35 days left in the Bootcamp. Here’s the easiest way to get on the Leaderboard!
PLUS: More Bootcamp Meetups in May– see you there!
I’m always surprised by the stats about how few people actually decide who runs New York City. In 2021, Eric Adams won the mayoral primary by just 7,153 votes. Voter turnout was just ~20% citywide. And City Council is even more extreme– those races can be determined by just a few hundred votes. You might think that New York City is so big, so complicated, and so important that it’d be really hard to influence political outcomes here. You might think it takes a ton of money, or it takes a ton of connections. Those things help, but if you can influence just 20 friends to vote a certain way this June, that’s huge. These races are decided by thin margins and ranked choice voting makes every ballot count in unexpected ways. That’s why the Primary Bootcamp is still open for registration to support you to influence the issues you care about. Sign up, earn points, and build your political influence today!💪
Do you need a refresher on what the Primary Bootcamp is again, how to join, and what to do? Here you go:
Complete Bootcamp Actions (here)
Check your points (Unreviewed Points here | Reviewed Points here)
The easiest way to get on the Bootcamp Leaderboard
The folks that have the most points on the Bootcamp leaderboard have a strategy: stack your points by making one event count for multiple actions.
For example:
Join Abundance New York by filling out their form. That’s 10 points.
Go to their happy hour on Wednesday, May 14. That’s 20 points.
If you tell your councilmember to join you at the happy hour and get a selfie with them, that’s another 40 points (20 for the email, 20 for the selfie).
There’s usually candidates at these happy hours. If you meet one and tell them why you’re voting for them, that’s another 20 points. Or just email them and tell them. Here’s a breakdown of how this one happy hour can net you 90 points:
Pro tips from the UWS Meetup
Thanks to the superstar crew who gathered on Wednesday for the Primary Bootcamp UWS Meetup. Here’s their pro tips for growing your political muscles:
💁Raphael’s top tip was to join a civic group. He’s a part of two Democratic Clubs— the one where he lives and the one where he works. Every neighborhood has a Democratic Club and they are super influential. I love this recommendation and couldn’t agree more. Last year, I wrote a post on Dem Clubs and why you should check them out (see below)! Joining a local civic group is worth 10 Bootcamp points! And it’s 20 points for attending an event through that civic group.
💁Stacey publishes a weekly event roundup for Astoria. She also publishes her voter guide to her followers. Sending out your voter guide is worth 30 Bootcamp points! Like Stacey’s, your voter guide should include a rundown of who you’re voting for in the primary and why. I don’t care how many people you send it to or how you send it. But at least some of your audience must live in NYC.
💁David let us know that political volunteering doesn’t have to mean phone banking or canvassing. He uses his unique skills like photography and data visualization to support his Assembly Member. His suggestion: just reach out to the elected official or candidate that you want to support and offer your help in the areas that you’re an expert in! According to David, “Photography has been simple to coordinate with the Assembly Member's staff. The data visualization and other advice has required more relationship-building over a longer period, and pitching different ideas.” Volunteering on a campaign is worth 30 points– and that definitely extends to volunteering for elected officials too!
💁Erica is already on a texting basis with her city councilmember’s staff. She is also super involved with her community, organizing events and volunteer days for her neighborhood. She’s excited to marry the two worlds to advocate for bills that she cares about— supporting her council member to make her bills a reality. It’s worth 5 Bootcamp points for using the city council legislation search to find the bills that your council member is sponsoring (hint: click Advanced Search). It’s worth 50 points to get an ongoing text conversation going with your city councilperson. Or at least make sure they know your name.
Upcoming Primary Bootcamp Meetups and Events
You can also subscribe to the calendar on lu.ma for more events as they’re added:
📆Primary Bootcamp LIC and Crown Heights Meetups
Tuesday, May 20: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Finback LIC, RSVP here
Monday, June 9: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Crown Inn, RSVP here
We're meeting up in Long Island City and Crown Heights-- come ready to share with others about what you've been working on, or ask for help, or get inspiration from other Bootcampers' experiences.
Whether you're a seasoned advocate or just starting your civic engagement journey, you’ll leave with resources for your next steps.
💡 What to Expect:
✅ Meet like-minded New Yorkers who care about local politics
✅ Structured activities to connect with people in your neighborhood and those with similar interests/goals
✅ Leave with ideas, resources, and a plan for achieving your Bootcamp goals
RSVP pages here (LIC) and here (Crown Heights)! See you there!