Engaged Defenders for Democracy - ED4D

09/07/2026

Good morning Defenders of Democracy!

Happy Labor Day! Grateful for our union siblings who have helped us in so many ways in this country fight the oligarchs and corporations.

Robbin and Andrew had 5 dedicated people plus 2 Canadian Geese at Sundays for Peace: Garner. They bravely crossed the road and the border to join us. https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/921667/

Tara and Claudia had a record 10 at their Sundays for Peace: Creedmoor. And some youth thanks to my daughter and her friend! Lots of vigorous honking and a few not-so-nice obscene yells to one of which my daughter responded, we love you too! https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/954023/

Liz and Lyndsay had 8 at their Sundays for Peace: Oxford. Good engagement and lots of waves, honks, and thumbs up. https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/949454/

Lani and John had 4 people at their Defend Democracy: Durham on Saturday. It was a thinner crowd I suspect from the holiday weekend. We had a tag-along demonstrator, not associated with ED4D. She was using obscenities with regards to Trump. Lani asked her twice to not use certain words, explained our purpose and how we peacefully demonstrated. Hats off to Lani for modeling how we lead with empathy, positivity, kindness, and inclusion!

Jonathan hosted and had 2 canvassing for the Triangle Resistance United Phase 2: Accountability Matrix. They were in a neighborhood that was very engaged and aware, but they still had good conversations.

The ED4D Demonstration Leaders had a meeting that was fantastic where we discussed plans pre-midterms and post-midterms. I will share details in a future post. So grateful for our Demonstration Leaders! They are the reason we are winning!

Margaret canvassed my house yesterday. She is a warrior working for the Durham Dems and spreading the word about all the judges and the amendments. I shared with her Brigid’s beautiful zines and also the accountability matrix we are using with the Triangle Resistance United canvassing. She was grateful for both.

I also want to thank Robin for dropping by many voter registration forms to help those of us going to Duke this week to register the students. She also dropped off some of Brigid’s zines. Thanks for your steadfast dedication to voter registration Robin! As a reminder, we are doing to Duke East Campus on Wednesday at 5:30pm-6:30pm and Duke West Campus 11:30am-12:30pm Wednesday and Thursday. One of the students I registered last week had his roommate contact me so he can register!! Wow!!! All the events are on mobilize and in our Action Ops. If you don’t live here, please find a way to work with your local university as those freshman might be able to register to vote in your state if there are races that are tighter in your state than their home state.

Mike is leading the postcard party group that formed after our Good Trouble Lives On! The whole group has sent over 500 postcards! Thanks, Kitz, Shelly, and Abigail for leading these efforts and Mike for keeping it alive!

09/07/2026

Today I want to talk about how Durham will do our No Kings 4.0. Sorry if you don’t live in Durham, but maybe this will motivate you as you’re planning your No Kings wherever you live. We really appreciate all the engagement in our survey. We had 116 people complete it! And even though it was a close vote, more people voted for multiple sites than one big site. The committee met last Wednesday night and have decided on three early voting sites to cover the geography of Durham. We will be at North Regional Library, Durham County Main Library and South Regional Library on Saturday October 17th from 10am-12pm. There are locations nearby that are great for gathering and then marching to the polls. This will be a party atmosphere rather than a typical No Kings rally. We will not have speakers, but we will have music and food. And the point is not just to vote that day but also to find ways to get involved to help other people vote. So, we will have tables and opportunities to sign up for the great organizations that are trying to get out the vote and all the different ways you can help be it giving people rides, phone-banking, canvassing, or writing postcards. The midterms must be too big to rig. We need a huge turnout in Durham to help Anita Earls stay on the North Carolina Supreme Court and also to educate people to vote. No on the amendments that sounds good but are not good for the people and instead are good for corporations.

I know several counties in NC do not have early voting on October 17th so they cannot do marches to the polls on No Kings Day. We still encourage folks to do activities to promote early voting and most importantly engage as many people as possible to get involved to help get out the vote. Getting out the vote is our primary goal in ED4D and across the Indivisibles in NC and nationwide.

It’s time that we the people exert our power and our biggest power is with our vote. We have an amazing planning committee: Mike (ED4D), Maureen (League of Women Voters Orange and Durham), Mary (Democracy Out Loud!), Beth (ED4D), Chari (SURJ), Theo (Carolina Federation and Siembra NC), Jonathan (Men 4 Choice), Mark (50501NC), Laura (ED4D), and Kate (The Justice Project). We will have Captains with all three of the sites, and we’re so grateful that 50% of the people who completed the survey who said that they would be willing to help with No Kings! We were blown away by this generosity and have already contacted them seeing where they can help. I think this is going to be a fantastic day of celebration of voting and motivating folks to get other people to the polls.

We do need to raise funds please for the food and supplies at the sites. We also will have a sign-making party to prepare for the three marches to the polls. Thanks for donating.

https://gofund.me/3862e308c
https://engageddefendersfordemocracy.substack.com/p/drumroll-pleaseno-kings-40-in-durham?

Good morning Engaged Defenders for Democracy!

09/06/2026

We need folks in NC to join the “Chill Team” that will be trained and sent to the polls to help people have a safe and fair voting experience. This is similar to being a voter protector. Please sign up if you can.
https://chillteam.ripple-vms.com/signup

We still also need poll workers and poll greetings who volunteer with the Democrats to help people have a safe experience and also be informed about the judges and amendments before they vote. Most will know about Cooper for Senate but might not know the other issues. Please sign up for training if you can.
https://www.mobilize.us/nc-coordinated/event/967471/?

09/06/2026

Triangle Resistance United – Phase 2 Canvassing Update!

The Triangle Resistance United canvassed in Phase 2, Accountability Matrix with John, Trey, Jonathan, Mark, and me. After the thunderstorm stopped, we were able to canvass with our new accountability matrix that Peter and Jamie created and Laura perfected to try to help voters see how our elected officials are voting based on their values.

The first person I spoke with was a woman who was a big Trump supporter. I could not tell right away, but soon, it became apparent to me. I listened to her for a while knowing we would not find common ground and knowing she’s not going to vote Democrat. Yet, when we talked about the amendments, she did agree that the amendments don’t sound good because corporations should pay their taxes. She said she would vote no on them. So, I’m counting that as a win. Before I left I asked her to just look into Trump trading stocks as no other modern president has done that while in office as corruption was one of the things on our accountability matrix.

After that conversation, I spoke with many others who were engaged and appreciated our coming around to talk about early voting, the amendments, and just listening to them in general. I shared the ED4D Substack with several folks who were very engaged. They appreciated us being out there in the rain. No one added anyone to their Adopt-a-Voter family as we don’t add folks who are active voters, but all had at least one meaningful conversation.

Even though canvassing is slow going house by house, we ask people with whom we are talking to educate others. It is more effective than other ways as it is the 1:1 contact that solidifies things and hopefully ignites the people we are talking to about Anita Earls and all Democrat judges, Cooper, and the amendments.

If you are interested in joining us (we’ll train you and pair you with a coach), please email [email protected] or [email protected].

09/06/2026

Good morning Engaged Defenders for Democracy!

Melissa & Mike had 10 at Defend Democracy: Morrisville, including a special guest appearance from Sarah and her daughter! Lots of engagements, mostly positive. https://mobilize.us/s/00IlrQ

Lib & Diane had 7 on the 2 shady corners at Defend Democracy: Apex. The response was a little lighter than usual, but we’ve come to expect that. Our visibility is much better on the other side of the street. The Durham Resistance Singers cannot wait to come to Apex next Saturday! https://mobilize.us/s/qkXpuk

Gary & Durbin had a fantastic crowd of over 30 people on the very hot Saturday morning at Defend Democracy: Youngsville. A big THANK YOU to the Durham Resistance Singers for their wonderful music and great energy. I believe we effectively made the point that no one is going to force us to back down. We will be back again next week, crafting our message to encourage early voting. What we are doing must be effective or they would not be trying so hard to shut us down. Again, a big thank you to all who came today. Your help is very much appreciated. And it was lovely to meet Shilo who came for the first time after driving week after week honking her horn. She was inspired at how many honked their horn in her conservative Franklin County. Hats off to you Gary for giving her the opportunity to join as you are there every week. Consistency is Key and Courage is Contagious! https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/976015/

Bob & Robbie had 65 +1 dog at Defend Democracy: Hillsborough. https://mobilize.us/s/vlvFnF

Anne & Keith had 32 stalwarts at Defend Democracy: Pittsboro. And a special treat - 3 lovely gals wheeled over a little cart with iced coffees! They are opening a coffee shop and they wanted to show their support for our efforts-not bad marketing either. https://mobilize.us/s/xBHikx

09/06/2026

Today, I want to highlight another Demonstration Leader, Tara, who is one of the Demonstration Leaders for Sundays for Peace: Creedmoor. Thank you, Linda, for this great idea to interview our Demonstration Leaders and for doing the interview!

Tara stepped up to be the Sundays for Peace Creedmoor demo leader, when she saw the need for a consistent presence in this rural area where she lives. She grew up in rural Ohio and after college, Tara went to work in the field of communications. She’s now been writing for Carolina Country magazine, published by NC electric cooperatives for the past 25 years.

Her family was not involved in politics, but she and her brother in time realized a divergence of views with their parents. These days, she tries to counterbalance the “Kool-Aid” of misinformation they receive. She takes democratic values seriously, and after the election in 2024, it became apparent that it would no longer be possible to take democracy for granted.

“I saw many marginalized groups too fearful or unable to stand up for themselves in the face of those with bad intentions and misinformation. But I can.” She connected with ED4D because of compatibility with its tenets.

She’s also a poll worker for Granville County, writes postcards and tries to do whatever she can. She does not shy away from leadership and runs a Girl Scout troop! She believes that inspiring hope is a good thing in these times.

Thank you, Tara for being one of our younger Demonstration Leaders and fitting us into your busy schedule!! Your positive energy is contagious and makes the Creedmoor demonstrations a blast!!!
https://engageddefendersfordemocracy.substack.com/p/demonstration-leader-spotlight-tara?

09/05/2026

Good morning Engaged Defenders for Democracy!

John & Mary had 7 regulars at Freedom Fridays: Durham. 100s of honks and one finger! Remember, starting next week, they are shifting back to 4-5pm. https://mobilize.us/s/btzoaW

Zoe had 6 daring demonstrators at Freedom Friday: Sanford. Nice breeze and mostly positive. Couple of fingers and thumbs down. https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/925827/

Sarah, Clark, & Tom had 14 at ICE is not Welcome demonstration outside the ICE office in Cary, including Mike Who is Everywhere! As usual, feedback from passing drivers was extremely positive. https://mobilize.us/s/HRijyx

Ellen & Cathy had 20 at Freedom Friday: Cary. There were several new faces. Despite the high temperatures , Agent86 had everyone moving and grooving with his excellent playlist! The car horns started blowing as we were setting up and continued as we were leaving. We were treated to several symphonies. https://mobilize.us/s/PpTIeC

We had 18 at Freedom Friday: Brier Creek with a real feel 113° - a record! When the clouds came, it was cooler and wonderful. A woman came up to us to thank us for what we were doing. When she asked how she could support us, I told her we need her to vote and to tell all her friends to vote. She said, “Oh I am voting!” https://mobilize.us/s/9ClzMd

Catherine had 2 plus 2 at Freedom Friday: Clayton. The 2 who joined said they would come back. Here is the FB post she made from last week that is getting so many views! https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1HureAdjjU/ https://mobilize.us/s/E20ANG

David was solo, 1 lonely, old protagonist at his F-cubed Freedom Friday: Fuquay-Varina. However, a young person walked over to say hello and thank me. As you know, that really means a lot! Countless honks. Also, I’m making it a point to always cheerfully wave at law enforcement (with the exception of ICE and USBP of course) and am finding that nearly 75% are responding in kind. https://mobilize.us/s/Is2GhN

Becca had 2 regular defenders and 2 visitors dedicated in steamy Freedom Friday: Wilson. 109 real feel! https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/842492/

Miranda had 2 at her Freedom Friday: Cameron thanks to Mike Who is Everywhere! Lots of honks (including 5 18-wheelers and 1 activity school bus!) and waves. There were some negative shouts-one guy did it with his kid right next to him! It was a good day to me - can’t wait for this heat to go away though! https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/921544/

09/05/2026

Today, I want to talk about how to frame our messages about elections. I thank Colleen for sending me this link. The regime has us in what’s known formally as competitive authoritarianism; the narrative and organizing strategies we’ve used in the past to ensure votes can be cast and counted are no longer up to this task. Traditional litigation and advocacy, while vital, are insufficient to counter the all-out assault on our elections and our freedom to vote. Defeating these attacks requires collective action at a scale to match the severity of the threat. We need to inoculate against the racial scapegoating of anti-voter forces and cultivate a committed, loud, and ongoing mass movement of people across all spectrums, activated to protect our freedom to vote and ensure the will of the people prevails. With the regime already installing their anti-voter agenda, it’s critical we start organizing and preparing direct actions now to demand Hands Off Our Vote.

This guidance is based on extensive qualitative and quantitative research, including:

Six focus groups with center-left and left voters with David Binder Research

Nine shortened focus groups with center-right voters with Defending Democracy Together Institute

A national survey of US adults with David Binder Research (n2000), fielded in December 2025

Select questions on five nationally representative surveys of likely voters (n1200 each) over 2025 and the outset of 2026. What these data show is that old assumptions about what we say to Americans about elections and voting do not apply, and we need a new narrative:

1. Here’s the good news: speaking about the anti-voter agenda increases self-reported desire among pro-voter Americans to feel concern over this agenda (+5-10 over the course of the survey), to engage in politics (70% are more motivated), and to motivate friends to vote (+5 over survey). We can frame voting as an act of resistance, animating Americans to turn out as an act of defiance against the forces determined to keep us from voting so they can claim power, as successful movements against authoritarianism have done across time and place.

2. In testing, our most concrete descriptors garner the greatest emotion. This indicates we must avoid abstractions such as “voter suppression” and even “silencing our voices” or “kicking voters off rolls” and instead speak plainly: “keeping people from voting.” On the positive end, it means speaking about voting as how we “impact our lives” and not relying upon common terminology like “democracy.”

3. When asked about people who could be prevented from casting their ballots, Americans are most concerned about people of color (44%) and people with disabilities (42%). Naming affected communities allows Americans to picture what Election Day will look like and who will be excluded.

4. While more Americans (49%) are concerned about eligible Americans being kept from voting than buy into the false story and feel concern over ineligible ones voting illegally (38%), only 25% believe that preventing voting could or does have consequences on electoral outcomes, whereas 30% believe this about “voter fraud and illegal voting. “We must fill in the plot hole that keeping people from voting has potential electoral consequences.

5. We tested a slew of ways of characterizing why and how anti-voter proposals are problematic and merely naming said proposals, for example, “ending vote by mail” or “kicking voters off rolls” or “requiring proof of citizenship, “were the least persuasive. Far more effective was describing current efforts to “seize and hold power.” In short, anti-voter policy descriptions should not be used as messages.

6. In testing, we found “fair elections” to be a contested concept that to some conveys greater access and equality, while for others it means passing anti-voter policy. The common refrain “free and fair elections” is more likely to muddle than mobilize Americans toward protecting our freedom to vote. Similarly, speaking about “security” or “making sure our elections are secure,” is the favored framework of Americans who desire anti-voter policies. Declaring “Hands Off Our Vote” has us selecting our language to suit our purpose: to mobilize people who desire equality, transparency and greater democracy and that requires making clear that people are kept from voting, these actions have possible electoral consequences, and the motivation behind them is power.

Phrases they recommend are:

Hands off our votes

Free and democratic elections

Protect our vote

Only eligible Americans vote

Votes are verified

Most Americans want every eligible voter to vote

Voters should pick our leaders. Our leaders should not pick their voters.

They are trying to prevent eligible Americans from voting
https://engageddefendersfordemocracy.substack.com/p/how-to-frame-election-messages-that?

Good morning Engaged Defenders for Democracy!

09/04/2026

Good morning Engaged Defenders for Democracy!

The Freedom Friday: Durham is shifting to 8am due to the heat. The Freedom Friday: Croasdaile is canceling due to the heat.

Lila, Karen, and Mike had Steadfast Seven plus a newbie (8 total) at their Visibility Bridge Brigade over I-40 and ATT. They were greeted by honks from 432 vehicles with honks continuing even after all our signs and flags had been removed! So inspiring...Plus, there were 71 cyclists and pedestrians witnessing our messages, including a couple on a tandem bike with Mountains-to-Sea Trail t-shirts ~ also inspiring! https://mobilize.us/s/XZ7SGG

Robin had 4 at her Oppose Oligarchy: Wendell, with 4 others stopping in to say hello. One was Craig (Robbin) from Clayton who was on his way to a job, but the others were thanking us and saying that they wanted to come back! Mike Who is Everywhere was one of our 4 with his really big flag! Thanks Mike! https://www.mobilize.us/engagedefendersfordemocracy/event/979557

Bruce and Mark had 6 at their Oppose Oligarchy at Main and Broad. They had to cut it off after half an hour because of multiple lightning flashes overhead. https://mobilize.us/s/L7oztN

Due to the heat, Diane and Bill held one shift and had 11 for their Oppose Oligarchy: Alamance/Alamance Hour of Action. https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblealamancenc/event/979569/

Cynthia had 18 with her Raleigh Bridge Brigade near NCMA.

Mike and I went to Duke East Campus and registered 15 students!! Wow!! Standing by the Bryan Center is amazing! And it was hot, and the students still took the time to register. So impressive. I am heading to Duke East Campus today at 11:30am-12:30pm to try to get them as they are headed to lunch before the 3-day weekend. I will bring clipboards. If anyone can go to the NC State Board of Elections and get 10 forms for these efforts, please do so (they only allow you to get 10 at a time now, sheesh!). https://mobilize.us/s/1BqUuW

Last week Catherine posted a video of the Durham Resistance Singers at her Freedom Friday: Clayton. The video has 42k views, 4.1k likes, and almost 4k comments!

I want to make a plug for a beloved local business, Bull City Fair Trade. Thank you, Lila for sending. They have hit hard times since COVID. They sell goods and have “empowered thousands of artisans and farmers worldwide with living wages and safe, sustainable jobs.” They are seeking donations from the community to stay open as they have a major shortfall in income. If everyone reading this email gave a one-time donation of $40- or started a recurring donation of $10 a month- and asked two friends or family members to do the same, we would get over the finish line from that effort alone.
Donation: https://us.list-manage.com/pkLrSUtrwDj

Look which countries put the image of living leaders on their currency - please share on your socials. Thanks, Mark for sending.