2026 ELECTION ACTIONS & INFO

YOU can help save our democracy in this fall’s midterm elections. To hear about timely local actions, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky. Keep reading for more info and opportunities.

Key dates

  • September 4: Ballots were mailed to military and overseas voters

  • October 2: Ballots were mailed to all registered voters in the county.

  • October 5: In person early voting began at three locations in the county

  • October 19: Last day to register to vote in the November 2026 election and have a ballot mailed to you (you can still register and vote at the elections office or in a dedicated location up to election day).

  • November 3: Election Day

  • Then there will be the mail-in ballot receipt window, ballot counting and curing, recounts, and certification - so we will need to remain vigilant

  • January 3, 2027: New Congress seated

Track what’s on the ballot

Our recommendations are on the right. We encourage you to do your own research as well.

Sign up for Hands Off Our Vote, Indivisible National’s election defense project

Hands Off Our Vote is Indivisible’s national election protection program to ensure all eligible voters get to cast their ballot, and that those ballots get counted. We know that Trump and his Big Lie cronies are plotting to do everything they can to undermine our elections in 2026. Whether it’s trying to end mail-in voting, targeting registration programs, blocking vote-counting, even trying to ban states from encouraging people to vote – it’s going to be no-holds-barred from them this year as they try desperately to block free and fair elections.

Phone bank and text bank for democratic candidates

  • If you have found a candidate somewhere else in the country that you feel passionate about, you can phone bank or text bank as a volunteer for their campaign! Contact their campaign via its website to find out how.

  • If you don’t have a particular candidate that you are excited about (yet!), Indivisible will be organizing phone banks for endorsed candidates right up until Election Day. Bookmark this site to find phone banking opportunities that work for you.

  • You can also phone bank with SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice). Learn more and sign up here.

Write Postcards to Voters

Every Wednesday from 4 to 6 pm, a committed and fun group of people meet at Fruition Brewing, on East Lake in Watsonville, to write postcards to voters. All materials and messaging will be supplied, all you need to bring is yourself and a healthy love of democracy! Donations towards stamps are always appreciated but not at all required.

Help power the election here at home

  • Learn how to register voters if you haven’t had the training before, and sign up as a voter registration volunteer to be kept informed of upcoming opportunities and needs. 

    • Email Helen Ruiz-Thomas, Voter Registration & Outreach Coordinator for Santa Cruz County, to get on her mailing list. Once you're on her mailing list, Helen will keep you informed of upcoming training and tabling opportunities and will add you to her list of volunteers.

    • You can check this calendar for upcoming opportunities, too. 

    • If you have not been trained to register voters but you would still like to help, you can! Helen's booth always includes family activities like cornhole and button-making, so she can always use people to help with that part of the table.

  • Sign up to work at the polls. 

    • In Santa Cruz County, this is called an "Election Officer." Click here for a description of the roles you could play, and click here to sign up.

    • For Monterey County, this page describes the role and includes a link to the application form.

  • Join our GOTV roadside rallies to help educate our community about the importance of voting. Every Tuesday until Election Day, mostly in Watsonville but some in Capitola. 

  • Canvass! 

    • If you have a favorite candidate for a local race, contact their campaign to canvass for them!

    • Canvass for YES on Measure E, Protect Essential Services. You can walk precincts every Saturday until the election. There are two meeting places to pick up materials:

  • Saturdays at 9:30AM: Meet at the Elderday 2nd floor conference room (501 Main St., Watsonville)

  • Saturdays at 9AM: Meet at the Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee office (740 Front St., Santa Cruz)

Participate in No Kings: Vote Early on October 17

Help flip the House blue

Support Randy Villegas for Congress in CA22, a nearby district that has a good chance of swinging from red to blue. Randy is an incredibly impressive candidate in a recently redrawn, newly competitive district. Helping Randy win will be key to flipping the House. Living in a deep blue district as we do, we can feel powerless to help change things in Washington – but we aren’t! California Congressional District 22 is just a few hours away and we can make a difference there.

Help defend the election