CE

08/14/2025

Meeting Context

  • Purpose: Deep-dive research project across Florida counties to identify progressive-leaning areas, target campaigns, and direct PV volunteers to strategic locations for midterms. Counties mentioned for deep dives: Orange, Pinellas, Duval, Leon, Palm Beach, plus potentially others. Goal is to map regions by precinct to inform where to deploy volunteers and how to steer campaigns toward replacing incumbents with progressives.
  • Scope of work: After listing regions and precincts, determine countywide campaigns to pursue (e.g., Amendment 4, countywide mayoral races, county prosecutor, or state ballot initiatives). Then gather and consolidate precinct-level results into a Google Sheet. Later steps include categorization of races and more detailed analysis.
  • Tools and workflow emphasis: Use of AI to streamline data entry and analysis, with careful double-checking to ensure accuracy of percentages and counts. This is framed as a tool, not cheating, since it accelerates data handling while preserving human oversight.

Attendees and Introductions

  • Devin (co-lead for Florida PV; student at SU in Tallahassee; master’s candidate; working on a national campaign; role in PV; pronouns: he/heren)
    • Biggest current concern: The news cycle is constantly evolving; emphasis on crackdown on DC and broader authoritarian actions from the Trump administration.
  • Grape Jelly (Grape) (pronouns: he/him)
    • Current concern: Russia-Ukraine war; concerns about Trump’s authoritarian leadership style; explicit stance against Ukrainian vulnerability to aggression and Russia’s actions.
  • Kurumi / David (pronouns: he/him; gender-abolitionist perspective in general)
    • Roles: Co-lead for Florida State PV; Electoral Co-Chair for Miami chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America; housing committee involvement; immigration concerns for community organizing against ICE; personal ties to immigrant communities.
  • Nathan (pronouns: he/him)
    • Roles: Palm Beach County Democratic Party lead state committee member; PV community member; housing as a local focus; ICE oversight; local activism including defense of a Lake Worth commissioner; running for Green Acres City Council (District 2); past result: ~41 ext{\%} in 2022; district context in Palm Beach County; local familiarity with neighboring towns.
  • Slashy (pronouns: he/him)
    • Primary concern: Voting rights and elections; emphasis on potential timeline issues (e.g., 2028 elections) and midterm outcomes.
  • Andre (also referred to in the meeting; pronouns: he/him)
    • Concern: ICE and immigration; personal ties to Hispanic communities; call-and-response with the group on immigration issues.
  • Zoe Spencer (pronouns: she/her)
    • Concern: AI and the technocratic risk that AI could destabilize society; worries about AI surveillance and control; references to Marxist economic prescriptions in context of AI.

Project Update: Deep Dive Research Plan

  • The group is conducting a deep-dive into Florida counties to map political leanings and identify areas suitable for targeted campaigns.
  • Current check-in purpose: Assess progress of new members (Grape Jelly and Zoe) and plan next steps for Pinellas County; schedule follow-up calls for detailed county analyses.
  • Palm Beach progress: Slashy has updated the Palm Beach county worksheet; confirmation that the region/precinct list is accurate and ready for next steps.
  • Next steps overview (high level):
    • Determine which countywide campaign to pursue first (e.g., countywide ballot measures, county mayoral race, county prosecutor, or statewide initiatives that involve the entire county).
    • Gather precinct-level results for the chosen campaign and input them into the Google Sheet.
    • Consider alternative campaigns beyond Amendment 4 that might offer more impactful opportunities (e.g., a progressive countywide candidate or a compelling ballot initiative).
    • Schedule a one-on-one session for personalized guidance on the next step with each member to align timelines and tasks.

Data Handling, Workflow, and Tools

  • Data sources and steps:
    • Use an elections archive to locate county results, especially for countywide measures and initiatives (e.g., Amendment 4) and any countywide mayoral or prosecutor races.
    • For each county, study precinct results by selecting the race and the precinct range (e.g., 1–161 for a given county). Extract Yes/No votes and total counts.
    • Example structure for a precinct:
    • Precinct Number: 1
    • Yes votes: 401
    • Yes percentage: 70.72\%
    • No votes: 166
    • No percentage: 29.28\%
    • Total votes: 567
    • After collecting, copy results into the Google Sheet, precinct by precinct.
  • AI usage:
    • It’s permissible to use AI to convert pasted data into a Google Sheet-friendly format.
    • Caution: Always double-check that the percentages and vote counts align with the correct precincts to avoid mislabeling counts between precincts (e.g., mixing up precinct 2 vs precinct 3).
    • Rationale: This is data-entry work, not a replacement for human verification; AI speeds up processing while preserving accuracy via human review.
  • Example workflow process:
    • Copy data for a race (e.g., Amendment 4) for all precincts.
    • Paste to an AI tool to produce a structured CSV/Sheets-ready layout.
    • Paste the AI output into the Google Sheet and verify each precinct’s count aligns with the source data.
    • Once all precincts are entered, compute totals and begin categorization in a later stage.

Example: precinct data and workflow context

  • For Miami-Dade County (illustrative example):
    • Race: Amendment 4 (limit government interference and abortion) [illustrative description]
    • Precinct data example (precinct 1):
    • Yes votes: 401, Yes percentage: 70.72\%
    • No votes: 166, No percentage: 29.28\%
    • Total votes: 567
    • The same format would be applied to all precincts (e.g., 1–161 in the county) and then collected into the sheet.
  • Purpose of the example: shows the kind of data to extract, how percentages map to counts, and how to organize counts by precinct to enable later analysis and targeted campaigning.

Next Steps for Campaign Campaigning and Campaign Selection

  • Slashy’s responsibility: finalize the Palm Beach county region/precinct data; prepare for the next steps, including selecting which countywide campaign to pursue first.
  • Options for campaigns:
    • Countywide ballot initiatives (e.g., Amendment 4) with countywide results available for analysis.
    • Countywide mayoral race (if applicable and progressive-leaning candidates exist).
    • County prosecutor or state prosecutor races that are countywide in scope.
    • Other countywide ballot initiatives that aim to address housing, tenant protections, or other progressive goals.
  • Next meeting logistics:
    • One-on-one sessions with each participant to define the next steps, including which race to target and the timeline for data collection.
    • A scheduled meeting to discuss progress and align on county-specific campaigns.
  • Data visualization and categorization:
    • After entering all precinct results, begin categorization to identify areas that are strongly progressive vs. swing regions.
    • This categorization will guide volunteer deployment and outreach strategies in subsequent phases.

Organizational Governance and Leadership Changes

  • Southern coalition leadership note: Julia was banned along with four others (PB Jellybean, Turnip, Sculptor, Tomatletop) in addition to Julia.
  • Source of ban: A leadership-facing post from a senior organizer describing a coordinated disruption of rollout infrastructure, emotional gaslighting, and public lying to derail organizational processes. The post describes a complex internal conflict and a plan called the "Thatcher Plan" where some members sought higher-level appointment bypassing leadership, which undermined the democratization of the organization.
  • Context of ban rationale: The banned individuals were said to have coordinated to undermine leadership, created planning documents to disrupt meetings, and engaged in manipulative behavior that harmed the organization’s operational effectiveness.
  • Communication from leadership: Emphasis on democratizing the organization, developing a code of conduct, and establishing bylaws to ensure accountability across the organization. The long-term aim is to move toward a structure similar to DSA chapters, with broader member input and formalized processes for leadership election and accountability.
  • Current status and guidance:
    • The organization is undergoing reforms to implement a formal code of conduct and bylaws.
    • The leadership acknowledges the possibility that some members may hesitate to take on leadership roles until the new governance framework is in place.
    • Point of contact for more details on the incident and governance changes: Benjamin and Matt (as lead points of contact for governance questions).

Q&A: Volunteer Participation and Campaign Methods

  • Question: Which method is more effective for remote volunteers: phone banking or text banking?
  • Answer given: Phone banking is more effective, especially when integrated with tools like Action Network. Reasons include regulatory constraints on texting, access to compliance requirements, and the fact that calling is often more appropriate for broad voter outreach.
  • Nuances discussed:
    • Text banking is valuable for people already on your list (your own members) and can be easier for one-to-one outreach with people who have already engaged with the organization.
    • For broader public voters, phone banking tends to yield better results and avoids regulatory frictions.
  • Takeaway: Use phone banking for broad outreach; reserve text banking for lists of existing supporters and compliant, targeted communications.

Ethical, Philosophical, and Practical Implications

  • Democratic governance within political volunteer organizations is being emphasized with reference to humane and transparent leadership processes, accountability, and inclusion.
  • The use of AI in data collection is framed as a tool rather than a substitute for human oversight, with explicit emphasis on accuracy and double-checking.
  • The discourse around immigration, ICE, and housing policy reflects ongoing tensions in local activism and real-world policy debates, highlighting practical implications for organizing in diverse Florida counties.
  • The discussion around AI, technocratic risk, and the involvement of technocrats in public policy underscores the need for critical evaluation of new technologies and their societal impact.

Key Terms and Concepts (Definitions in Context)

  • Amendment 4: A countywide ballot measure used as a starting point for precinct-level data collection and analysis.
  • PV: Progressive Victory (the organization coordinating the Florida campaigns and county research).
  • By-laws: Formal rules governing organizational processes and leadership accountability.
  • Code of conduct: A set of enforceable rules to govern member behavior and interactions; will apply organization-wide once enacted.
  • Thatcher Plan: A controversial strategy described as circumventing leadership to obtain higher appointment power.
  • Action Network: A tool mentioned for facilitating phone banking and voter outreach.
  • Precinct data: The granular voting results used to understand voting patterns and target organizing efforts.

Connections to Foundational Principles and Real-World Relevance

  • Grassroots organizing: The emphasis on regional and precinct-level data aligns with fundamental campaigning principles of targeting, resource allocation, and local engagement.
  • Data-driven campaigns: The workflow demonstrates an evidence-based approach to political campaigning, leveraging precinct-level results to inform strategy.
  • Democratic governance: The governance reforms reflect a commitment to inclusive, transparent leadership and accountability, aligning with broader democratic organizational ethics.
  • Ethics of technology in politics: The discussion of AI usage and governance signals a need to balance efficiency with accuracy and human oversight in modern political organizing.

Summary of Immediate Action Items (From Transcript)

  • For each county: complete region and precinct listings, then decide on the first countywide campaign to pursue.
  • Gather and input precinct results for chosen races into the Google Sheet; consider using AI to streamline data extraction, with careful validation of results.
  • Schedule one-on-one sessions to finalize next steps and ensure alignment on timelines and responsibilities.
  • Monitor governance developments: acknowledge leadership changes, seek additional information from Benjamin or Matt if concerns arise, and prepare for the PV convention to formalize bylaws and code of conduct.
  • Plan for outreach tooling: prioritize phone banking with Action Network for broad voters; reserve text banking for engaged members lists.

Practical Takeaways for Exam Prep

  • Understand the step-by-step process of county-level political research and data compilation, including the role of precinct data and the types of races to target (countywide measures, county offices, and statewide initiatives).
  • Recognize the importance of governance structures in volunteer organizations, including the role of codes of conduct and bylaws in ensuring transparent leadership.
  • Be able to explain why AI can be a useful tool in data-heavy political workflows, as long as there is rigorous verification to avoid errors.
  • Be aware of the real-world political issues raised by participants (housing, immigration/ICE, AI governance, voting rights) and the potential overlap with local organizing strategies.
  • Note the distinction between methods of voter outreach (phone banking vs. text banking) and the regulatory considerations that shape their use.