October 15, 2020
Your Weekly News from the Collin County Democratic Party
THE BLUE WAVE IS UNDERWAY!
Record Breaking Numbers are Turning Out To Vote
First Day of Early Voting in Collin County
Nearly 44,000 - 25% Increase from 2016
Massive turnout in Texas on first day of early voting,...

AUSTIN - Texas voters were eager to get to the polls on the first day of early voting as the state saw 456,000 people cast their ballots in person on...

Read more
www.dallasnews.com
Let's Make History Together
This is THE most important election we have EVER had.

Vote in EVERY race and vote for EVERY Democrat....
Voting Locations Dates Hours and Times
Collin County Voting Locations Interactive Map
COLLIN COUNTY DEMOCRATIC VOTER GUIDE

TAKE THIS VOTER CARD TO THE POLLS
Download Here

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Join the Collin County Democratic Party and Collin County Blue Caucus as we drop slate cards at every Democratic door in House District 67!
These are the final weeks before the most important election in our lives. Let’s go make a difference! Every Sunday at 10:00 AM. Snacks provided. You'll get more detailed information after you sign up. This is a social-distanced outdoor event. MASKS REQUIRED. Location is private and will be provided upon RSVP.

  • Sun, Oct 18, 10:00am–12:00pm CDT
  • Sun, Oct 25, 10:00am–12:00pm CDT
  • Sun, Nov 1, 10:00am–12:00pm CST
Team Collin Virtual Phonebank
Join Team Colin for a virtual phone bank! With your help, we will win the fight to keep TX-32 blue! Each week, we host 5 virtual phone bank shifts to call folks all across the district, so get ready to talk for Colin!

We will start our Zoom meeting and get right into phone banking so make sure you're on time!

Date: October 17 at 11:00 AM
RSVP: Here
Show Your Colors Collin Blue
Proudly show your Democratic support and help us turn Collin County BLUE.
Order your Biden/Harris, MJ Hegar, and Hate Has No Home Here yard signs, and other Dem swag including buttons and stickers at txdp.cc/store
Collin All Democrats Phone Bank Needs You!

With Election Day just a few weeks away, our Coordinated Campaign asks you to help strengthen our efforts to contact the voters whose decisions will make or break our hopes for a Blue Collin County. 

Conversations like those we have in our weekly ‘Collin All Democrats’ phone-bank is the most impactful way to get those folks to vote, and we’re now even more efficient with the use of our autodialer program.

It’s simple: Follow the link to Mobilize and sign up for one shift (or more). Later, you’ll receive an emailed link to a Zoom meeting that you can join from 2-6 p.m. on Saturday.

We will go over our script and train you how to use your computer and phone to reach voters with our autodialer (make sure your computer has either Firefox or Chrome). You don’t have to use your own phone number, and you get to have dozens of meaningful conversations.

And because we use Zoom, you’ll be able to connect with other volunteers just like you to ask and answer questions, share experiences and laughs, and sometimes meet a special guest or receive campaign swag. Whether you can join for the whole time or just for an hour, you are making a major contribution to a vital effort and having fun doing so.

Without you, we cannot make the difference necessary to get out the vote for all of our great candidates. If you want to know more or have questions, contact Matt Leahy (469-853-7701, mateoleahy@gmail.com). There’s never been a better time to volunteer, and there is no better place than Collin All Democrats.
Univ. of North Texas Theatre honoring
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
with free ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ performances
UNT Theatre is offering free admission to its upcoming virtual performances of “The Diary of Anne Frank” to commemorate the legacy of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Dr. Andrew Harris, professor of theatre and the play’s director, said the department was contacted hours after Ginsburg’s death by anonymous donors who requested that the “Anne Frank” performances be dedicated to the late justice and made free and accessible to the public.

Due to health and safety concerns with the pandemic, UNT’s “Anne Frank” production will be pre-recorded via Zoom and available for viewing at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15-17 and 2 p.m. Oct. 17-18. The play was adapted for Zoom by UNT media arts alum and playwright Jake Sampson. In addition to featuring UNT Theatre students, the production includes music written by College of Music doctoral student Rachel Whelan.

The Oct. 18 performance will be followed by a live discussion about the historical events surrounding the play featuring:

PANELISTS

  • Richard Golden, UNT Jewish and Israel Studies director
  • Kerry Goldmann, lecturer in the UNT Department of History and historian of Jewish American history, African American history and American culture
  • Lisa Devine, adjunct associate professor in the UNT Department of Dance and Theatre
  • Charlotte Decoster, the Ackerman Family Director of Education for the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum 

MODERATOR

Cindy Renker, a senior lecturer of German in the UNT Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures
  
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15-17 and 2 p.m. Oct. 17-18

Where: Reserve free tickets at unt.universitytickets.com.

Ticket holders will receive an email with a link to the performance prior to their selected showtime.
Desserts for Democracy
There are less than 3 weeks until election day and democratic candidates will need our help more than ever! A large number of grassroots donations as voting begins will make a huge difference.

If you’re thinking about donating, the deal is about to get sweeter. A few local Collin County students are organizing a fundraiser for Texas Red2Blue DCCC Candidates and the Biden-Harris campaign called “Desserts for Democracy”. To participate, all you need to do is donate to Biden-Harris or Red2Blue campaigns, upload your receipt to this google form: tinyurl.com/dessertsfordems, and wait for your cookies! ;)

After all, the only thing SWEETER than FREE cookies is voting out Donald Trump and electing Democrats up and down the ballot. The deadline to order is October 16th and deliveries will happen the week after.

Pick between: Chocolate Chip, Marble, Triple Chocolate, M&M, Sugar, Lemon, or Snickerdoodle. Indicate which flavors you want, and how many of these you'd want. 

For a $10 donation, select 3 cookies of any flavor. For a $20 donation, select 6 cookies of any flavor. For a $50 donation, select 12 cookies of any flavor. Be sure to take a screenshot of your receipt or confirmation email. 

 If you want a standard assortment, type "assortment" in the google form. If you have any questions, message 972-765-5693. (Vegan + Gluten Free option available for all flavors with the exception of Lemon and M&M).

If you’re interested in volunteering by helping to deliver, baking, or advertising on social media, sign up here: tinyurl.com/dessertsvolunteer
All the Information You Need to Vote by Mail
Do You Know Someone Who Would Like to Vote by Mail?
Forward this Email to Them!

Note: Given the many last-minute changes imposed by Governor Abbott, we recommend you vote in person if at all possible. However, if you need to vote by mail, read this information carefully.

If you are a Collin County registered voter, you can vote by mail if:

  • You expect to be absent from the County during both the early voting period and election day;
  • You have a disability;
  • You are 65 years of age or older; or
  • You are confined in jail and not finally convicted of a felony.

Note: Fear of COVID-19 alone does not qualify as a disability under state law. The decision to apply to vote by mail because of a disability or physical condition is your own (subject to a correct understanding of the law) based on your current health conditions and health history.

We strongly recommend that you APPLY NOW if you think you may want to vote by mail this November. Applying now will provide enough time for your application to be processed and for you to receive and return your ballot in time to have it count. Please do not wait to apply! 

Applying for a mail in ballot is easy using this link: txdem.co/vbmapp 

  • When you submit the application form, you will be given two options:

  1. Have the application mailed to you with a pre-addressed envelope that you then return by mail.            
  2. Download and print the application. Complete it/mail it to: Early Voting Clerk, 2010 Redbud Blvd, Suite 102, McKinney, TX 75069

About the voting by mail process

  • After you have submitted a valid application to vote by mail, you will receive a mail-in ballot in the mail, when they are sent out (e.g. late September for the upcoming election), pursuant to the application unless the Collin Elections Department contacts you directly.
  • When you receive your ballot, follow the instructions. In particular, make sure to sign your application the same way you will later sign your ballot envelope. When you submit your mail-in ballot, the signature on the ballot envelope MUST MATCH the signature on your application if your vote is to count. For example, if you sign John D. Jones on the application and J. D. Jones on the ballot envelope -- they don't match and your ballot may be rejected.
  • You can return your completed mail-in ballot two ways:

  1. Simply mail it back (with postage) to the Collin County Elections Department, 2010 Redbud Blvd, Suite 102, McKinney, TX 75069, or
  2. Drop it off in person at the Collin County Elections office during office hours (8 am - 5 pm, M - F). You have to go inside, sign a form, and show your ID. You can only take your own ballot.

Important:
 
* Only one first-class stamp is required on when mailing in your ballot.

** Only one ballot may be put in an envelope. Example: if you put your ballot and your spouse’s in the same envelope, it is likely that one or both of the ballots will not count.

We strongly recommend you fill out and send in your ballot as soon as you receive it.
   VOTE BY MAIL FAQ

Q. "I voted by mail in the Primary Runoff, will I automatically get a ballot for November?"

A. Yes, you should, but you can verify by calling the Elections Department at 972-547-1900. 

Q. "When are mail ballots being sent to us?"

A. Starting in late September the Elections Department will begin mailing out ballots to those who have registered to vote by mail. 

Q. "I'm confused. I voted by mail in the Primary and assumed I would get my November ballot in the mail, but I received another Vote-By-Mail Application in the mail. Do I need to complete it?  

A. There are several groups, including the Texas Democratic Party, that are sending out vote-by-mail applications to voters. If you have previously applied to vote by mail and are certain you will be getting a mail-in ballot, you can discard this application. If you are not sure, you can follow up with the Elections Department at 972-547-1900.

Q. "How do I know if my vote counts?"
A. Every morning after the previous day of Early Voting, the list of voters is available for anyone to view on the Collin County Elections Website. (It is a large spreadsheet and might take a long time to download. Once you have the list, you can search for your name.).

Q. What if I request a mail in ballot and then decide I want to vote in person?
 
A. You can still vote in-person, but bring your mail-in ballot with you to the polls. You will then turn in your mail-in ballot at the polling center and they will then let you vote in person. If you do not take your mail-in ballot with you, you will be allowed to vote a “provisional ballot,” which will be counted on or after Election Day once the Elections Department confirms you did not also send in your mail-in ballot. 
      
Q. Can I drop off my ballot at a vote center?

A. No. Mail-in ballots cannot be dropped off at the polls. The only place they can be submitted in person is at the Collin County Elections Department office, 2010 Redbud Blvd, Suite 102, McKinney, TX 75069, during business hours.

If you have additional questions, you may contact our Collin County Democratic Party Elections Team at elections@collindemocrats.org or call 972-578-1483.
FAQs about the November General Election
Questions about the upcoming November General Election are coming up frequently.

This article answers many of those questions and provide resources for you.
If you have a question not answered, email: elections@collindemocrats.org
or call the CCDP Office at 972-578-1483

FAQs and useful information can be found on the County Elections Website.

FAQs are also available on the CCDP Website.

The most often asked questions:

Voter registration closed: Monday, October 5 was the last day to register to vote and to mail applications. Follow links above for more information on registering, changing an address, voting when overseas, etc.

Early voting is open now through Oct. 30th. You can check wait times before you head to the polls with this interactive map: txdp.cc/wheretovote

Last day to apply for ballot-by-mail: Friday, October 23, 2020 (received not postmarked).

Complete your ballot as soon as you receive it and mail it immediately OR drop it off at Collin Elections Office at 2010 Redbud Blvd, Suite 102, McKinney.
You must drop off your OWN ballot and be prepared to show ID.

There was some question about the envelope needing two stamps. This is not the case.

However, some have sent both spouses’ ballots in same envelope – these likely cannot be counted. Mail them in separate envelopes or take them to the Elections Office.

Taking them in person to the Elections Office will avoid U.S. Mail delays.