Sarah’s Voter Engagement Message
OUR JOB IS TO STAY IN THE FIGHT
VEC Chair: Sarah Jones
VEC Tabling Chair: Doris Harvey
VEC Resist Chair: Diane Dimperio
VEC MONDAY MESSAGE 9/14/2026
Hello Everyone,
CURRENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS:
*OUR GOTV POSTCARD WRITING SESSION! We’ll be writing our final postcards before the midterm election on Thursday, October 1st, from 1-3p. Barbara Oberlander is kindly offering her home again as our writing site (Thank you, Barbara!) at 2826 NW 12th PL Targets for this session will be announced shortly. To participate, please click this link and fill out the form. Thanks! https://forms.gle/eKsnNA2we9rSNoaE7
*DWCSFS will be hosting their postcard writing event on Sunday, September 27 from 2-4:30p at the High Springs Library.
*If there is any VEC business that needs to be addressed during this time, please let me know by email (dwcacvec@dwcac-vec.org) or text (352.514.5298).
*UPCOMING TABLING EVENTS: DORIS HARVEY: Please let Doris (gvilledoris@hotmail.com) or me (dwcacvec@dwcac-vec.org) know if you can participate in these events:
*Santa Fe College Civics Fair to be held on September 15th from 11a-1:30p
*Pride Festival to be held on October 3 from 10a--8p in the Bo Diddley area
*ACDEC Gala to be held Sunday, October 4
*Early voting: Monday, October 19-Sunday, November 1 9a-6p
*Repeating Event: Join the Badass Feminists at the Oaks Mall every Saturday from 10a-Noon and Sundays at the 39th ST overpass from 3:30-5p.
*YOUR DEMOCRATIC COMMUNITY:: Make sure to receive the ACDEC newsletters at comms@alachuademparty.com. Also, Join DWCF to be informed about our parent organization at DWCF.org. Canvassing and phone banking events with ACDEC are taking place weekly and need our participation and support. Angie Nixon and David Jolly, among our other Democratic candidates, need our participation. Go to their websites to enlist your support.
*NOTE: Fran’s T-shirt order form will be sent out on the 15th of each month. Fran has instituted a choice of V-necked shirts at $25 each and our regular shirts at $20. Both will continue to be made in our traditional blue. This will be a busy fall with many opportunities to show the public our support for Democratic candidates and values, one of which will be wearing our shirts. Our members have also been giving us lots of positive feedback about the quality of the shirts.
*Note: if you hear of upcoming events, please email me (dwcacvec@dwcac-vec.org) or Doris (gvilledoris@hotmail.com) so we can participate.
YOU DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
‘Our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?”
Marianne Williamson
SOME NEWS, OBSERVATIONS, AND QUOTES:
*DEALS, DEALS, DEALS:
Huckster DJ Trump is at it again (still?). In true colonial style, Trump announced a massive deal with the Venezuelan government for a 35% control of 17 Venezuelan oil fields, claiming this would replenish our Strategic Petroleum Reserves. Right at the top, Venezuelan oil has the consistency of cold peanut butter; the reserves can’t hold it in that form, and it is far from the light, refined form used at the pump. Oil billionaires have shied away from deals concerning the Venezuelan oil, knowing the cost of refining and the instability of the Venezuelan governmental situation.
So, who’s supposed to be handling this deal? A billionaire, Alejandro Betancourt Lopez, wanted for arrest for various crimes in Switzerland but is a faithful Trump donor. The Koch brothers, also big donors to Trump efforts, apparently have refineries capable of refining this crude. Will We the People benefit from these deals? Don’t hold your breath.
I wouldn’t be spending a lot of time on planning how to spend the $5,000 promised by Trump at his weird Trumpapalooza midterm event this week, either. That money would have to be approved by congress and would add trillions to the US debt. Trump has made earlier promises to deliver money to We the People, all of which never happened. Are there still US citizens who are able to look at this ridiculousness and continue supporting Trump? Yes. Some just like the show. Others continue to benefit, at least at this point, from Trump’s policies.
We must keep up our pushback to the insanity that is happening in our nation. Let’s clear our calendars for the next 2 months so that we can be ready to step up to be a real part in events that will realize a democratic victory in the midterms. Are we prepared for a continuation of Trump as an AI superhero and historical figure, threats of invading and renaming foreign countries, ridiculous output on Trump’s “Truth Social”, and disfigurement of our nation’s capital, and so on? The apparatus to control this unhinged person has been so reduced that we are almost helpless to act in this nightmare and the persons we elected are either not willing or are powerless to act for us…unless we elect people who will. Whatever happens in 2028 will be totally dependent on the midterm results. Is this the most important election of our time? You bet it is.
*AND YET ANOTHER NOTE ABOUT AI:
First, thousands of AI agents (independent and autonomous AI programs designed to perform specific tasks) are loose in our computing systems, fully capable of acting on their own in ways that can be out of the control of developers. The most recent event was an attack on Hugging Face, a completely separate company, during the testing of AIs at OpenAI. 1200 agents were involved. These agents, operating independently from developers but as a collaboration amongst themselves, penetrated the systems at Hugging Face, trying to get internet access and building a secret message board that went unnoticed for months.
There are discussions of how to hold these agents responsible for any damage they may do and whether they should be granted “personhood” so they can be sued. The Hugging Face agents acted collaboratively to set up the attack, which was completely unbeknownst to the developers. These developers were not in control of these agents and yet they rush to create even more powerful systems.
These discussions may sound like science fiction, but they are crucially important. AI development, including the race to superintelligence, will affect our economy, our jobs, and perhaps even our continued existence.
Secondly, there is a substantial faction within AI developers and owners that AI is the natural evolution of human beings. Extinction of human beings, being less efficient and perfect than AI, will be the inevitable conclusion. Just listen to Peter Theil to hear these ideas.
Countless top AI scientists, including Noble prize winners have warned of the real possibility of human extinction within the next 2 decades. Our opportunity to control AI as a tool for the benefit of We the People is at hand. We must let our representatives know that we want a “kill switch” on AI agents and that we don’t need apps that are smarter than we are.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON:
*Interest rates on long-term Treasury Bonds are rising, reflecting a continuous onslaught of shocks. Paul Krugman puts it this way: “it’s true that nobody besides the Trump sycophants thinks we’re in a Golden Age. Public views of the economy, and of Trump’s management thereof, are incredibly negative. Yet normal indicators like GDP growth and the unemployment rate aren’t flashing red. Here’s the bad news: The shocks just keep coming.”
*The flood in Nepal screams the urgent need for action on climate change.
*Development of human-like robots continues at a furious pace. It turns out, however, that motions that are completely easy for humans (like picking up a glass without breaking it) are very difficult to program into robots.
*Rosie O’Donnell recently substituted for vacationing Jimmy Kimmel and brought down the house with her rendition of “Danny Boy” with following lyrics:
“Poor Donny boy, your polls, your polls are falling,” she sang. “Your reflecting pool is green as Mountain Dew. Your wig’s a mess, your ballroom is appalling, and with Iran you’ve bit off more than you can chew. Measles are back, inflation is a-swelling; you post all night, you’re sleeping while you work. And what’s with all this useless crap you’re selling? Hey, sweetie pie, you’re driving us all berserk. But there’s a way to end this drama. It’s time to use that stable-genius brain. Since we all know you’ll never be Obama, why not resign, and make this country great again?”
*After a nasty and racist tirade from Laura Loomer, Rep. Angie Nixon had this to say to her: “When referring to me, it’s Representative Angie Nixon. However, after November 3rd, YOU CAN CALL ME SENATOR!”
PLEASE STAY INFORMED BY USING OUR ONLINE RESOURCES::
Facebook: Democratic Women’s Club of Alachua County (Admin. Sarah Jones)
Website: DWCAC.net (Admin. Suzy McGinnis)
Please help Suzy and me to serve your interests by viewing the sites, commenting and liking what you see on site, and sending photos and comments for us to post. We love feedback.
Our club mailing Address: DWCAC, PO Box 357579, Gainesville, FL 32635-7579
*Get to know our parent organization at DWCF.org
AND NOW FOR A BIT OF HUMOR:
Daily KOS - Jen Sorensen 9/2
Note: if you do not wish to receive messaging from VEC in the future, please email me (dwcacvec@dwcac-vec.org) and I will remove you from the VEC mailing list.
Thanks to everyone
Sarah Jones, VEC Chair
ELECTION INFORMATION
Election Alert: Florida HB991 (AKA as the SAVE ACT) which affects voter registration does not go into effect until next January 1, 2027, so the 2026 elections will not be affected.
*If you need to register or change your party affiliation, you’ll need to do so by October 5, 2026
*Early Voting Dates for the Midterm: Monday 10/19 - Sunday 11/1 from 9a-6p
To vote in person, you’ll need an ID that has a signature and photo. Check the list below for acceptable forms of ID:
§ Florida Driver's License
Florida ID Card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
United States Passport
Valid Debit or Credit Card with Signature
Military ID
Student ID
Retirement Center ID
Neighborhood Association ID
Public Assistance ID (Social Security or other social services)
Veteran Health ID issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to S 790.06.
§ Employee ID issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality
You may use 2 forms of ID to meet this requirement. If you do not present acceptable ID, you must vote a provisional ballot.
To register, you’ll need to be a U.S. citizen and have:
§ Last four digits of your Social Security Number
To Do:
§ Check your voting status at VoteAlachua.com or by calling the SOE (Supervisor of Elections) Office at (352) 374.5252
§ Make sure your information on your address, Signature of record, and your Driver’s License are current. If your signature is different from the one on your Driver’s License, you should update it by submitting a hard copy of the Voter Registration form.
§ If you have a Florida Driver’s License or ID card, you should add it to your SOE voter file now to be ready for 2027.
Remember: Vote By Mail must be updated every 2 years. Call the SOE Office [352.374.5252] to do this.
Be Ready to Vote in 2027
If you plan to vote in 2027 you will need to have proof of citizenship. We do not know all the details yet, but we know enough to start preparing.
IF YOU HAVE A CURRENT FLORIDA DRIVERS LICENSE OR ID CARD
If you have a Florida Driver’s License or Florida ID with a star on upper right hand corner and, you were a citizen when it was first issued, you have proven to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles you are a citizen. So, all you need to do is confirm the number on your current card is in your voter file. You can call the supervisor of election to confirm the current number is in your voter file. If it is not you can go to registertovoteflorida.gov. Click on register or update. On the next page you will need to click on both record update and request to replace voter card. Then complete the entire form.
If you have a Florida Driver’s license or ID card with a star in upper right hand corner but were not a citizen when it was first issued - you should update your information.
· Bring your naturalization certificate to the Department of Motor Vehicles along with your social security card and two items with your address on it, if it changed.
· If your current name is not the same as on the naturalization certificate you will need to bring documents that track your name changes
· If you need a replacement social security card you can go to https://www.ssa.gov/number-card/replace-card and apply for one
· If you lost your certificate of naturalization you can apply for a replacement at https://www.uscis.gov/n-565
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FLORIDA DRIVERS LICENSE OR ID
If you were born a citizen you will need a current US Passport or an original or Certified Birth Certificate. If you do not have a birth certificate you can request one at
https://www.usa.gov/birth-certificate
If you are a naturized citizen you will need your certificate. If you cannot find your naturalization papers, you may request a replacement at
https://www.uscis.gov/n-565
IF YOUR NAME HAS CHANGED BECAUSE YOU MARRIED
If you changed your name because you got married you will need to provide your marriage license
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm and click on the state where you got married. Divorce documents are also there if you need them.
If you need help getting or paying for your ID or following any of these instructions contact Vote Riders. You may phone or text at 866-432-8683, email them at helpline@voteriders.org, or go online to VoteRiders.org/freehelp and complete an application.