You're the reason I'm still hopeful, {NAME}

The very same people behind the January 6 insurrection are now trying to overthrow the U.S. government in a slow-motion coup. Dear fellow MoveOn member, The very same people behind the January 6 insurrection are now trying to overthrow the U.S. government in a slow-motion coup. Steve Bannon said it outright: "We're taking over all the elections."1 Their plan is to take over the machinery of our democracy from the ground up by electing Donald Trump loyalists as the top election official in key states in this coming fall's midterms—so that in the 2024 presidential election, only Trump loyalists will be certifying elections in the states that will decide who wins.2 Remember, Trump ultimately failed to overturn the 2020 election because a few election officials—secretaries of state in particular—rightfully certified the results despite heavy pressure from him and his enablers to overturn them. If Trump and Bannon succeed this time, our democracy is in serious trouble. That's why MoveOn is doing something it's never done in its 23-year history: running a powerful, multimillion-dollar effort to defeat Trump-backed candidates for secretary of state and elect individuals who will count every vote and ensure fair elections. This is crucial, democracy-saving work, which is why I have a simple request: Will you start a $5 monthly donation right now to MoveOn to help defeat the Trump-backed candidates for secretary of state and ensure that every vote is counted? [Yes, I'll chip in monthly.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( In 2020, secretaries of state—who in most states oversee elections, including counting votes and certifying the results—held the United States' rickety democracy together by certifying Joe Biden's win. But what happens if secretaries of state won't protect democracy? In most states, secretaries of state are elected. And it's precisely those elections that Trump and Bannon are targeting, especially in key swing states. For example … - Trump's choice for Georgia's secretary of state is Jody Hice, who as a Georgia congressman voted against certifying the 2020 election.3 - His choice for Michigan's secretary of state is Kristina Karamo, who falsely claimed to have witnessed election fraud.4 - His choice for Arizona's secretary of state is Mark Finchem, a QAnon-supporting member of the Oath Keepers militia who participated in the January 6 insurrection.5 At least 20 other candidates now running for secretary of state around the nation do not believe in the legitimacy of the 2020 election and are spreading lies and conspiracy theories that the election was stolen.6 They are part of a quiet movement kicked off by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. In addition, thousands of others who have taken up Bannon's call have signed up to be local elections officials and poll workers. These positions, especially secretaries of state, are the last lines of defense in a democracy. That's where MoveOn comes in. MoveOn's superpower is that it's a powerful grassroots organization with members in every corner of the country. MoveOn trains and equips its members with the information, skills, and network to make a difference. And, in critical states like Arizona, where Finchem, a self-avowed white supremacist, is the leading GOP candidate for secretary of state, MoveOn is the only organization currently working to defeat Trump's hand-picked candidates. But organizing takes money. And as a grassroots organization, MoveOn's resources come from its members—tens of thousands of people across the country chipping in whatever they can. So please, will you join me right now and chip in $5 a month to help sustain the effort to defeat Trump's candidates for secretary of state? [Yes, I'll chip in monthly.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( We've seen what happens when secretaries of state put partisan interests ahead of election integrity. In 2018, Brian Kemp ran Georgia's elections as its secretary of state, while he was running for governor against Stacey Abrams. During his tenure, Kemp oversaw the purging of almost 1.5 million voter registrations and the closing of more than 200 polling places.7 In the weeks leading up to the election, he put more than 50,000 voter registrations on hold, 70% of which belonged to Black people.8 He won by 55,000 votes.9 And remember back in the 2000 presidential election, when Al Gore won the popular vote? Nonetheless, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who had been co-chair of George W. Bush's statewide campaign, ended up calling Florida for Bush, which handed him the election.10 Trump and Bannon's goal is to replicate these abuses across America and put into power next fall Trump loyalists who care more about electing Trump in 2024 than in upholding democracy. And what stands in the way? Well, it's us—you and me, {NAME}, along with millions of other MoveOn members all across the country. In 2020, we organized, volunteered, and voted to keep American democracy alive. In the coming months, we must work to elect public servants who will uphold democracy and stand up to those who are hellbent on undermining it. But it will happen only if we come together—and starting now. Please, if you are able, will you start a $5 monthly donation right now to help stop Trump's plot to put his loyalists in charge of overseeing elections? [Yes, I'll chip in monthly.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( Thanks for all you do. –Robert Reich Sources: 1. Tweet by Media Matters for America, November 12, 2021 [ 2. "Trump-Backed Secretaries of State Could Flip the 2024 Election," New York, February 17, 2022 [ 3. "Jody Hice tried to overturn the 2020 election. Now he wants to be in charge of Georgia’s elections." Vox, March 22, 2021 [ 4. "Trump-backed Michigan secretary of state candidate spread false election claims and January 6 conspiracy theories," CNN, November 16, 2021 [ 5. "Trump Endorses Arizona SoS Candidate Mark Finchem, a Self-Proclaimed Member of Oath Keepers," Newsweek, September 13, 2021 [ 6. "Here's where election-denying candidates are running to control voting," NPR, February 3, 2022 [ 7. "After the Purge: How a massive voter purge in Georgia affected the 2018 election," American Public Media, October 29, 2019 [ 8. "Georgia put 53,000 voter registrations on hold, fueling new charges of voter suppression," Vox, October 12, 2018 [ 9. "Georgia Governor Election Results," The New York Times, January 28, 2019 [ 10. "Florida Vote Certification," C-SPAN, November 26, 2000 [ Want to support MoveOn's work? Donald Trump and his allies are methodically enacting a plan to place some of Trump's most ardent supporters in key election offices that oversee vote counting, have the power to certify—or decertify—election results, and declare election winners and losers. We've launched a powerful, multimillion-dollar campaign to stop Trump. But MoveOn need your help to power their effort. Will you chip in to power MoveOn's campaign to defeat Trump and the GOP in 2022? [Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, . Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to {NAME} on April 30, 2022. To change your email address or update your contact info, [click here](. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, [click here](. To remove yourself from this list, [click here](.