News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit Democrats Action Newsletter for October 24, 2022

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

The ballots are out! Prevent Republican Election Tampering and Vote Early!

1. SAVE THE DATE! – Election Night Party, Tuesday, Nov 8, 6:00pm – 10:00pm, Temperate Habits Brewing Company, 500 South 1st Street, Mount Vernon
Skagit County Democrats will be hosting a thank you Election Watch party for all of our candidates and their staff, all of our members, volunteers, and voters, doorbellers, phone bankers and the postcard writers (who wrote nearly 5,000 postcards)! A taco bar and tickets for 2 drinks will be included. Please RSVP to Charles Ivory at cmivory69@gmail.com so we can give Temperate Habits a general idea of how many people will come.

2. NEW – The 39th Legislative District Democrats General Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Oct 30, 10:30am – 11:30am, via Zoom

• Join Zoom Meeting – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81400811916?pwd=bW9qb2pZbXVxaWlSV0dKVk9MMk9ZUT09
• Meeting ID: 814 0081 1916
• Passcode: 191216

3. UPDATED – Election Observers Needed
It is that time again. We are now scheduling our people to act as Election Observers. The counting begins on Tuesday, October 25th. Can you sign up for a shift or two? It is important that we have full coverage for this count. (Editor's Note: especially given that we know the election-denying GOP will be out in force.) We will be permitted two observers for each shift. More information on that will follow. Office Manager Angela Napoliello-Ivory, anapolielloivory@gmail.com, is coordinating this effort. If you are interested, please complete this form.

4. Letters to the editor
We need your help protecting our democracy. Please support our fantastic candidates and write a letter to the editor in support of one of them today! Keep it positive, nothing negative about their opponent or it will not be published. (Skagit Valley Herald has a 200 word limit on political endorsements.) Click Here for the list of our endorsed candidates.

• Skagit Valley Herald Guidelines: https://www.goskagit.com/site/letters-guidelines.html
• Skagit Valley Herald Submission link: https://www.goskagit.com/site/forms/online_services/letter/

5. UPDATED – Campaign Activities and Issues

• When canvassing by phone or door-to-door, please advise citizens to either use ballot drop-boxes or mail their ballots IN ADVANCE OF OCTOBER 31! The reason for this is most of our mail is not post-marked locally but is transported to Seattle and post-marked there before further processing. If mailed, the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day.
• Click Here for the list of the candidates endorsed by the Skagit County Democrats.
• Jessica Wadhams, candidate for 39th Legislative District Representative
• The campaign is hosting multiple door knocking and other events. Click Here for a listing of upcoming events.
• Sandy Perkins, Skagit County Auditor
• "Dear Friends and Fellow Democrats, I'm Sandy Perkins and I'm running for re-election as your Skagit County Auditor. The position of Auditor is a vital one in preserving our democracy and ensuring our free and fair elections. I am being currently challenged by a Republican opponent and as we all have heard, certain fringe Republicans are trying to take over this office and at the very least, alter our voter lists.
• As I strive every day to do my very best as your County Auditor, I find that there is little time left for fundraising and doorbelling. Winning this re-election is critical to us all, so I respectfully ask for your help. If you are able, would you please help with my re-election campaign? If you would like to make a donation, please visit my website at www.sandyperkins.com (credit card donations), or please mail a check to The Committee to Re-elect Sandy Perkins – 1004 Commercial Ave. #1101, Anacortes, WA 98221. Please include your contact information and your current occupation. If you are able to help with doorbelling, please contact Lynn Campbell at the Skagit County Democrats 360-336-1555. Thank you very much for your help and especially for your vote! "
• Germaine Kornegay for Public Utility District
• "Hey Democratic friends! This is the Germaine for PUD campaign asking you to please help. I could use some help with donations and volunteering. It's a nonpartisan race but clearly it has become partisan despite all of my efforts. So we're calling out to you now for sign locations, donations, and volunteering. Every donation of $100 will help us reach over 400 voters! Reach out on the website – http://www.germaineforpud.com/."

6. Candidate signs
We have campaign signs to distribute at our Headquarters, 2021 East College Way, Mount Vernon; hours – 12:00pm – 4:00pm, Monday – Thursday. Let's cover/plaster/saturate the County with Democrat campaign signs! Currently available:

• Clyde Shavers
• Dave Paul
• Sandy Perkins
• Rick Larsen
• Germaine Kornegay
• Debra Lekanoff

7. 2022 Election Information (from the Skagit County Auditor's website

Click Here for the Registration page. People may check their Washington State Voter Registration status on the Washington Secretary of State website Voter Portal (Click Here.) After voting, they may also use this same portal to track their ballot.

Timeline:

• October 19 – Domestic ballots mailed
• October 31 – Deadline to register or update existing registration online and by mail
• November 8 – Deadline for in-person registration and voter updates – Closes 8:00 PM
• November 8 – Special Election – Closes 8:00 PM

Ballot Drop Box Locations:
Click Here for a map of locations

• Anacortes
  • Anacortes Public Library (behind library near drive-up book-drop), 1220 10th Street
  • Skyline Beach Club – 6041 Sands Way
• Bow Edison
  • Fire District 5 Fire Station, 14304 West Bow Hill Rd
• Burlington
  • Burlington Parks and Recreation Building (north side of Fairhaven Ave parking lot), 900 East Fairhaven Street
• Conway
  • Conway Fire Department, 21020 Greenfield Street
• Concrete
  • Skagit Upriver Services, 45770 Main Street
• La Conner
  • La Conner Library, 614 East Morris Street
• Mount Vernon
  • Mount Vernon Police Department, 1805 Continental Place
  • Skagit County Auditor's Office [Courthouse] (in U-shaped parking lot accessed from 3rd St. near Kincaid), 700 South 2nd Street, Room 201
• Sauk-Suiattle
  • Last Chance Casino, 6020 Mountain Goat Way, Darrington
• Sedro-Woolley
  • Sedro-Woolley Post Office (in alley between Eastern Ave and Metcalf), 111 Woodworth Street
• Swinomish
  • Social Services Building, 17337 Reservation Road

8. The Fidalgo Democrats have posted the recording of their most recent presentation on "Medicare at Risk", Tuesday Oct 11
Click Here for a supporting document with additional links and information.
 
9. Facemasks are now OPTIONAL at Skagit County Democrats Headquarters

10. Skagit Democrats Instagram
The On-Line Media Posting (OMP) has been working on our Instagram page. Check it out at: https://www.instagram.com/skagitcountydemocrats/.

11. NEW – Links of the Week
The Links of the Week provide in-depth pieces and resources the Editor has found to be relevant, insightful, and thorough on important issues of the day.

• The Sources of Russian Misconduct – A Diplomat Defects From the Kremlin
• The Quiet Insurrection the January 6 Committee Missed
• Disinformation Inoculation
• More than 80% of US waterways contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’
• Scientists Fed the Fibonacci Sequence Into a Quantum Computer and Something Strange Happened

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. NEW – National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct 29, 10:00am – 2:00pm
"According to the Skagit County Coroner’s office, in 2021, there were 41 confirmed unintentional drug overdose deaths in Skagit County." Dispose of unused medications and recycling your empty pill bottles. The following locations will be holding take back events on October 29th from 10:00am to 2:00pm:

• Anacortes: Anacortes Police Department, 1218 24th Street
• Mount Vernon: Skagit Valley College, 2405 E. College Way
• Sedro-Woolley: Sedro-Woolley City Hall, 325 Metcalf Street

2. NEW – La Conner Halloween Costume Parade, Monday, Oct 31, 3:00pm – 4:00pm, La Conner's Business District
Adults, Kids and Pets Welcome! Parade will run South on 1st Street/Staging on State Street.

3. NEW – Anacortes Trick or Treating, Monday, Oct 31, 3:30pm – 5:30pm, Downtown Anacortes
Event by Anacortes Chamber of Commerce. "Trick or treat yourself to some candy! Head to Downtown Anacortes for some trick or treating with our local merchants. We are not playing Twix when we say we adore this event!"

4. NEW – Concrete Halloween Parade, Party & Trunk-or-Treat 2022, Monday, Oct 31, 4:00pm, Concrete Town Center
"Join us on Halloween, Monday, October 31 in Town Center. The parade starts at 4:00 p.m. at 5bs Bakery on Main Street. The Voodoo Dolls will lead the parade into town where kids can enjoy the Lions Club Party and annual Trunk-or-Treat. Free!"

5. NEW – Sedro-Woolley Kiddie Parade and Downtown Merchant Costume Contest, Monday, Oct 31, 4:00pm – 5:00pm, The Old Bank Building at the Corner of State and Metcalf (900 Metcalf), Sedro-Woolley
"Enjoy watching all the fun and festive costumes as the kids march down Metcalf in our Kiddie Parade. The kids should start to line up near the Wells Fargo Bank downtown around 4 pm and the Kiddie Parade will begin at 4:30 pm. There will be trick or treating downtown directly after the parade."

6. NEW – Downtown Mount Vernon Trick or Treat, Monday, Oct 31, 4:00pm – 5:30pm, Downtown Mount Vernon
"Join us for Downtown Mount Vernon’s Annual Trick-or-Treat, where families come downtown for a fun and safe alternative to neighborhood trick-or-treating. Bring your costumed kiddos (and selves!) and stroll around to grab goodies from participating businesses on Monday, October 31, 2022."

7. NEW – The monthly Planned Parenthood rally is scheduled for Saturday, Nov 5, 11:00am – 12:00pm, on the sidewalk in front of the Mount Vernon Health Center, 1805 East Division Street, Mount Vernon
Bring your signs, your friends, your family, and your masks.

8. COVID-19 Information
Click Here for the most current report and resources.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Anacortes Sunday Demonstrations
Democrats are again demonstrating in Anacortes each Sunday, 12:00pm – 1:00pm at the corner of 12th Street and Commercial Avenue. "We carry signs for Dem candidates, get out and vote signs, women's right-to-chose in healthcare and so on and so on. We need more people to show up."

2. Coffee & Cards, Wednesdays, 10:00am – 11:00am, Skagit County Democrats Headquarters, 2021 East College Way, Suite 104, Mount Vernon
Coffee and Cards meets on Wednesdays from 10-11 am. This is the group that was previously led by Carol Sullivan and is now lead quite capably by Judy Farrar. The group is a way for us to express ourselves about issues of importance to us all.  

We will write messages of encouragement and support to people who are making positive contributions as well as messages of concern and opposition to people who are negatively impacting our world. This includes legislators on the local, state, and federal level as well as CEOs of corporations and other people having a significant impact in our world. We will share ideas for people to write to and issues to address.  

Postcards and stamps will be provided, but we ask that people bring money to cover the cost of the postcard stamps which are currently $.44. Coffee will be provided or bring your own. As Carol always reminded us, “We are stronger together.” Our office is located at 2021 East College Way, Suite 104, Mount Vernon, 360-336-1555."

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