2025 Elections Are Here! Spread the Word!
Here's the lowdown, and some tools to help inform the public about the stakes.
Welcome to the Digital Drumbeat. We’re focusing squarely on digital calls-to-action: delivering shareable assets, digital toolkits, volunteer opportunities and messaging guidance straight to your inbox. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a beat!
In this issue:
Shareable videos that spotlight key 2025 races
Sign-up links to volunteer
A rundown of the most important races and stakes in 2025
Shareable Assets
Watch and share these videos on your social feeds via the linked toolkit to draw attention to elections that are less than two months away!
CRUCIAL PA SUPREME COURT RACE: EXPLAINER
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL ON VIRGINIA’S ELECTIONS
CALIFORNIA PROP 50: GAVIN NEWSOM HYPE AD
NJ GOVERNOR’S RACE: MIKIE SHERILL ON POD SAVE AMERICA
2025 Elections: Opportunities for Action!
Here are a few things you can do from the comfort of your home to help turn out voters for key races:
It’s National Voter Registration Day today! Share from this toolkit put out by the DNC and urge people to get registered!
Join a YES ON PROP 50 Special Election phone bank.
Write News Boosting Postcards (these are cool!) to Virginia Voters.
Some Background: Key Races and Stakes in 2025
Most eyes are already on 2026, but this fall brings a set of elections that will quietly shape the ground we’re all standing on.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Three Democratic justices are up for “retention” votes. Normally these low-key contests sail through, but Republicans are mounting a campaign to oust them. Why? Because the state Supreme Court decides everything from voting rules to abortion rights to redistricting. The court currently leans 5–2 Democratic; flipping even one seat could tilt the balance in future elections. What’s usually sleepy could become the most consequential judicial election in the country.
California Proposition 50
On the ballot is a constitutional amendment that would let the legislature, rather than the independent citizens’ commission, draw congressional districts for the rest of this decade. Supporters frame it as a defensive move against aggressive partisan gerrymanders in red states. Opponents warn it opens the door to the same kind of manipulation California voters thought they had ended. It’s a referendum on whether the state doubles down on independent redistricting - or joins the partisan map-drawing wars.
Virginia & New Jersey State Elections
Both states are electing governors and legislatures. In Virginia, an open governor’s race plus all 100 House of Delegates seats could hand Democrats a trifecta - or cement divided government. In New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) faces former GOP nominee Jack Ciattarelli in a closely watched governor’s race, with every Assembly seat also on the line. These aren’t just local fights: the outcomes will dictate state responses on reproductive rights, voting access, climate policy, and more - and will signal where voter energy stands heading into 2026.
The Bigger Picture
All of these contests share a common thread: they shape the rules of democracy itself. Courts that decide who gets to vote. Legislatures that either expand or restrict rights. Ballot measures that determine whether maps are fair. And because turnout in odd-year elections is usually dismal, a small number of voters can end up making massive decisions for millions.
The story of 2025 is simple: democracy is always on the ballot - even when most people aren’t paying attention. That’s why we can’t afford to sit this year out. Read up, talk to your friends, and get involved - because these “off-year” elections are anything but.
It's not too late to get involved with the crucial elections featured in this Digital Drumbeat. Let's do this!