September Meeting

In addition to our visit from Suffragists, we will feature:

• a representative from No Hate in WA State will come to inform us about the harmful initiatives that will be on the November ballot.
• an update on the Midterm Election forcasts
• Actions that we all can start taking NOW to help Get Out The Vote in November

When: Wednesday, September 9, 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Doors open at 6:30.)

Where: Vashon Methodist Church, 17928 Vashon Highway

Email Kevin with questions or to help.

Resources from Past Monthly Meetings HERE

Winning the 2026 Midterms – Your How-to Guide

To dispel uncertainty and defeat the possibility of stolen elections we need impressive wins. These races are “on the bubble”* based on the race rating orgs that have guided our WIN Election work for nearly a decade. 

Every week we will update this list, showing which candidates need help to win, with links to their donation and volunteer action pages (if they have them). For the details and weekly updates, go HERE. 

We can do this!  Help these candidates win!

* Meaning true toss-ups, based on the race rating organizations that have guided our WIN Election work for nearly a decade.

Here’s this week’s list:

US Senate (which controls judicial appointments) – in priority order:

• Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed Donate/Take Action
• Maine: Troy Jackson  Donate / Coming soon: Take Action
• Ohio: Sherrod Brown Donate / Coming Soon: Take Action
• North Carolina: Roy Cooper Donate/Take Action

US House of Representatives, which controls the federal budget – all the same priority:

• Arizona 1st CD: Amish Shah  Donate / Coming soon: Take Action

• Arizona 6th CD: Joanna Mendoza Donate/Take Action

• California 22nd CD: Randy Villegas Donate / Take Action  

• Colorado 8th CD: Manny Rutinel Donate / Take Action
  

• Iowa 3rd CD: Sarah Trone Garriott Donate/Take Action

• Michigan 7th CD: William Lawrence  Donate / Coming soon: Take Action

• New Jersey 7th CD: Rebecca Bennett Donate/Take Action
  

• New York 17th CD: Cait Conley Donate/Take Action

• Ohio 9th CD: Marcy Kaptur Donate/Take Action

• Pennsylvania 7th CD: Bob Brooks Donate / Coming soon: Take Action     

• Pennsylvania 8th CD: Paige Cognetti Donate /Take Action

• Pennsylvania 10th CD: Janelle Stelson Donate /Take Action

• Texas 34th CD: Vicente Gonzalez Donate / Coming soon: Take Action

• Virginia 2nd CD: Elaine Luria Donate / Take Action

• Washington 3rd CD: Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez Donate / Take Action

• Wisconsin 3rd CD: Rebecca Cooke Donate / Take Action  

Midterms, Midterms, Midterms!

There are many ways that we ALL can get involved with the upcoming midterm elections – starting right now. We need a massive blue tsunami to regain the gavels in Congress and to keep our Democratic majority in the WA State House and Senate. Once we gain the majorities, we can push our elected officials to be the fighters we need.

GET OUT THE VOTE: 

Person to person contact is the most effective method to persuade reluctant people to vote. Your work can impact votes in critical races. 

• Check out our Policy Team’s How-to Guide to help WIN the Midterms and regain progressive control of Congress. The recently added “on the bubble” candidates (those who most need your support) include US House races in Arizona, Virgina, and Wisconsin, the Maine US Senate race, and changes to the US Senate race priority order. 
• Postcarding: We currently have postcards for vital races in the US Senate: Talarico in TX and Jackson in ME, and will be adding WA-specific races for the state Supreme Court and critical, close races for the WA House. (See more info below.)
• Phonebank: Opportunities available on Fridays to North Carolina, and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays to Arizona. (See more info below.)
• Textbank: with Field Team 6.
• Canvass:   Common Power is recruiting volunteers to travel to over 28 locations in multiple states to help talk to voters. Can’t travel, but want to help? Donate air miles! Kevin will be leading canvassing closer to home on the Kitsap Peninsula. Details in next newsletters.

HELP OUT KING COUNTY ELECTIONS:

King County Elections wants and NEEDS us to help observe and conduct the midterm elections! Their staff of 80 can’t handle the anticipated amount of ballots that will arrive this fall, so they’re hiring temporary workers. 

• Volunteer to be an elections observer: Contact the King County Democrats or the League of Women Voters 
• Email King County Elections to be a temporary, seasonal employee (and get paid, too!). 

TRAINING and INFORMATION:

Indivisible National Hands Off Our Vote: Election Protection

Learn about key voting deadlines, updates on threats to our voting rights and how to counter them, and how to be ready to mobilize in defense of our votes. Join.

• Part 101 – Virtual Meeting, Wednesday, August 19 – Recording coming soon!
• Part 201 – Virtual Meeting, Wednesday, August 26, 5:00 to 6:00 pm – Register

King County Library hosts Your Voice, Your Choice: A Guide to Voting for Judges (panel of Judges & Justices)

• Wednesday, September 16, 6:30 to 8:00 pm
• Virtual Meeting – Register (space is limited so register now and mark your calendar)

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

• Check your voter registration frequently up until receiving your ballot. Text the word “voter” to 59798.
• Once you receive your ballot, vote IMMEDIATELY!
• Drop off your completed ballot at a BALLOT BOX (Vashon’s is at the library) rather than putting it in the mail. If you absolutely need to mail your ballot, do so AT LEAST 10 days prior to November 3.
• Make a voting PLAN for voting so that you don’t get overwhelmed and miss out.
• Talk to your friends and neighbors about how important it is to vote (especially in this midterm!).
  

TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN LIE: “Energy is going to bring us back. That means we’re going down and getting gasoline below $2 a gallon.” (Economic Club of New York, Sept. 5, 2024)  

~ New York Times Opinion by Steven Rattner, August 18, 2026

Show Up for Our Community!

Vashon Community Response & Immigrant / Refugee Rights Teams

Also visit our Community Defense page!

TO REPORT ICE ACTIVITY: Call Vashon Community Response Dispatch at 564-225-2161

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Sign up today to join Vashon Community Response and receive more information. 

EMAIL vashoncommunityresponse@gmail.com and include:

• Your full name
• Phone number

Note: Group members will be required to attend a States at the Core online training (90 minutes).

Training:

Watch this space for continuting on-island trainings!

Indivisible National Trainings

Learn more about how to organize before ICE comes to our community. 

• Part 1: Organizing – Recording
• Part 2: Get Aligned – Recording
• Part 3: Show Up with a Plan – Recording
• Part 4: Funnel Support, Thursday, August 20, 5:00 to 6:00 pm – Recording coming soon
• Part 5: Signal Use, Thursday, August 27, 5:00 to 6:00 pm – Register

Seattle and West Seattle Indivisible: Constitutional Observer Training

In response to the increased ICE activity in our area, weekly trainings are being offered via Zoom.

• Every Tuesday through October, 7:00 to 8:30 pm – Register

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Want to form a group in your neighborhood to support each other and protect against threats? Email Vashon Community Response (VCR) for help setting up a meeting and information to present.

Want to help out VCR by being a hotliner, hotliner scheduler, or being a dispatcher – work that can be done from your own home? Email Evan.

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Want to help immigrant families? Our Immigrant/Refugee Rights Team has many sub-groups you can join:

• Accompaniment: Volunteers are needed to accompany immigrants to appointments and to court. Email Jean.
• Rapid Response: Join the team to respond to an ICE abduction. Email Jenna.
• Reading Buddies/Tutor Group: Help student multi-language learners improve their reading skills, and more. Volunteers needed now during summer break, and in the fall. Email Jenna.
• Court Watch: Pass out information and assist immigrants when they are in the court house. Email Jan.
• Financial Support: Help raise funds for legal case fees. Email Suzanne.

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It’s no longer a question of IF. It’s a matter of WHEN.

ICE is now actively terrorizing communities in King County and in our state. It’s only a matter of time until they come onto our island. This is a very frightening thought for all of us. They purport to only be going after people who have committed crimes and aren’t in the US legally. But we all know this isn’t the case, most prominently as evidenced by events in Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, and most recently Minneapolis. People of every race, legal status, and walk of life have been beaten, detained, terrorized. Kept in reportedly monstrously inhumane conditions. And, in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, they were shot in cold blood for the “crime” of trying to help their fellow citizens.

So how do we prepare, and how do we react? What can we do to keep Vashon families and our community safe? While we cannot prevent ICE from coming to Vashon, we CAN prepare ourselves to safely and legally make their visit as uncomfortable as possible.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

More Info:

Guidelines for Bystanders and Observers: In the U.S., everyone has certain constitutional rights and protections regardless of their immigration status — or who is president. You have the legal right to film police and/or immigration officers if they are in a public place and if the filming does not impede the performance of their duties.

Documenting ICE activity:

• Stay at a safe distance: The general rule is about 10 feet. Assess your own risk tolerance and “safety zone” ahead of time, so that you can stay calm under stress. If you’re asked to step back, take a step back while repeating: “I am exercising my right to record and document.”
• If the officer gets too close: Say, “I am stepping back and have the right to record.” Speak in a calm, audible voice.
• Protect video content on your phone: Make sure your phone is passcode protected. Disable fingerprint or face recognition. You might also consider equipping yourself with a wearable camera, both to keep your hands free and eliminate the danger of your phone being snatched.
• Focus your recording of ICE officers: Record all the way through the incident. Narrate what you’re seeing. Say the date and time.
• DO NOT GO LIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Please protect the privacy and safety of the people being detained.
• ALWAYS do a self-risk assessment in advance about what your personal “safe distance” is. For some, 6-10 feet may suffice, others may feel comfortable with 20+ feet. Practice what your safe distance looks/feels like so you are comfortable under stress.

What to document:

• ICE officer identification: Name, badge, uniforms, vests
• Date, Time, Location: Location with specific address
• Language used by officers: Hate speech and identity speech (racist, sexist, homophobic), incorrect or unproven statements
• Enforcement Agency vehicles: If they are marked or the license plate states Police, Sheriff, Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration Enforcement (ICE), unmarked but possible government vehicles
• Violence or physical force: Pushing, shoving, grabbing, violence during arrests, damaging of property

Add this SALUTE webform to your phone’s home screen or contacts. It guides you through what information to capture about an action (in a draft text), which you can edit before copying and pasting into a text to the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) (‭1-844-724-3737‬) to activate Indivisible Vashon’s Rapid Response.

TO REPORT ICE ACTIVITY: Call Vashon Community Response at 564-225-2161

TO RECEIVE ALERTS ABOUT ICE ACTIVITY IN THE AREA: Sign up for alerts with Stopicealert.ddns.net

SEND VIDEOS, NOTES, PICTURES: Please send to the WAISN hotline.

VASHON-SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

• Homeland Security (DHS) regularly visits Vashon to carry out ferry security. To date, they are not doing immigration sweeps and they do not wear masks. If you think you see ICE, please take photos, note the time/place, and then report to the WAISN hotline asap to help determine whether your sighting is a ferry check or something more.
• Our Immigrant/Refugee Rights Team has many things already in place on the island. They have been working closely with our immigrant community to set up teams to do Rapid Response, Accompaniment, Court Watch, Fundraising, etc. If you would like to get involved and get training, please contact Jenna.
• When ICE comes to Vashon, they likely WON’T be spending the night as we don’t have hotels on the island. This means we won’t have the opportunity to disrupt their sleep (aww shucks…) but we can still make noise and alert others to their presence.
• UPDATED WHISTLE KITS: One of our amazing Leadership Team members, Evan, has whistle kits! Please fill out this form to request kits, learn how to use them, or volunteer to help out.
• Check out the Community Defense page on the website.

Protect Washington’s Millionaire’s Tax

The administration continues to threaten voting rights in battleground states. Protect The Ballot is working to assure a fair vote this November. You can help!

Join the Protect The Ballot email list.

Join the Indivisible Action Coalition (click the Voting Rights / Voter Outreach box).

Make Polluters Pay Campaign

Washington’s existing Climate Commitment Act focuses on getting current polluters to pay for emitting greenhouse gases now, while also reducing their emissions. Make Polluters Pay Campaign focuses on getting past polluters to pay for damages from decades of past emissions. The campaign seeks to center frontline communities and is encouraging WA residents to take action. It’s time to Make Polluters Pay! 

Sign Petition

Learn More

          Support These Voting Rights Organizations

Follow/Donate:

For Court Reform:

• The Brennan Center
• Demand Justice
• United For Democracy

For Redistricting Fights:

• NRDC 

To Win State Legislative Races:

• The States Project
• Every State Blue
• States Win

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Support Groups Suing to Restore Voting Rights:

• NAACP
• ACLU
• Democracy Forward
• Elias Law Group

Protect Your Family and Our 2SLGBTQIA+ Community

Two initiatives on Washington’s November ballot are targeting the safety and human rights of our state’s youth. Support the health, safety, privacy, and dignity of Washington’s students by opposing two hateful initiatives on the November ballot. IL26-638 endangers female-identified youth, whether cisgender or transgender, while IL26-001 endangers all 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

No Hate in WA State Yard Signs

THERE ARE A FEW LIMITED-EDITION YARD SIGNS IN MEMORY OF MARIDEE BONADEA AVAILABLE FOR $20.00. CONTACT US.

No Hate in WA State yard signs are now available! Be the first to show visible support of the campaign to defeat anti-trans measures IL26-001 and IL26-638. This is all the more important as the Supreme Court just upheld trans athlete bans in other states. The cost of the signs is a direct contribution to the campaign. Please make a $25 (or more if you can!) donation on the website and then text Kim at 206-850-0747 for delivery arrangements. No need to wait for the sign to arrive in the mail! 

Website – click the orange “donate” button on the upper right.

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• No Hate In WA State campaign manager Libby Watson explains what’s at stake and what we need to do to fight back: VOV
• Want to help? Endorse the campaign as an individual (scroll down to “Individuals & Organizations”.)
• Learn about the No Hate in WA State campaign.
• Read what the ACLU has to say.
• Volunteer at (and attend) Pride events.
• Encourage island businesses to endorse the campaign. Email Kevin to join the No Hate in WA State policy action team.

Donate to No Hate in WA State.

Demand Congressional Action Against Mass Detention

People detained at Delaney Hall (NJ) and other detention centers are on hunger strikes to protest their captivity and inhumane treatment by ICE. Congress must use every lever of power they have to demand dignity for detainees. 

Contact our Elected Representatives.

More info: Newsweek, MSN

Take Action Network (TAN)

The Take Action Network is a fabulous way to keep up on the progress of bills moving through the WA State Senate and House concerning de-masking ICE, use of FLOCK surveillance cameras, and the WA Dept. of Licensing sharing of data. You get the opportunity to sign in PRO on the bills you support. Over 14,000 people signed in support of the de-masking bill while it was in committee!

You can easily find actions that you can take to help support your values. You can set up a search that will send you an email each time there are new actions that meet your criteria. Or, when you are ready to take some action, you can log on and see what is available. TAN is especially useful during the Washington State Legislative Session as bill trackers are posting actions just about daily.

Sound intimidating? We are here to help!

• Review a TAN demo video at: https://bit.ly/TAN-Indi-Invitation (go to page 2)
• Sign up for online TAN training sessions at https://bit.ly/TAN-Training-Dates-2026. 
• We have our very own in-house TAN expert that will give you a one-on-one training at your home! Email Evan at lockejaw1704@gmail.com for one-on-one TAN training.

Vashon2Voters What’s The Plan? 

 Vashon2Voters Postcards

Message from Indivisible Vashon Leadership:

In his recent acceptance speech for his nomination to the U.S. Senate, James Talarico invoked the words of his ancestor Elijah Stapp, who in 1836 signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in defiance of tyrannical Mexican president Antonio López de Santa Anna. Stapp faced retribution and dire consequences for this action; his family was attacked by the president’s army and left destitute. But, as he wrote to his neighbors, he was undeterred: “Any duty that my bodily strength would enable me to perform, either in public or private, that would advance the cause of Texas, I feel anxious and ever ready to perform.”

“Texans don’t like tyrants. And we don’t surrender easily,” Talarico said. I say, let’s expand this statement: Americans don’t like tyrants. Patriots don’t like tyrants. And we won’t surrender easily.

It’s 2026. We, too, are facing a tyrannical government. We’re all tired. Sometimes, we’re afraid. We don’t know what the future holds, or what consequences any one of us will face — for either our action or our inaction. But let us commit: 

Any duty that my bodily strength would enable me to perform, either in public or private, that would advance the cause of democracy, I stand ready to perform.

This Fourth of July, reflect on how you can show up, for our country and for democracy. We hope you’ll join us. 

~ Abbe, Consulting Editor

Message from a Fellow Indivisible Member:

If, around town in Vashon, you happen to see a gentleman in 1770s colonial dress, please go over and introduce yourself. Mr. Thomas Paine, author of the bestselling and very influential pamphlet Common Sense, died in 1809 — yet somehow he’s found himself reincarnated here on Vashon! He has no idea how it happened, and is as astonished by the event as we are. The current political situation in America surely explains the timing — for example he definitely doesn’t approve of this week’s $1.776B slush fund, and takes great offense to the 1776 allusion — but why Vashon? Surely his adopted home of Philadelphia would make more sense? Mr. Paine, however, has confided to me that he does not think his arrival on Vashon is a coincidence. “There is something about this community,” he says, “that is essential to our national progress towards a more perfect union.” Mr. Paine has therefore expressed to me a very keen desire to converse with our townsfolk, in order to divine what that “something” might be. I do hope you will be able to help enlighten him.

Yours in Community,

Bryan Long

Protest Team, Theatre for Social Change, Bucket Brigade

“Though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.”

– Thomas Paine, The Crisis

Policy Action Team

Be in Community

Donate to Indivisible Vashon

Indivisible Vashon is all-volunteer and people-powered. Help us cover expenses like meeting location insurance, outreach materials, postcards and stamps, protest supplies and more.

We’ve made it easier for you to donate! We now have a Venmo account. Just scan the QR code above with your phone camera. You can also search in Venmo.com for @Indivisible-Vashon. Don’t Venmo? We still happily accept checks (made out to “Kevin Jones for Indivisible Vashon”) or cash!

Thank you so much for your support and if you have questions about how donations are used, please contact us. 

Vashon Families Continue to Need Our Help

Thank you for improving food security for our community during these challenging times. Please continue to support island families hurt by SNAP cuts or federal furloughs by donating food, supplies, or funds. 

Vashon Maury Community Food Bank: Did you know that your $1.00 donation can buy $1.80 in food?

DONATE    Mail checks to: Vashon Maury Community Food Bank, P.O. Box 1205, Vashon, WA  98070

Vashon Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness: A special fund has been set up to supply food gift cards to our two island grocery stores. (Type “Food” in “Add special instructions to the seller.”)

DONATE    Mail checks to: IFCH, P.O. Box 330, Vashon, WA 98070 (Write FOOD in the memo).

Qualified Charitable Distribution: If you’re 70½ or older, or you are required to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from an inherited IRA, you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) directly to charitable organizations, like the Vashon-Maury Community Food Bank, and reduce your taxable income — even if you don’t itemize deductions. QCDs count toward your Required Minimum Distribution and are one of the easiest and most impactful ways to give. See the Qualified Charitable Distribution instructions HERE.

Support Immigrants & Refugees by Donating Locally Today

Gear Up For Protesting, Show Your Indivisible Pride

& Help Grow the Movement

INDIVISIBLE VASHON MERCH – NEW ITEMS ARE FREQUENTLY ADDED! MOST RECENTLY, MEMORIAL T-SHIRT FOR MARIDEE BONADEA

Our amazing in-house designer Jenna has created a Zazzle shop where we can order t-shirts, tote bags, car flags, hats, and more with designs unique to us! Let us know what else you’d like to see. Think: “Use Your Outside Voice”, “Hate Has No Place Here”, etc. We all have ordered tee shirts and sweatshirts and they seem to run true to size, are good quality, medium-weight fabric, and the printing is high quality. Check out the shop and let us know what you think.

Order NOW for upcoming protests and just to spread the word about Indivisible Activism! Order Soon!

Indivisible Vashon Zazzle SHOP

Come Join Us!

• Actions Tracker: Read a Substack Newsletter or follow a trusted news source? Help us turn what you learn into Action Alerts to help fellow Indivisible members know what actions to take to fight the Regime.
• Social Media: Do you have a Facebook, BlueSky or other Social Media page? Help us amplify the posts that Indivisible Vashon puts out and also help post on our pages.
• Video/Multimedia: Have experience with making videos (even just on your iPhone!) or editing, production? We would love for you to help film segments that could then be shared via YouTube, on our Website, or Social Media platforms.
• Poster Crew: Join our group who helps hang posters around town to advertise our upcoming events.
• Marketing Background: Do you have a background in Marketing and would like to help our Communications Strategy Team?
• Elected Official Liaison: Create a connection with one of our elected Representative’s teams — so that we know up to date information from them and vice versa.
• Climate Action Plan Team: Help us to move forward the King County Climate Action Plan.
• Washington Indivisilbe Legislative Action: Help track legislation and provide actions for members to take to support legislation in the 2026 WA State Legislative Session.

Email Action.Alerts@IndivisibleVashon.org to sign up or get more information.

Let’s Keep Up the Pressure!! The GOP and the Current Regime are Showing Cracks and Weakening!!

Want to learn what is going on with Indivisible in Washington State? Check out the new website for the Washington Indivisible Network (WIN)! 

NEW Washington Indivisible Network Website – HERE

Still Want More Action Options?

• 5Calls.com
• Chop Wood, Carry Water Substack by Jessica Craven
• Take Action Network (TAN)
• Hopium Cronicles Substack by Simon Rosenberg
• Mobilize.com
• Indivisible National

Trusted News & Information Sources

• Indivisible National
• Washington Indivisible Network
• 1440
• PBS News
• National Public Radio
• Rachel Maddow Show
• Jessica Yellen – News Not Noise
• Talking Points Memo
• Project 2025 Information
• Substack Newsletters – www.substack.com and then search the names below:
• – Heather Cox Richardson
• – Jay Kuo
• – Joyce Vance
• – Andrew Weissman
• – The Contrarian
• – The Grassroots Connector