Volunteers for Obama Begin Massive Voter Registration Drive, Keep Working in California

Rather than take the existing electoral alignments as a given, the Obama campaign will be out expanding its base in a concrete way, by bringing many new people into the fold.

Here's how Howard Dean famously described the new approach of the Democratic Party, the so-called 50 State Strategy:

“Election by election, state by state, precinct by precinct, door by door, vote by vote . . . . we're going to lift our Party up and take this country back for the people who built it.”

This massive voter registration drive is just that kind of painstaking grassroots work that can win elections but also build the party in the long term. We will be registering new voters in some states that probably will go for McCain in November. We will of course be registering all comers, Democrats, Republicans and Independents. But some of those new voters just might make the difference to Democrats fighting key downticket races in red states. And they may help the Democrats carry key swing states, or move previously red states to the blue column.Here's the best part - the benefits of this project will spread far and wide. One goal is to connect with as many existing, local grassroots organizations as possible to maximize the reach of the project, and to build a stronger progressive political network. A second goal is to target areas where downticket races need the most help. In the East Bay, we'll be gathering on the 10th at a staging location in Hayward, and sending teams to places like CD-11, where Jerry McNerney will be defending his newly red to blue seat in the fall. And a third goal is to take advantage of the incredible teams of activists and organizers the campaign has been training across the country, and build even more.

In the Bay Area we are excited to get to work registering new voters before the June primary. The big nationwide kickoff will be Saturday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m., with events in every state. Our main Bay Area event will be in Hayward, at UCFW Local 5, 28870 Mission Blvd. near the South Hayward BART.

Sign up and get directions and details here.

We are hoping to get supporters to come out across the Bay Area to our staging location in Hayward, where we will give everyone a brief training and then send the to key targeted areas for new registrations.

Other events will also be hosted by UFCW Local 5 and begin at 10:00 a.m.:

Martinez, at 4121 Alhambra Avenue. Sign up and get directions and details here.

Vallejo, at 410 Nebraska Street. Sign up and get directions and details here.

There are events all over California on May 10 – go to www.mybarackobama.com, where you can click on “events,” put in your zip code, and find something near you. And if you want to learn more about volunteering for any other activities, including phonebanking and travel to Oregon, e-mail bayarea@obamaca.com, and we will connect you with teams in your area.

I think what is happening in California is good for the future of progressive politics in this state. We have trained a whole new generation of organizers, many of whom have never before participated in politics. And this voter registration drive shows that the benefits are already paying off up and down the ballot. We will be working all summer and fall to make sure Barack Obama is elected President, that he has the Democratic Congressional majority and the strong progressive movement he needs to support his agenda for change.