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Notes from the October 1 Communities Rising Get Out The Vote meeting

Our ballot drop boxes weigh a half-ton and are bolted to the ground. Getting out the vote in Seattle’s very blue neighborhoods has swayed past elections. If the worst happens, a Seattle group is preparing actions that will put economic pressure on our leaders. And many groups are planning to keep going with joyful Get Out The Vote actions after the Oct. 17 No Kings day has passed.

These are a few of the things we learned at Communities Rising’s Get Out the Vote meeting Thursday. If you missed it, read on. If you were there, this post will cover many of the links mentioned during the presentations, including some not on the handout. Also see our special VOTE! page for practical information, a timeline and links to voter resources. 

Election Security: League of Women Voters

If you ever wondered how secure your ballot is after you drop it in the ballot box, the presentation by Deb of the League of Women Voters was reassuring. Our ballot drop boxes weigh a half-ton, are bolted to the ground and have fire suppression equipment inside. They’re monitored by both volunteers and county election workers, and ballots are removed daily by two King County elections officials. When the ballots are brought into the elections office, there’s a strong chain of custody and multiple security measures. Ballot scanners and tabulation machines are on a closed network, not connected to the internet. You can even watch King County’s ballot counting and sorting via live camera online.

Bringing somebody else’s ballot to the drop box (sometimes derisively called “ballot harvesting”) is legal in Washington, so think about how to help friends or neighbors get their ballots in on time. This should go hand-in-hand with getting them to sign up for ballot tracking.

After the 2024 election, KC Elections referred a total of 39 cases (out of 1.1 million ballots) to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for investigation. (That’s .0035%.) In 25 of those cases, a registered voter signed their own name on someone else’s ballot envelope. In other words, fraud is almost nonexistent in our voter system.

Want to learn more? On Oct. 7, join the UW Impact + Center for an Informed Public for an important Zoom webinar conversation with co-founder Kate Starbird, King County Elections Director Julie Wise and Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton. They’ll discuss navigating evolving information and uncertainty as we head into the 2026 midterm elections. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. and lasts for an hour. Register here.

Finally, there was an excellent Powerpoint presentation offered during the meeting. If you want a copy, let us know.

Canvassing: 36th and 46th District Democrats

A high percentage of the folks who came to Thursday’s meeting have canvassed before – that is, knocked on neighbors’ doors, or even knocked on doors in other parts of the state, to encourage people to vote for (or against) specific issues or a candidate (or slate of candidates). We live in a very blue part of a blue city in a blue state, and high turnout in our area has actually moved statewide elections – helping to pass safer gun laws in 2016, for example. But low turnout in blue areas contributed to the defeat of a climate change issue in 2018. While U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal is a shoe-in for another term, there are highly consequential issues and races on this ballot, including three referendums and 5 state Supreme Court seats. (See progressive endorsements here.) The Millionaires Tax is likely to be challenged in court, even if its repeal is rejected by voters, so getting people to vote for a slate of progressive candidates is essential.

Canvassing opportunities abound:

• If you’re in the 36th Legislative District (that’s most of Phinney Ridge, Greenwood and Ballard), email the 36th District Democrats PCO-recruitment@36th.org. The website for the 36th District Dems is here.

• If you’re in the 46th district (northeast Green Lake, north Wallingford and points north and east), connect to the 46th District Democrats through their website or send us an email to get in touch directly with their PCO lead.

• Canvass for Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, the most vulnerable Democrat in Washington’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to find options for phone banking or canvassing in person in southwest Washington.

• Want to help state Democratic candidates win tightly-contested races in Bellingham? On Oct. 17 at 11 a.m., Rep. Ramel, Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins and Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove will be doorbelling in the area and they’d love to have you join. Here’s more information and a signup page 

There was an excellent powerpoint presentation offered at the meeting with tips for first-time canvassers. Let us know if you’d like a copy.

Movement Voter Project

This worthy group made a pitch for an upcoming event, MVP Washington Defends the Election, Oct. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Space, Columbia City. RSVP here.

Seattle Strike

What if it all goes to hell on Nov. 4 and in the weeks after the election? A Seattle group is working on ways to send an economic message (the most powerful kind!) if anything should happen. We had a lot of questions for our presenters, and it’s clear that this is very much a work in progress. Their website is here. If you want to know more, they’re holding a meeting Oct. 11 from 3-5 p.m. at a church in Capitol Hill. Register here.

No Kings and beyond

The next No Kings action is Oct. 17, and the message is “Vote Early.” But Washington ballots may not even be in our hands yet (they’ll be mailed between Oct. 14 and 16). We want to carry the No Kings spirit beyond Oct. 17 and right up until Election Day, Nov. 3, to get people to vote early and use a ballot drop box. Get with your people and think of some fun, creative things you can do to keep the message front and center. A few ideas:

• Be like West Seattle Indivisible and organize a parade to the ballot box. WSI’s “Bop to the Box” happens Oct. 25, and in preparation, they’re doing a sign-making party Oct. 18. Details here.

• The loose coalition of Seattle overpass bannerers will be changing out their messaging to encourage voting from now until Election Day. Join them! Look at the Seattle area Protest List for a schedule.

• Plans are in the works for James Cordon-style “Crosswalk Theatre” actions, and Phinneywood’s Sunshine Resistance Singers will also set up some performances. Details will be posted on Phinneywood Rising and in Phinneywood’s newsletter (sign up here).

• What else can you do? Sidewalk chalk messaging? Voting-themed Halloween decorations and costumes? Can you take a selfie at the ballot box and post to social media? Or play some music near a ballot drop box to inject a spirit of fun into the process? (Just don’t set up too close to a ballot drop box – there are rules, and we also don’t want to discourage anyone from voting or clog up the area.)

Only about one-third of voters in Washington returned their primary ballot in August, which means that two-thirds of the ballots mailed were recycled or thrown in the trash. In the last midterm (November 2022), only about 65% of King County registered voters sent in a ballot. Let’s work to prevent those sad unopened ballots from ending up in the recycle bin, especially in our reliably blue city. We need to keep reminding people to vote, vote, vote!

Fighting ICE

The following write-up is from Dave G., a Phinneywood Rising member. Thanks, Dave, for sharing your knowledge!

Recently, an acquaintance called me in a panic. Just two minutes earlier, she had watched ICE surround her car and the car next to hers, violently pull a man from the other car, and haul him away. She didn’t know what to do or how to help. Unfortunately, neither did I.

I called a friend who had recently taken a “Constitutional Observer Training” for advice. He immediately called the King County hotline, which in turn dispatched trained “rapid responders” to the scene. They arrived within five minutes. They were able to calm my friend, collect important information about the abduction to help the man’s family, and safeguard his vehicle, which had been left at the scene with the keys still inside.

For me, it was a terrible and helpless feeling not knowing how to help. My friend pointed me toward simple online constitutional observer trainings conducted by local activists. Over the course of 90 minutes, I learned how an ordinary community member like myself can, in a constitutionally protected way, help document these all-too-common abductions and assist the families involved.

With a strong focus on keeping observers safe, the training took away much of the fear I had felt. Now, the next time a call comes in—or if I happen to witness an ICE abduction in progress—I’ll know what to do.

I summarize my notes from the training below, to give you a “taste” of the training, but strongly urge everyone to attend the training as well.  Thanks, Dave

Training conducted by –

• Indivisible Eastside

• West Seattle Indivisible

• Seattle Indivisible

What this is – “A Constitutional Observer is a trained community member who calmly observes and documents law enforcement activity to help ensure constitutional rights are respected and to support accountability.”

The need – as of September 2026, there are 20-30 abductions in the Seattle area each day.  We are in a moment of “authoritarian breakthrough” in America.

Sign up for free training here.

Rapid Responders – these volunteers have taken additional training and are vetted.  The are dispatched directly to verify and document immigration enforcement activity.  They are able to connect targeted

people to resources.

What to do if you see ICE activity

• Call your local hotline to report details

  • If you are in East King County:  East King Rapid Response 425-361-0808

  • For all other areas in King County and WA statewide:  WAISN Deportation Defense Hotline 844-724-3737

  • In Southwest Washington:  LULAC Rapid Response 503-388-5356

  • Put these numbers into your phone!

• Assess your risk, then decide –

  • Leave the scene

  • Stay and document as safely as possible

• DO NO HARM!  Stay calm and do not escalate the situation

Your rights while documenting

• You have the right to photograph or record anything plainly visible in public, including law enforcement

• You must not physically interfere with an officer

• Your ability to record may be restricted on private property

• Law enforcement may not demand to see the contents of your devices or delete data without a warrant

• These protections do not cover civil disobedience or if you break any law!

• Sadly, ICE and other law enforcement may disregard our constitutional rights, and may react harshly to our recording.  How to reduce this risk is captured below.

What to document – remember the “VIDEO” acronym!

• V – description of vehicles involved, capture license plates if possible, including plate of the person or people being detained

• I – Individual: description of person being detained: clothing, hair color, etc. (to help identify later)

• D – Date, time and location of incident, including street signs, and landmarks, if possible

• E – Evidence: negative language used by agents, any warrants shown, searches, use of force

• O – Organizations: number of agents, clothing, ID, vests, badges, etc.

Best practices when recording

• Record horizontally to capture the most area

• Focus on the agents’ actions

• Capture details, including any landmarks

• Do not livestream or post to social media

• Do not stop and start the recording

• Do not edit the file or change the file name

• You may want to create a backup file later

Immigration agents vs local law enforcement

• Immigration agents: 

  • May not be in uniform.  They may be in tactical gear, fatigues, jeans, khakis or cargo pants.  May not show any identification.

  • Usually in unmarked cars with “normal” license plates or no plates at all

• Local law enforcement: 

  • State and local law enforcement wear uniforms with the agency clearly identified on shoulder patches and badges

Reducing risk

• Stay far enough away from immigration enforcement officers that they must affirmatively walk toward you to contact you. If you are asked to step back, document yourself doing so.

• Avoid sudden movements and remain calm

• Film openly and keep your hands visible

• Do not interfere or use aggressive verbal or physical behavior

• Remember: Your actions may increase violence towards your neighbor by law enforcement

If law enforcement tells you to get back

• Take one or two steps back saying out loud that you are complying.

• You have the right to observe as long as you are not interfering with law enforcement activity.

• Turn your camera to the ground to document yourself moving back.

• Calmly repeat “I’m cooperating. I’m taking a step back. I’m not interfering. I am exercising my right to record and document.”

If you believe your phone is about to be seized by an officer

• Turn your phone completely off!

• As a safety measure, set your phone to open with PASSCODE ONLY, no facial recognition

• If you phone is taken by law enforcement, contact the ACLU or a lawyer.

What to do with documentation

• Text any documentation you have taken to the Hotline

• Provide all recordings, photos and details of the incident.

• Include your name and phone number for follow-up, if you are comfortable sharing.

What about whistles?

• The usefulness of blowing a whistle is far greater before an action has begun or before anyone has been detained. Later in the action, the risk is that they become escalatory.

Fighting Regulatory Changes

The Trump Administration has announced plans for more than 700 regulatory changes over the next three months. According to the administration, these proposals are intended to reduce regulation. In reality, they would weaken environmental protections, public health and safety measures, and other programs that benefit the public while favoring powerful corporate interests.

Examples of current proposals include:

• Canceling the Roadless Rule that protects wilderness areas.

• Making sweeping changes that favor oil and gas development over public land protections.

• Ending EPA monitoring of microplastics in drinking water.

• Allowing the application of cancer-causing chemicals on cropland.

• Undermining Head Start programs.

• Removing public comment requirements for data center air pollution.

• Giving political appointees greater authority to determine which scientific research receives funding.

• And hundreds more.

I recently attended a training on the importance of public comments in the federal rulemaking process.

Is submitting public comments worth doing?

The answer is an emphatic "YES!"

• Public comments can change outcomes. Agencies sometimes modify or even withdraw proposed rules in response to substantive public feedback.

• Comments matter in court. Public comments become part of the official administrative record and are frequently used in successful citizen lawsuits challenging agency actions.

• Agencies must respond. Federal agencies are generally required to review substantive comments and explain how they addressed significant issues before finalizing a rule. A large number of thoughtful comments can slow the implementation of harmful proposals.

• Special interests will participate. Paid lobbyists representing affected industries will certainly submit comments. Ordinary citizens should not leave the field entirely to them.

• Comment periods are often short. The current administration has emphasized deregulation and, in many cases, shortened the amount of time available for public comment.

I understand that many of us feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of emails asking us to submit comments. I know I do. But this training offered a few simple techniques that make writing effective comments much easier.

One important tip: don't simply copy and paste the suggested language. Government agencies use software to organize comments, and identical submissions are often grouped together as a single form comment. Taking just a few minutes to personalize your comments significantly increases their impact.

Here are the training materials:

• A simple guide explaining how to write effective public comments.

• A regularly updated list of current proposals, deadlines, and links for submitting comments.

The instructor, Melinda Mueller, also distributes a monthly email highlighting some of the most important upcoming proposals. If you'd like to join her mailing list, send her a note at mueller.melinda@gmail.com.

Feel free to share with others.

De-escalation techniques

At Phinneywood Rising's May 18 meeting, we learned some pointers about how to de-escalate when a counter-protester is intent on mischief. (Thanks to Anne of NSP for the training!) While it's difficult to summarize everything we learned, here are some tips:

• It's important to stay calm and in control, and not to respond with anger.

• Most counter-protesters just want to be heard, they want to vent, or they may be having a bad day. They could even be hungry!

• Working in teams of at least two,  approach a counter-protester with a calm, thoughtful demeanor and a disarming display of friendliness. Some good questions to ask: "What are you trying to say? What is your perspective?" Respond with neutral comments like, "Hmm, I never thought of that before!"

• Try to lead them away from the group. If things start to heat up, get somebody in the group to video the interaction, holding the camera/phone horizontally and narrating what is happening; make sure the protester knows they're being videotaped. Document, document, document! The action of recording the encounter may cause them to give up and go away.

• If the counter-protester walks into you or even touches you, that can be considered an assault.

• If police try to disrupt a protest, a few magic words to use: This is a free speech exercise in a usual and customary forum (i.e. the bridge). More from the ACLU: "Traditional public forums for free speech, where First Amendment protections are strongest, are government-owned spaces that have historically been open to public expression and assembly. Common, customary examples include public sidewalks, streets, and parks. In these areas, speech cannot be restricted based on content, though reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions are allowed."

• If the counter-protester's actions seem especially erratic and potentially violent, call 911 and ask for a medic. The thinking here is that the person you're encountering may be having some sort of mental health episode or other issue. Firefighters and paramedics usually respond more quickly than police, and they are trained in de-escalation tactics.

The best way to practice these skills is role-playing. Stay tuned for some future opportunities to do just that.

Make a personal connection with our community's day laborers

Want to connect with immigrants in our community? Here’s a way to do it: Volunteer for the Adopt a Day Labor Corner campaign.

The effort, organized by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), is a way to provide support to the many immigrants, mostly men, who work as day laborers in our community. These men often stand at the corner of big-box hardware stores like Home Depot, trying to pick up odd jobs in the community. They’re a highly visible target for immigration officers. 

"This moment demands more than watching," NDLON says on its website. "It demands that we show up for one another—in person, nonviolently, with courage, determination and love. If you are not at risk of deportation, we are asking you to consider taking action today."

Phinneywood Rising member Warren B. has been one of those volunteers for the last few months. He goes to the Home Depot on Aurora and 115th for about an hour every week, usually in the morning, on a schedule put together by NDLON. It’s a low-key hour of socializing with men who are trying to help their families make ends meet in less-fortunate countries. 

“You basically make friends with them, to generate some trust and to gain their trust,” Warren said. “They’re happy to tell their stories, where they’re from, and you really develop these friendships.” Knowing a little bit of Spanish helps, he said.

He often brings coffee and granola bars to the men, since many haven’t yet eaten breakfast. One week, Warren went to a Mexican food store on Aurora and brought 50 tamales. “Anything warm is much appreciated,” he said.

There’s never been an immigration raid on the hardware store while Warren has been volunteering there, but immigrants have been picked up north and south of the Home Depot's Aurora location. If there is a raid, activists are trained how to capture immigration actions with their phone cameras. Warren has traded phone numbers with day laborers so he could get word to their families if they are detained.

The Home Depot in Shoreline, adjacent to Costco, also has a robust group of volunteers. In addition to standing with the laborers, these volunteers have organized food and clothing drives, and served hot meals.

Many day laborers send money home to family members. Some rent a basement apartment, or even sleep in their trucks or vans, if they have them. “They’re really just looking for work. The problem is, they may go many days without getting work,”  Warren said. Another way to support them: hire a worker to help you with a project, as Warren intends to do.

Interested in getting involved? Click here to find out more.

The Phinneywood Tuesday bannering team had a great outing this week, and added an "ICE OUT" sign to the various signs held over Aurora Avenue.

Signs of Fascism

Phinneywood Rising members rolled out "Signs of Fascism," a thought-provoking series of signs meant to encourage people to think about where we are heading, on Green Lake Way Jan. 17. 

Dispatch from Minnesota

Here are some things happening in Minneapolis which you won't read about in the news:

• Churches, schools, and legions of volunteers are funding and organizing drives to purchase and deliver food to immigrant families too fearful to leave their homes.

• Volunteers are posting at schools to watch for ICE especially when kids are released.

• Because Minneapolis schools are closed today and tomorrow out of fear for the safety of students and staff, neighbors are offering free day care, snacks, games and supplies to assist families.

• Immigrant businesses are keeping their doors locked and only admitting people on an individual basis, but people are patronizing these businesses to support them. Businesses closed yesterday out of respect for the killing of Renee Good.

• Neighbors are distributing free alert whistles and literature to one another in case of ICE sightings.

• Thousands of people are taking "upstander" trainings to better support people attacked by ICE.

• Nonprofits are mobilizing to protect communities, and donors are stepping up to invest in these efforts.

• We are checking in on one another.

• Minnesotans are not rolling over in fear. We are acting from a place of being caring, protective, and just humans. We are doing what we can to forge on despite this attack on our community. This is what fighting for right looks like.

Notes from the January meeting

We had a full house at Phinneywood Rising’s January meeting. LFG! Here’s a synopsis:

• We discussed starting a letter-writing or postcard-writing campaign to flood the mailrooms in Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court with our objections to what is going on. Read about Project Mail Storm here.

• We encouraged everyone to call their congressional representatives to voice our unhappiness with, well, everything. Do it today! Use 5 Calls to make it easy.

• We talked about going together as a group to the January 20 Free America walkout at Seattle Central College, or finding a north-end high school that’s walking out and showing up to voice our support for students. (Stay tuned for details.)

• We began planning how we’ll deploy the “Refuse Fascism” signs, which look great. This has been tried effectively around the country (video here) and started in Sequim. If you’re not already on the email list for this project, get in touch and we will add you.

• Former State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson dropped some ideas for how to effectively lobby your legislators. The session starts Jan. 12. Check out the new Legislation page on the site for more details.

• We talked about changes to the website, possibly adding more photos, little “how I did it” stories and curated reading lists. Note also the new email address at the bottom of the website (or here) for contacting the webmaster.