, not postmarked by. That is the same date early voting begins.
Return forms to Board of Elections, 700 Yaphank Avenue P.O. Box 700, Yaphank NY 11980
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Excerpt from national No Kings
What should my event look like?
Every community is different, and the way we organize, gather, celebrate, and build will look different too. We’re excited to see many different models of No Kings: Vote Early actions and folks planning events that meet their communities' needs and excitement.
Block party / Park Party
Mobilize early voting by gathering in your neighborhood, celebrating folks who have already voted, and helping neighbors learn how to vote early themselves. Make it fun, joyous, and engaging with music, arts/crafting, speakers, etc.
House / Backyard Parties
Think cookouts, BBQs, potlucks. Food brings people together, and there’s nothing better than feeding the neighborhood and building power. Free food must be made available to everyone who attends your event, and these events require extra compliance planning under federal and state laws as noted above.
Visibility Events (honk & waves, overpass signs)
We have to get the word out! Make your signs, let your community know it’s time to go vote! Be sure to have info on how to do it and how to get involved in election protection for passersby. This is an especially good tactic for states where early voting hasn’t opened yet—broadcast that date so the whole community knows it’s coming up!
** When choosing a location for a visibility event or rally, be sure to check your state and local laws on buffer zones and prohibited activities near various sites (polling places, ballot drop boxes, etc.).
Creative Events (Aerial photo formations, human chain, walk to the polls, Artivism etc)
Build something creative and visual, like human formations for drones to capture pictures and videos. Does your community have trouble getting together in person? Organize an accessible virtual event focused on voter education, plans to vote, and recruitment. Or, get your niche community group to go vote together (LARP, Pickleballers, Run Club, Knitting Circles, Cyclists, Book Club, etc to the polls!).
These are just a few examples of the types of No Kings: Vote Early events you can have. We encourage you to have fun and be creative! Check out the Creative Event Ideas Repository for additional event ideas!
What makes it a No Kings: Vote Early event?
All No Kings: Vote Early events must focus on nonpartisan early vote participation so we’ll be looking to ensure your event theme meets that requirement before we can approve it.
Where early voting won’t begin until AFTER October 17 focus on promoting early vote participation — amplify when voting opens and help people make a plan to vote.
The event must be built for community engagement.
That means public and visible, reaching people who haven't voted yet or aren't sure they will — though home-based events can still count as visible if done the right way.
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