As hard as it may be to sharpen our resolve and begin focusing on this year’s midterms, in our heart of hearts we know that our efforts in the coming months are more important than ever. What’s reassuring and motivating is knowing that we are not alone in this work.
As members of Third Act Oregon, there’s a great deal we can do together and individually to help take back our democracy in November. As we consider a wide range of actions that will lead to midterm outcomes we can all celebrate, we need your feedback. How would you like to participate?
As Third Actors, it’s worth reminding ourselves that we can play an outsized role in November’s elections. With 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day and nearly 80 million of us aged 60 and older, we represent a third of eligible voters in this country. And roughly 75% of us vote, making us by far the largest and most consistent voting demographic.
It’s not just our votes that matter. It’s the actions we can take to encourage others to exercise the most enshrined right in our Constitution — the right to vote. It’s supporting candidates who will protect voting rights, uphold the principles of our Democracy, and defend the rule of law.
With this in mind, please take a few minutes to let us know how you’d like to participate in the coming months. Your responses to a short survey will let us know what actions Third Act Oregon members are interested in doing so that together we can make a difference.
Thanks in advance for completing this survey.
The actions described below are the mainstays of actions we can take on in this midterm election year. If you’d like to learn more, read the brief descriptions provided.
If you’d prefer to jump to the survey, CLICK HERE.
Protesting
In 2025, No Kings protests and other nationwide rallies drew millions of concerned Americans to the streets. Third Act Oregon will continue to provide times and locations for these actions via: Action Alerts, the TAO Action Resource Hub on the website, and the monthly TAO Newsletter. The next No Kings on March 28 will be the biggest yet. You can add to the turnout by inviting family members or friends to join you.
Postcard Writing
In spite of the digital revolution, political campaign postcards have stood the test of time and remain a staple in election strategies. In an age where personal mail is rare, a hand written postcard in the mailbox can be even more impactful.
Leading up to the 2024 elections, Oregon Third Actors (in groups and as individuals) wrote over 32,000 postcards. TAO members who were able to write cards with others were very appreciative of the opportunity to take action in the community of others.
We have A LOT of experience with the “How To” of postcard writing and we’ll put it into action for this year’s midterm elections.
There are currently over 1,400 TAO members. Imagine this: if half of our members write 100 cards each over the course of several months, TAO will send 70,000 postcards to voters before November. Join this effort — Let’s blow our old record out of the water!
Phone Banking
If you’ve never tried phone banking, this consequential election year may be the time to give it a try. A good number of TAO members have had very positive experiences phone banking with the Environmental Voter Project (EVP).
Here are a few things to know:
- Because EVP is a nonpartisan organization that focuses on calling individuals who’ve been identified as “environment first” voters, nearly all of the callers you talk to will be receptive to hearing from folks who are volunteering for the Environmental Voter Project.
- Your personal phone number is not used when phonebanking, there’s an automated dialer that does all of the work.
- Making calls can be especially effective in reaching younger voters who more readily answer their phones, even from an unknown number.
- EVP provides training before every phone banking session, phone scripts are brief and positive, and it gets much easier after you’ve gotten started.
Learn more here : EVP video on effectiveness of phone banking
Door-to-door Canvassing
Studies have shown that a direct conversation with a canvasser can increase a voter’s likelihood to turn out by several percentage points. In close races, in–person contact with voters can be the difference. As the November election approaches, we’ll be sharing ways that TAO members can take part in canvassing. One example of the importance of canvassing came in the election of Janelle Bynum to Oregon’s District 5 Congressional seat in 2024. TAO members were among the many canvassers who helped Bynum secure a victory in a closely contested race.
Voter Registration
In 2024, Third Act Oregon provided voter registration support in retirement communities across the state. The League of Women Voters was a partner in this effort.
Letters to the Editor (LTEs)
If you enjoy writing and want to inform voters about important issues in this election year, writing LTEs may be for you. We have examples of LTEs that have been written by Third Actors and a great tool kit that can smoothly guide the process, including how to submit an LTE to newspapers here in Oregon. This can be individual work and perhaps we can form a small team of TAO members collaborating together?