Easy Actions You Can Take to Protect Democracy

Establish a Routine to Call Congress Regularly

You can contact your congressional representative and state senators by calling 202-224-3121. If you’re looking for timely messages and don’t have one of your own, several organizations, including 5Calls, People Power United, and Common Cause, can provide guidance.

Attend Pro-Democracy Rallies  

Over the past several months, national rallies against authoritarianism have been staged with names including “Hands Off,” “No Kings,” and “Workers Above Billionaires.”  Future locations for your community can likely be found by contacting your local Indivisible group, as they are often the ones most likely to stage such a rally.  Rallies can also be found in the Mobilize app, which lets you search for action events by type, date, and location. Rallies may include those at congressional offices. 

Attend a Rally Poster-Making Party

Poster parties are often organized by groups sponsoring upcoming rallies in the weeks ahead. And, like rallies, poster-making parties can be found by contacting your local Indivisible group or by using the Mobilize app. The added value of the poster parties is that you will also make contact with activists in your own community.

Join a Bridge Banner Brigade

Activists in several communities stage regular protests by hanging pro-democracy banners on freeway overpasses. A calendar for these events can be found by contacting local activist groups in your community or by using the Mobilize app.

Boycott Companies with an Authoritarian Spirit

Tesla, Amazon, and Target are routinely recognized as being authoritarian in spirit. Boycotting these companies can send a clear message that the people stand for democracy. You can also use the app Goods Unite Us to see the political affiliation of thousands of companies.

Learn What’s Happening Locally

Authoritarians are taking control of government at many levels, notably at local school boards and city councils. Because many voters overlook local government activity, this takeover of control leads to the erosion of our democracy and to outcomes that are inconsistent with our values and the community's common good. Attend these public board and council meetings to learn what your elected officials stand for and what policies they promote so that you are prepared to communicate these issues to your friends and neighbors when it is time to vote. 

Wear Pro-Democracy Clothing

Your “democracy” t-shirt can be a great selling point, not only at your monthly street rally but also when you're shopping at the community market.  

Write Letters or Postcards

Several groups, including The Center for Common Ground and Vote Forward, support postcarding and letter-writing to get out the vote.  Many other such efforts can be found in the app Mobilize, with search options that let you look up “postcards” in your community. Many have also worked with RepresentUS and the Environmental Voter Project, which support postcarding, letter-writing, and phone banking.

Volunteer for Voter Registration

The event calendar in the Mobilize app supports searches specifically for voter registration events in a particular location. Various voter registration drives are also available by contacting your local League of Women Voters (LWV). 

Add a Pro-Democracy Message to Your Email Footer

Pro-democracy messages you might post in your email footer include “Truth Matters” or “Attend Upcoming Democracy …”   After posting, all those to whom you write will receive your special message. Short messages are clearly best.