The REDistrict Project

Anyone, Anywhere Can Help Flip the House!

By Steve Schear

Volunteer Blue (VB) is a volunteer-led organization with the mission of making it easy for people to volunteer in ways that will help us win elections. And VB works hard at making volunteering easy. Its calendar contains something volunteers can do each day of each month.

Formed in 2020, Volunteer Blue now has over 40 partners who provide volunteer opportunities. “We act as a clearinghouse for effective activities,” say Rina Schneur, VB co-founder. Volunteer Blue and its partners offer curated actions, each designed to flip or protect Congressional seats in key elections. Along with its calendar, VB’s “Help Wanted” webpage lets organizations post jobs that require a specific skillset (e.g., webmaster).

For those wondering how to help, VB offers one-to-one coaching, exploring interests and clarifying available time, ultimately helping each volunteer find a good fit for action. Because some people have a very specific skillset, coaches connect them to groups looking for that precise skill.

Working with newly formed groups that need help directing new members. VB coaches provide appropriate resources and training opportunities. “We also provide a way for our partners to collaborate through training and other actions,” Schneur said. VB has a mailing list of close to 40,000, providing extensive reach to active volunteers.

This year, VB launched its REDistrict Project to help flip the House by assisting organizers in up to 35 House districts currently held by Republicans. Their approach will involve constituents, including some who voted Red but are now realizing the consequences. REDistrict volunteers will invite constituents to take action that keeps pressure on GOP representatives. In AZ-01, for example, VB and their partner organization Commit to Democracy helped volunteers text constituents, urging their attendance at an Empty Chair Town Hall for absent Congressman David Schweikert.

The REDistrict Project began work in AZ01, CA22, and PA08, then expanded to include NY17, CA40, CA41, and AZ06. It recently added two districts in Iowa, IA-01 and IA-03. NY-17 is launching deep canvassing, promoting training as well as calling locals to canvass. In California, REDistrict is concentrating on passing Proposition 50, the redistricting initiative that could result in five additional Democratic House seats.

The REDistrict Project starts by identifying good local organizers, using information from partners or from independent research. “We want to fill in whatever gaps they have,” says Schneur. “The message and the action need to come from the locals, because they recognize the pain points, see what is happening on the ground in their districts, and know how to respond.”

After a relationship is established, REDistrict deploys remote volunteers to help local groups with canvassing, calling, writing postcards and letters, and amping up social media.

Finally, REDistrict hosts educational webinars for volunteers related to winning elections. On September 9, it hosted veteran pollster Celinda Lake who presented the survey results from a sample of the 17 million people who voted for Biden in 2020 but did not vote in 2024. A recording of that webinar is here. On October 17 at 4 pm ET/1m PT REDistrict will host Heather Cox Richardson and others. You can sign up for that webinar here.

Flipping the House next year would be a crucial step toward retaking federal power from Trump and MAGA. The REDistrict Project makes it easy to participate in achieving that goal.

Steve Schear is an activist based in the Bay Area where he leads The Purple Project, which seeks to win Democratic control of the House of Representatives in 2026, to strengthen county Democratic parties, and to finds ways to reach people who get their information from the right-wing propaganda machine.