KCDC and 1199 Encourage Voter Turnout in Regional Swing Districts

By Mary Alice Miller
With their eyes on the prize the Kings County Democratic Committee partnered with 1199 to do voter outreach in Pennsylvania , Nassau County and Rockland County. The Road to Victory bus trips took place recently over several consecutive weekends.

Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn led the groups on the ground, knocking on doors. Brooklyn Democratic Party volunteers have been “laser-focused on getting every Democrat’s vote counted and voice heard,” said Chair Hermelyn.
Campaign staff for candidates for the House and members of the Harris campaign greeted volunteers warmly.

“We ran into MAGA people every place we’ve gone. Some people were shooed away. I didn’t think people would knock on Trump sign doors. People have had some great conversations,” said Sabrina Gates, Kings County Democratic Committee secretary.

“One person who had a MAGA flag on their door or their yard surprisingly was ready to talk, not argue, but talk. They had the issues they were concerned about,” said Gates. “They were not strongly Trump. I guess it was their environment.”

A few high school students joined the volunteers. Some people brought younger people who were about middle school age. One person said she takes her daughter and son to different places to knock on doors every weekend. They generally just stop at a campaign office and say, “Hey, we want to volunteer.”

Another person brought her elementary school-age daughter, who was very excited about the possibility of the first woman president.
“One of the great things about our trips was we had a diversity of ages and walks of life,” said Gates. “We had some seniors get on the bus excited to do something. People have called and asked, “What else can we do?”

Gates said she thinks we are at a critical moment in time. “I think it is really necessary for all of us to pitch in and help create the next steps that we want to see. We could very easily wake up the day after the election and be horrified. I am not ready for that,” said Gates. “I am ready to do all the things we can do – whether it be writing postcards, calling people, knocking on doors – to make sure people come out to vote and get people engaged in this process.”

Gates had a message for Democrat voters. “Our voice matters. As much as we say the Electoral College disenfranchises people, your voice matters. You have to participate to get what we want and to get folk elected who respect our ideas and the things we are passionate about,” she said.

“Everybody is not going to fit 100% of what you are looking for. This is not reality. But we should get elected officials that align with our values,” said Gates. “For me, that is Kamala Harris.”