Aloha Reader,

This fall is hard. Until November 3, we're being pulled in every direction.

And yet, there's something steadying in this work.

We pay attention to voices like Mike Madrid's. Republicans built the playbook for rigging the system, so they're often the ones who see the cracks in it first. With 35 years as a Republican consultant, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, deep expertise in the Latino vote and the polling behind it, he's someone worth learning from. This week, he put it well: "this isn't the moment to be afraid - it's the moment to be worthy of it."

Indivisibles across Hawaiʻi are answering that call. Expanding our circles beyond the already-engaged, standing alongside so many people willing to show up - we're helping make turnout too big to rig, so we have a fighting chance to rebuild afterward. That's simply what has to happen.

Let's get into it - here's what's shaping our focus this week:

• Deep dive on the Maine Senate election
• How secure are elections in Hawaiʻi after the United States (US) Supreme Court ruling?
• Hawaiʻi Immigration and Inclusion Conference
• No Dictators day of action: October 17
• On our radar

Deep dive on the Maine Senate election

With just seven weeks until the midterms and ballots already landing in mailboxes across the country, now's the time to push turnout - especially in the swing states. Nowhere is that more true than in Maine, part of our tour through six states ready for the blue wave, where Senator Susan Collins is running for her sixth term.

Collins is recognizable for her consistent shtick. Whenever there's a controversial Make America Great Again (MAGA) bill or nominee, she expresses her "grave concerns" to the media first, then capitulates to vote with the Trump agenda anyway. This session, she voted with MAGA 95% of the time. The Bangor Daily News examined Collins' voting record over her 30 years as senator. In that time, she cast exactly one deciding vote - in favor of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. The gap between her public concern and her votes is hard to miss.

Troy Jackson, a logger and former Maine State Senate president and majority leader, is running against Collins this year. In a party often disparaged as out of touch with rural and working-class Americans, he's a blast of fresh air. His policy positions are well aligned with the Indivisible Hawaiʻi Statewide Network's (IHSN).

Troy's political arc is fascinating. He became known in 1998 for blockading the hiring of foreign workers in Maine's logging industry. Two years later, he ran unsuccessfully for the Maine House of Representatives as a Republican. He then ran successfully as an independent. He joined the Democratic Party in 2004 and was elected to the Maine Senate in 2008, eventually becoming the Senate Majority Leader and Senate President. By 2016, he was a staunch Bernie Sanders supporter at the national Democratic convention.

If Troy's legislative record doesn't convince you, follow the money. Elon Musk's Super PAC, the so-called Senate Leadership Fund, has committed more than $42 million to support Collins.

TAKE ACTION: Postcard, phone bank and text bank for Troy. Mobilize link​

How secure are elections in Hawaiʻi after the US Supreme Court ruling?

Last Monday, September 13, 2026, the Supreme Court blocked Trump's sweeping restrictions on mail-in balloting. Nonetheless, Trump continues to lie to fire up his base.

What does this uncertainty mean for voters, and what can we do about it? We have answers - and we're thrilled to bring them straight from an expert in the field. Join us for a webinar with Judith Wong, president of the Hawaiʻi League of Women Voters, who will unpack:

• How do we vote securely and increase turnout?
• What threats have been identified, and what safeguards are in place?
• What security gaps remain, and what is being done about them?
• What role can grassroots action play in election security?
• What claims of rigged elections should we expect from conspiracy theorists, and how do we test their truth?

This Lunch+Learn Webinar builds on Hawaiʻi J20+'s Solidarity Forum, held July 24 (watch recording). Register below to join live or catch it after the fact.

Co-sponsors: Hawaiʻi J20+, IHSN, League of Women Voters, Oʻahu Rapid Response Coalition

TAKE ACTION: Register here.

Hawaiʻi Immigration and Inclusion Conference

The Hawaiʻi Immigration and Inclusion Conference is September 30 - seats are going fast. Our partner, the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, is hosting this conference on immigrant inclusion, equity, and belonging at the East-West Center. We're glad to see this community coming together and look forward to joining several of the panels.

TAKE ACTION: Register here​

No Dictators day of action: October 17

We can't wait to be back on the street with you all.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Saturday, October 17 is the next nationwide day of action, officially called No Kings: Vote Early, and here in Hawaiʻi we know it as No Dictators. It's a nonpartisan day built around one simple goal: making sure every eligible voter has a plan, knows their options, and gets their ballot in as early and securely as possible. Your vote is your voice, and this year we need it to be loud and clear. Voting early protects your ballot from last-minute obstacles, whether that's a signature mismatch, a missing form, or a shift that runs late on election day.

Like every No Dictators event, ours will be nonviolent and welcoming to voters of every party. We'll be out chanting "hands off my vote," helping neighbors make their voting plans, and getting ready to defend ballot access and the results before, during, and after the election.

TAKE ACTION: Find your local event and register here​

On our radar

• Still no word on the Hawaiʻi National Guard deployed to Washington DC. It's the kind of story that gets swept under the rug when no one keeps asking - which is exactly why we're keeping it on our radar.
• On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the European Union's first associate member. No one knows what this means in practice. We're watching. One thing is clear: no one is afraid of Trump's reaction anymore. It hurts to type this: the United States is now diplomatically irrelevant. While the US continues to lose the Iran war and can't defend even its Gulf allies, the remaining 21st-century democracies are moving on, together.
• In 2023, the New York Times (NYT) sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement in its training of ChatGPT. Eleven other publishers have since joined the suit. Some court documents were disclosed Thursday. The NYT headline says it all: Microsoft and OpenAI Workers Worry About "Largest Theft of Labor" in History. In fairness, Artificial Intelligence (AI) didn't start the trend of exploiting journalists' work for free. That trend began with web search and social media, and AI has turbocharged the practice. If we had a functional Congress, we'd have a public debate about "fair use" in the digital age and remove the Section 230 liability shield from all internet republishers. Until then, we're thankful for the courts.

We're getting close, but there's still time to help get the vote out in swing states that will determine control of Congress. Help us reach out in these areas. See how on our event overview. Let's get everyone out there to generate a big blue wave 🌊🌊.

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Warmest Aloha

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