Between the 5-4 decision in the McDonald case and the confirmation hearings on the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court this week, this commentary from Sarah Palin at last month’s NRA Annual Meeting is a reminder that gun owners cannot afford to sit out of any elections.

But showing up a your polling place isn’t enough if you really have the drive to win. We must get involved with campaigns. It’s not a particularly challenging task, nor does it have to be hugely time-consuming.

Giving just a couple of hours a month to make phone calls to registered voters will give you the power to reach hundreds of families who can turn up on Election Day to vote for your candidate. Knocking on doors for just a couple of hours a month will reach dozens of voters who will be left with a reminder that real people – some of their neighbors – are dedicated enough to support the right candidates on the ballot. If you’ve got special skills, such as web design experience, you could offer to help out smaller campaigns by plugging holes that their campaign coffers are not yet big enough to fill.

But even if you have no time or money to dedicate to pro-gun candidates, make sure you show up on Election Day. Tell your friends and family. Remember that elections do matter.

I figured that a title about campaign finance reform wouldn’t grab too many eyeballs. But telling people about the intended result of this “reform” probably would. I’ve been thinking about this post for a while now, but decided that Dave Kopel’s release of his June First Freedom article on the subject made the issue more relevant for the blog.

There is one key to the Schumer-backed DISCLOSE Act that makes it dangerous for gun owners who want to organize in any meaningful manner: disclosure of all donors/members whose money may have funded independent expenditures to the FEC.

According to The New York Times, a “reform” bill might require advocacy groups (such as NRA) “to identify all their financial donors or set up separate accounts to handle political spending and identify the donors to that account.”

Simply put: If NRA wants to use its general funds from member dues to speak out during election season, then NRA would have to give the federal government a list of every single NRA member.

The FEC donor databases are open to all, and the most user-friendly that makes looking up individuals easy and fast is the database available at OpenSecrets.org. Kopel uses the example that your boss could decide to cross-reference you to find out what you’re up to outside of work hours. At that point, you just have to hope he/she isn’t anti-gun, or you may find yourself in the unemployment line. Even if NRA maintains a separate fund for campaign expenditures, you can’t donate if you value your privacy.

We’re by far not the only issue concerned about these crazy disclosure agreements. The National Right to Life Committee is opposing the bill on the same grounds:

One of those regulations involves NRLC and other pro-life groups having to identify donors publicly anytime it runs communications in certain times that ask people to contact Congress about legislation related to pro-life concerns.

“Our members and supporters have a right to support our public advocacy about important and controversial issues without having their identifying information posted on the Internet, exposing them to harassment or retribution by those who may disagree with their beliefs,” NRLC concluded.

It’s pretty dangerous in some areas of the country to be socially conservative. See the harassment that same-sex marriage opponents faced in California as an exhibit of what pro-lifers – and possibly gun owners – could face.

Even the parts of the bill that aren’t dangerous for gun owners actively try to cut us off at the knees when it comes to political advertising. I’m not opposed to the spirit of an organization head doing a disclaimer as part of a commercial, but as specific as the DISCLOSURE Act is, it limits our options in order to cut our political effectiveness.

NRA advertisements always let you know that they’re paid for by NRA. Sometimes, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre appears as a spokesman in a commercial, while in others, it’s Chris W. Cox, chairman of NRA’s Political Victory Fund and executive director of NRA-ILA. Sometimes, NRA may choose to use someone else entirely. For example, Charlton Heston appeared in many NRA commercials during his long service to the Second Amendment.

The proposal would mean that in 1997, for example, when Heston— one of the most respected men in America—was an NRA officer but not president or CEO, an NRA commercial would have been required to cut the amount of time that Heston had to speak about the issues.

Anything that reduces the time we can put Chris Cox’s face & voice in front of female viewers is a loss for our issue as far as I’m concerned!

In all seriousness, we have a diverse set of powerful leaders we can choose from at this point, and most Americans would probably agree that using any of them would meet the spirit of any disclosure laws. If Tom Selleck wants to get on screen as an NRA board member and talk about NRA-endorsed candidates or the issues at stake in a particular election, I’m sure most people would agree that it’s plenty transparent.

Politically, Congress still knows we can raise some hell on this issue. The House sponsor sat down with NRA recently to try and figure out their concerns, and they are specifically worried about last minute lobbying blitzes. It would seem that the pro-life groups and the Chamber of Commerce are planning to score the vote – and I suspect that the final product will determine whether or not NRA scores the vote. (If they do, Democrats may lose the votes they claim to have to pass it in the House.)

The Chamber has particular concerns about how this bill favors unions above other corporations:

For example, companies with government contracts worth $50,000 or more and those with foreign ownership would be banned from funding political ads and engaging in other campaign-related activity. The business group believes unions that receive federal grants, have collective bargaining agreements with the government or have international affiliates should be subject to similar limits.

Eugene Scalia, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and counsel to the Chamber, said the Disclose Act does not balance restrictions on corporations and unions equally, as previous campaign finance reform bills have.

“This bill is a departure from that tradition,” he said.

This is one of the reasons the NRLC argued the bill name should really stand for “Deterring Independent Speech about Congress except by Labor Organizations and Selected Elites.”

Right now, the bill has been postponed in the House. The committee vote was down party lines, and all efforts to make this bill more fair have been turned down based on party affiliation.

The intentional partisanship and one-sided nature of this was demonstrated by the defeat of a series of amendments in the committee mark-up that were proposed by Republicans. This included an amendment by Rep. Dan Lungren (R., Calif.) that would have extended the prohibition on government contractors to any unions that have representational contracts with the government, as well as an amendment by Rep. Gregg Harper (R., Miss.) that would have extended the same ban to any other recipient of government grants, such as the liberal groups that receive so many federal earmarks and other funds. When Lungren tried to extend the political activity ban on corporations with foreign shareholders or corporate directors to unions that receive dues from foreign nationals, that was also rejected.

This bill has got to go down in defeat. NRA is a one-issue organization, but they also look out for our ability to talk about that issue with the public during election season. Because many people who aren’t paid members receiving the magazine pay attention to NRA’s messaging, any effort to silence their efforts will only hurt gun rights on Election Day.

If you know anyone who is currently serving, make sure they know that NRA members say thanks for everything they do. In fact, NRA has created a special free membership for active duty military, guard, and reservists. These memberships are gifts from other NRA members who want to show their gratitude for all our men and women in uniform do to keep us safe.

If you would like to say thanks by donating a membership to a member of the military, click here.

As of Monday morning, only 3,882 votes define the race. Based on turnout, this difference (unlikely to change much by the deadline for unofficial vote tallies on Tuesday evening) will cause an automatic recount should Saidel demand one. His campaign is not commenting on whether they will force the state to recount the ballots at great expense, but some early statements indicate he will challenge the results. It’s not unexpected since Saidel openly mocked other candidates to reporters and never spent money he raised since he assumed he would win.

While the role of Lt. Governor isn’t the most high-profile, it can make a difference in the races. As this snarky take indicates, it can really change a message:

… experts tell the Tribune-Review that running-mates don’t really have that much of an impact on the fate of gubernatorial candidates.

This story is easier to write if you ignore the fact that Ed Rendell wouldn’t have won in 2002 without Catherine Baker Knoll and also now that Tom Corbett doesn’t have to lie awake at night worrying about campaign signs that might have read: “CORBETT/METCALFE 2010: THE BIPOLAR CHOICE.”

If Saidel can’t make up the votes in a recount, the entire top of the ticket for both parties won’t have a single member of the Philadelphia delegation. The closest will be the GOP Lt. Governor nominee from Bucks County and the Democratic Senate nominee from Delaware County.

At last month’s Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally, PAFOA not only embraced using Twitter and Facebook as a means of spreading news, but members used coordinated tags to have and track conversations about the events. Using the hashtag #2ARally, gun owners were able to label their live reports so folks at home could track them, and they could find each other in real time and in real life through this new digital medium.

This weekend, that same example will play itself out on a much larger scale at the NRA Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Much like PAFOA, NRA has now set up a Twitter account to make announcements, share news, and stir up the conversation about the event – @AnnualMeetings. In addition, they have embraced a hashtag already used by members, #NRAAM. It will allow members to keep track of what others are doing, seeing, and experiencing on the floor.

In addition, members are organizing a Foursquare swarm for users of the location services social application. By “checking in” using the service, it announces to the user’s closest friends that they are taking part in a massive event – upwards of 80,000 people are predicted to attend this year’s festivities.

Given that the NRA Annual Meeting is a much larger affair than the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally, it also makes sense that NRA has finally expanded into mobile technology for users on site to keep up with everything going on. In recent weeks, they have announced both an iPhone app and a mobile Annual Meeting website. With more than 6 acres of exhibit halls and events that span three days, it makes sense to enter into this new arena of technology.

With the NRA bringing their show to Pittsburgh in 2011, the first use of many of these technologies will be a great trial run in Charlotte.

Learning from the defeat of his anti-gun ally in Massachusetts, Obama has decided to activate his political arm early in the 2010 races to avoid seeing another headline-making loss like Martha Coakley in January. It was argued at the time that he didn’t send in support early enough to help turn out voters in the special election. For November, OFA plans to start in June to keep future Scott Brown-style wins from happening around the country.

Looking at the math they presented to supporters earlier this week, it makes sense why they would want to activate their 2008 network again.

They point out that first time voters turn out at much lower levels in midterms than regular voters. They realize that they cannot recreate the excitement and turnout of the historic 2008 election, so they have studied how many of those voters they really need to reach in order to flip elections in Obama’s favor.

Looking at Ohio, and a further subset study of their 15th Congressional District, they found that turning out just 8% more of the first time voters from 2008 would result in an increase of 2 points for their candidate at the polls in November. They just have to find 5,000 extra votes from the 57,000 they registered in the district in 2008.

Using their example of OH-15, they are targeting NRA A rated former Congressman Steve Stivers who is running to take back his old seat. He lost the 2008 election by a mere 2,300 votes out of nearly 304,000 cast – less than .8 points. The momentum of 2010 puts the wind at his back against F rated Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy who voted for controversial legislation like health care reform after barely winning the seat. If Obama’s team can boost voter turnout for anti-gun Kilroy by 2 points, her seat is safer than it otherwise might be in a year of anti-incumbent attitudes.

In Pennsylvania, there are more competitive seats than any other state in the nation. In some areas, the incumbents are supportive of the Second Amendment. If OFA manages to increase turnout in these tight elections, they could swing these seats to anti-gun candidates. In other races, the fighting challengers are the pro-gun voices, and Obama’s team will drag out every vote they can to keep their anti-gun leaders in office.

If you’re ready to help us turn out the vote for pro-gun candidates, sign up with your local Election Volunteer Coordinator so we can let you know about the opportunities in your area.

You can also “like” us on Facebook to get updates right in your stream – we’ll publish photos as soon as we can share them.

If you can’t make it down to the Capitol today, please take a moment to contact your lawmakers and let them know you’re with us in spirit and want to see Castle Doctrine moved through the House and Senate. Remind them that for every one gun owner who could turn out, there are thousands more supporting the rally from home or the office, and we’ll remember their action come November.

Jonathan Jenkins, whose campaign for the State House we recently profiled, is asking volunteers from any corner of the state to contact his campaign and either phone bank from home or help prepare mailings to voters in the district. He has created scripts and phone bank lists that can be downloaded, as well as a print-at-home mailer.

Gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer has also added a call from home service to his campaign website. Register with his campaign, download a guide, and start dialing if you want to help Rep. Rohrer run for the state’s top office.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, both major candidates featured at home phone banking software for supporters. Long after phone bank hours ended in Pennsylvania, supporters could log on and dial into other competitive states in the West to squeeze in a couple extra hours of volunteer time. Dozens of households and hundreds of voters can be reached by an active phone banker in an hour. Allowing them to take part for a few more hours each week or continue working even when the weather is bad or they don’t have time to make the drive to a campaign center meant that campaigns had near limitless possibilities in reaching new voters.

As resources are condensed after the primary in May, it is likely that more campaigns will turn to campaign from home tools. When they do, we’ll make sure to keep you informed. Even if the rain keeps you indoors, today’s technology can keep you connected and active.

Week 4
Jim Gerlach
Congressman Jim Gerlach has been targeted by many groups to try and flip this A rated seat to less friendly opposition. The seat leans Democratic by voter registration, so it will draw many outside groups who want to defeat this Republican Congressman. In fact, out-of-state groups have been airing attack ads throughout the Philadelphia-area media markets consistently since last year.

On gun rights issues, Congressman Gerlach has been working on our behalf recently, including signing on to a brief in the McDonald case to support the incorporation of the Second Amendment. With major political initiatives from President Obama’s agenda likely to take the back burner after the elections, we need to make sure that gun rights don’t become a target in Congress. Representative Gerlach will make sure we’re protected in Washington, DC.
Contribute ** Volunteer

Since those early years online, any time anti-gun advocates try to delete arguments to their positions, it is said that a case of Reasoned Discourse™ has broken out.

Well, today we’re profiling a case of the Reasoned Discourse™ that has spread to an anti-hunting organization holding events in the real world. The Humane Society of the United States – the largest anti-hunting & anti-agriculture organization in the country – is targeting farmers in Iowa with various policy proposals to end the practice of keeping animals in pens & cages. However, when media outlets that focus on the agriculture industry showed up to their press conference to ask questions, HSUS blocked them from the room.

Thanks to the speed of social media, the featured photo was taken and shared by reporters who might ask tough questions and were barred from the press conference. It appeared on our radar courtesy of HumaneWatch & the Iowa Farm Bureau.

We know that Reasoned Discourse™ has been known to break out at press conferences by anti-gun groups, too. When the poorly named American Hunters & Shooters Association held a press conference alongside the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits in St. Louis in 2007, former NFL Redskins offensive lineman Ray Schoenke grabbed NRA News reporter Ginny Simone to physically remove her from the event.

As activists, we have a chance to spread the truth about what these organizations are doing to try and shut down conversation about their efforts to ban our favorite pastimes. Spread the word about their dirty tactics through social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. If you attend a rally or protest and witness this type of thuggery, take a video, snap a photo, or simply document your experience online. Pro-gun blogger Instapundit – a law professor and gadget geek from Tennessee – recommends always having a digital camera on you in case you witness something newsworthy.

Week 3
Jim Wansacz
With a six-way Democratic primary in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, we have a chance to put a pro-gun leader into higher office. Representative Jim Wansacz has been a consistent friend to the Second Amendment and sportsmen around his district during his decade in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. On the other hand, one of his biggest opponents, Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty, has endorsed a bigger wish list of gun control than the Brady Campaign has even tried to push in Pennsylvania. He vowed to work to end preemption across the state, which would make carry permits worthless and even put hunters in danger of breaking dozens of gun laws as they drive from their homes to the tree stand. In addition, Doherty would put limits on how many guns we would even be able to buy in the first place.

This race is to replace a longtime friend to gun owners, Senator Bob Mellow. We should make sure to fill the seat with a candidate who respects our rights and won’t work with anti-gun groups to pass legislation that faced massive opposition even in New Jersey! Rep. Wansacz deserves our united support in his competitive primary race.
Contribute ** Volunteer

The chart above reflects the number of search results for the phrase “repeal the __ amendment” for each and every amendment in the US Constitution. This chart only measures the prevalence of such statements on the internet, and may not represent the sentiment you might assume.

Another consideration for these results is that the supporters of various amendments may be writing about efforts to repeal specific amendments and want to mobilize to stop it. Clearly, we hope that is the case with the Second Amendment!

If $10/week is still too steep, considering giving a couple of hours each week, or a full day each month. Your time is worth gold to any candidate, and they could use it just as much as any financial contributions.

Week 2
Jonathan Jenkins
On the surface, this might seem like an unusual race for us to profile since the candidate doesn’t actually have an NRA rating yet. But Jonathan Jenkins is an NRA life member and has worked closely with NRA’s EVC in his district for a number of years. Jenkins is challenging an incumbent in his own party who has not only been poorly rated for years, but his grade has continued to drop down to a D- in the last election. By the time things get to the November general election, things won’t look any better since the Democratic opposition also maintains a D- rating. This House seat is actually represented by a strongly pro-gun Senator, so we know that gun owners can make the difference in the region when they show up at the polls. Let’s help Jonathan raise the funds he needs to get his message out to the voters and finally turn this House seat into one that represents the people of Chester County!
Contribute ** Volunteer

With hundreds of exhibitors on hand, acres upon acres of guns, gear, and other goodies will be on display for you to try. From the time the event opens to the time they shut her down on Sunday, there will be seminars on everything from handloading to hunting Africa.

For political junkies, politicians from around the country will flock to the event for speeches and an opportunity to promote their positions on the Second Amendment. In addition the Grassroots Division of NRA-ILA will host two opportunities for activists – the Grassroots Workshop and “In Their Own Words,” a session here real world gun owners talk about the work they do in their own communities to advance the cause.

It’s not too late to join us and register for the event. Come on down to get a taste of what is in store when the NRA Meeting returns to Pittsburgh in 2011. If you attend once, you’ll want to come back every year.

For those of you who participate in the new media sphere, there is a special opportunity for you to have special access through the Second Amendment Blog Bash.

Join Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe, other Second Amendment activists, and countless patriots for the opportunity to voice support for our cherished firearm freedoms.

On Tuesday, April 27 at 10 a.m. at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Second Amendment supporters will gather in solidarity for our gun rights.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet with legislators and urge them to stand up and support the Second Amendment by passing pro-gun advancements currently pending action in the legislature.

For more information and to register, please visit www.2ARally.com.

Those who pre-register and show up will have a shot at winning a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, Brownell’s high-quality range bags, and more great prizes.

This annual event is a powerful reminder to lawmakers in Harrisburg that we’re watching everything they do on our rights. Check out these photos taken by PA-19’s EVC, Jason Epperson, last year.

For one, I really love this idea from one blogger itching to make a difference right now:

Conservatives/Libertarians/Independents are, by this point, acutely aware of the need to remove Democrats from office. This takes money. Lots and lots of money. As someone who is woefully underemployed, I don’t have large stashes of cash to send to candidates, so I was thinking that the best option would be to contribute $10 every week to a candidate of my choice until the election.

Obviously, his focus is a partisan one. However, the idea of choosing one or more candidates for regular donations throughout the course of an election year is not a bad one. In fact, it’s a great one! It doesn’t matter if the donations are small, they make a difference!

So with that idea in mind, we’re going to profile a different pro-gun campaign around Pennsylvania that could use your financial support each week. Giving just $10 is about the price of two lunches a week. Surely our rights are worth brown-bagging it for two days?

If $10/week is still too steep, considering giving a couple of hours each week, or a full day each month. Your time is worth gold to any candidate, and they could use it just as much as any financial contributions.

Week 1
Charlie Dent
Rep. Dent is facing a serious challenge from a local mayor who has been working with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg to bring his vision of gun control to Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Dent’s opponent, as a White House recruit & friend of Bloomberg, is very well funded. This means that donations to Rep. Dent make a tangible difference in the race. These donations will pay for airtime, yard signs, and campaign literature that must cover every inch of the district if we want to send a pro-gun vote to Washington in 2010. This seat is at serious risk of flipping from A rated incumbent to an F rated freshman if we gun owners don’t step up and help our friend in Congress out during this tough time.
Contribute ** Volunteer

Here are a few tips for organizing and delivering a message at city council meetings based on recent observations of local activists at work:

• Organize with other gun owners as much as possible before the event. First, it increases likely turnout when gun owners know there will be others there to back them up and they are part of a team. Second, you can divide the arguments. Finally, there is power in numbers. Whether you can recruit from your gun club, an email to friends and family, or on online forums (such as the state-specific Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association), try to convince folks to come out even if they sit silently in support of our rights. Don’t forget about relevant non-residents who might have standing to speak – business owners, employees in town, and those who also visit and spend money in the area.
• Dress accordingly. Not every speaker needs to dressed to the nines, but double check that your clothes are clean and appropriate. Remember that the underlying message you’re trying to send is that you’re an average resident and taxpayer who is concerned about the direction of city government getting into areas where they are not legally allowed to legislate. Just look neighborly.
• For those willing to speak, divide your arguments by topic. Assign one speaker to tackle each of your primary arguments to the fullest extent possible in only a few minutes. This means each topic can be discussed at a deeper level in the limited time allotted for each speaker in many government meetings. It also minimizes redundancy which could make leaders tune out remarks. Consider working to review each other’s prepared remarks to make sure each point is tackled.
• If you do have help from out-of-towners, try to keep the core arguments limited to residents. If the anti-gun leaders want to shut down debate, they will aim to limit it to residents only. They may not realize how many gun owners actually live in town.
• If you’re not used to speaking in public, write out your statement and print it in an easy-to-read format. It’s better to read well crafted remarks and stay on point than risk rambling on about other topics off the cuff. If you want to improve your presentation skills, practice at home in front of a video camera. Watching yourself speak on video is a harsh lesson, but it is the most honest assessment of both bad and good habits.
• Don’t forget to identify yourself and how you are related to the community. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to introduce yourself, but it is often required in town meetings and it serves to advance the argument that there are gun owners all around who want their rights respected.
• If you have several arguments to make on a topic, number them in your remarks. It will let councillors know that you have a well-developed argument that should be easier to follow. If time begins to run out, it also gives them a polite way to ask you to quickly make the rest of your points.
• Don’t fight with city leaders. If gun control is brought up at all, it is likely because there is at least one anti-gun leader on the board. Understand that they are likely to try and defend their legislation. At best, you may want to politely rebut any stinging arguments, but do not try to pick a fight with them. Choose your battles wisely.
• Don’t fight with the anti-gun leaders in the audience. We know 99% of what they will say in advance. There’s a very good chance that in your efforts to divide arguments, gun owners will have made the factual arguments that defeat their emotional pleas. Unless a new argument is made, don’t worry about getting up to argue again and again.
• Stick with the relevant facts. As inspiring as it may feel to talk about the importance of the Second Amendment, most local leaders don’t really think about their responsibility to respect the federal Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, until we end up with a favorable result in McDonald, the argument doesn’t hold much legal weight, either. While a lofty reference or two for inspiration won’t derail your argument, keep the focus on immediate concerns they – and other residents – can identify with.
• Look to other city issues that can supplement your arguments. For example, with a major pothole problem, is it really in the city’s best interest to spend money on a gun control measure that’s likely to be struck down? Remind them that as much as gun control might “feel good” to them, there are bigger local issues that must be dealt with at the moment. Whether it comes in the form of potholes, schools, or taxes, most towns have more pressing needs on their agenda than gun control.

Perhaps the most important tip in all of this is to stay in touch with those who turn out and help. Connect online again – use Facebook, PAFOA, or even just have business cards with your email address to share. Maybe grab some coffee or hit the range with your new fellow activists. Don’t forget that while we’re always trying to defend our rights, most of us were attracted to this issue because we truly enjoy the sports and the other people in the movement.

Ever since Massachusetts Senate candidate Scott Brown launched his $500,000 money bomb day that turned into a million-dollar money bomb week, pundits have noted the “enthusiasm gap” between Sen. Brown and his rival, Attorney General Martha Coakley. You can read the articles, or you can see it visualized in this video:

Enthusiasm doesn’t always result in electoral success. However, it can make a difference in inspiring others to get involved which reminds people to vote which gets them out to the polls. Make your enthusiasm for gun rights useful in 2010 and lend a hand to your local pro-gun candidates when you can.

The 2010 legislative session has started, with Congress and most states currently in session.

With the holidays now in our rearview mirrors, it is time to turn our energies toward our critically important legislative agenda and the 2010 elections. Much is on the line for our gun rights, our country, and our future. In recent election cycles, gun owners have enjoyed great successes. But none of our victories have happened by accident. It takes careful, long-term, advance planning to ensure victory for the Second Amendment on Election Day, as well as in the legislative arena. In order for us to meet the inevitable challenges and opportunities we will face this year, our preparation must begin now.

As in every election year, two things will win this year’s elections for gun owners — votes and volunteers. And no pro-Second Amendment candidate can do without both. Be assured, the anti-gun crowd is hoping you don’t turn out in support of, or volunteer for, our candidates.

If you are not currently registered to vote, or if you have recently moved, please make sure you register to vote at once. And please ensure every one of your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners are registered voters as well. For information on voter registration requirements, deadlines, and applications for your state, contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or visit here.

The second part of our formula for electoral success is actively volunteering your time to the campaigns of candidates who support our rights. This is where your NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) becomes integral to our efforts. Your EVC is an NRA member — just like you — who spearheads our volunteer campaign activities in your congressional district. For more than 15 years, EVCs have been acting as the liaisons between NRA members and gun owners in their districts and various pro-freedom campaigns. The main role of an EVC is to provide these campaigns with dedicated, educated volunteers to assist with phone banks, literature drops, precinct walks, voter registration drives, Election Day activities, and other volunteer campaign activities. Your EVC is also your local point of contact to assist with NRA-ILA’s legislative agendas at the federal, state, and local levels. This year’s elections are critical, but we must also remain vigilant in defending our gun rights from inevitable legislative attacks.

Even if you can spare only a few hours here and there, your EVC needs to hear from you. To identify and contact your EVC, please click here, or call ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-VOTE (8683). Please do not hesitate. Contact your EVC today!

While most congressional districts are currently covered by an EVC, there are still vacancies we are trying to fill. Please click here to review the EVC vacancies in your state and help us find replacements. Spread the word to your fellow activists in these districts, educate them on the EVC program, and either have them contact their state Grassroots Coordinator directly, or pass their information along to your state’s Grassroots Coordinator, so he/she may follow up with these individuals to learn if they are interested and able to step into the breach and serve as an EVC. Remember, the more competent and active EVCs we have in districts across the country, the better prepared we all will be to achieve victory this year — politically and legislatively. If you are interested in serving as your district’s EVC, or want to learn more about the program, please visit ILA’s website, or contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), and ask to speak to your state’s Grassroots Coordinator.

For us to succeed this year, our grassroots campaign battle plan needs to be in place NOW. There simply isn’t any time to spare.

In Pennsylvania, Election Volunteer Coordinators are needed in Congressional districts 1, 2, 4, 14, and 15.

The Congressional elections in districts 4 and 15 are expected to be very competitive, and gun owners may be particularly useful in making sure our interests remain represented. Even in Congressional districts considered safe, NRA members have the opportunity to make a difference in state elections for top offices, as well as local House & Senate seats.

If you’re in a different district, find your EVC here or here.

Yup, that’s it. Show up to the voting booth, push the button/pull the lever/fill in the oval, and remind your family to do the same.

That seems simple, right? Well, it usually is. Unfortunately, it looks like some folks in Virginia forgot about that important step in Tuesday’s special election to fill a state Senate seat.

… [The] point in the article was that just because the GOP won a major victory by sweeping all three statewide offices and picking up seats in the House of Delegates, you still have to do the work and turnout the vote. It is clear from the election returns that those inclined to support [NRA endorsed candidate Steve] Hunt simply did not show up at the polls yesterday in those areas where they could have made a difference – precincts that [A+ rated former Sen.] Ken Cuccinelli carried in 2007.

According to blogger Not Larry Sabato – Hunt flipped several precincts that Cuccinelli’s 2007 opponent carried but had little or no margin of victory in precincts that Cuccinelli carried. Hunt also was skunked in the absentee ballots, losing them by almost 500 votes in an election that he lost by a total of 317 votes.

The lesson Pascoe points out to the GOP rings true for gun owners as well. Every election is important and we must be engaged in those races where we can make a difference.

David Adams, president of the Virginia Shooting Sports Association & NRA-EVC in Virginia’s 7th District, continues to outline just what this means for Virginia’s gun owners.

• A previously A+ rated seat has now switched to F rated in the state Senate; and
• An open seat on the Senate Courts of Justice Committee which determines whether many of the pro- or anti- gun bills are released for a full Senate vote.

This is not good news for gun owners in Virginia.  Some might have forgotten it was the date of a special election, but that’s not going to help for the next session.  Since Virginia has off-year elections, they won’t vote on this seat again in 2010.  There’s no correcting the mistake until at least 2011.

In Pennsylvania, we have several special elections scheduled the same day as the primary election.  Make sure you show up so that our gun rights are not forgotten.