Oct 12-18 · Sunburnt & Stubborn

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October 17 is the No Kings: Vote Early day of action, and the calendar has 48 events by that name in 32 Arizona communities, among them Arivaca, Douglas, Globe and Kingman (plus the big ones!). Several are built around ballots already filled out: the Phoenix march asks people to bring a completed ballot to Grant Park, and the day before, a group in Oro Valley walks its ballots to the library drop box together.

If you only do one thing this week

Comment on the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Rules
Treasury and the IRS published proposed rules October 2 for the new federal scholarship tax credit, the program Save Our Schools Arizona calls a federal voucher. The group says it sends tax dollars to private schools with no overall cap and no required civil rights or disability protections, on top of Arizona's own ESA program. Public comments are open on Regulations.gov until 11:59 PM Eastern on December 1, and a public hearing is set for December 15. A comment in the writer's own words, about what the rules would mean for schools and students where they live, carries more weight than a signature on a form letter, and it can be written from anywhere, at any hour, without heat or distance mattering. Virtual, statewide, sitting down.

Five minutes or less

☐ Request your early ballot by October 23. Ballots have been going out since October 7, and the request deadline falls next week. Check your registration and Active Early Voter List status at my.arizona.vote, and sign up for ballot status alerts at Trackmyballot.azsos.gov so there is time to fix a problem.

☐ Sign the letter on Medicare Part D premiums. CMS is ending the Part D premium stabilization program after 2026, and an administration official acknowledged about half of the roughly 25 million enrollees who rely on it will pay more. Sign here.

Civic Engagement & Democracy

No Kings: Vote Early, October 17

No Kings Phoenix: March to the Polls · October 17 · Phoenix
Marchers gather at Grant Park, 701 S 3rd Ave, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM and walk to the polls together with music. The listing asks people to bring a completed ballot, plus family and friends. Outdoors, morning, two hours.

No Kings: Vote Early, Douglas · October 17 · Douglas
No Kings organizers in Cochise County meet at the Veteran's Memorial at US-80 and Pan American from noon to 2:00 PM. The listing says this round of No Kings is not purely a protest, and calls the right to vote "our SUPERpower." Two hours.

No Kings Kingman: Vote Early Extravaganza · October 17 · Kingman
Kingman Freethinkers joins 50501 and Indivisible from 2:30 to 4:30 PM for a festival with music, costumes and nonpartisan information about voting early. The listing says the events are designed to raise participation from all eligible voters. Address sent after registration. Two hours.

Also this week: Arivaca's weekly gathering across from the Arivaca Farmers Market turns to one message, vote early, October 17 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. In central Phoenix, Bike Out the Vote stages at 7th Ave and Osborn at 8:30 AM and riders depart at 9:00 and go from location to location in midtown and downtown.

See everything on the calendar for October 17.

Canvasses and phone banks

Door Knock to Get Out the Early Vote in Yuma · October 17 · Yuma
Copper State Victory knocks doors with Governor Katie Hobbs from 9:00 AM to noon. An organizer reaches out after sign-up, and the location stays private until volunteers are confirmed. Outdoors, morning.

Get Out The Vote Canvass Safford · October 17 · Safford
The Mendoza for Congress campaign knocks doors from 4:00 to 6:30 PM. Volunteers bring a charged phone and comfortable shoes, and the campaign provides training. Training provided.

Tucson Canvass Launch with AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler · October 17 · Tucson
The Arizona AFL-CIO and union members from across the labor movement launch a canvass from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, framed around protecting democracy and the freedom to vote. Address sent after registration.

Also this week: La Gente for Grijalva runs a Spanish-language virtual phone bank October 14 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, calling voters in Santa Cruz, Cochise and Yuma counties, and bilingual volunteers are especially encouraged. Swing Left's Ground Truth phone bank calls all types of voters in the 1st Congressional District online October 17 from 1:00 to 3:30 PM.

Meetings and trainings

Sun City Festival Ranch Democrats & Independents Present Adrian Fontes · October 14 · Buckeye
LD25 Democrats host Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in person from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, along with Dani Sterbinsky, a candidate in the 9th Congressional District. Seating is limited and the address is sent after registration. Evening.

Dem Monthly General Meeting & Potluck · October 15 · Prescott
Yavapai County Democrats meet at The Center on Rosser from 6:00 to 8:00 PM to go over the statewide, county and local propositions, with Jay Ruby and Ralph Hess explaining the Prescott measures. A Zoom option starts at 6:30 PM. Indoors, evening, or watch online.

Voting Rights

Help Tucson Vote with Election Protection Arizona · October 15 · Tucson
Common Cause Arizona and the ACLU of Arizona train nonpartisan poll monitors in person from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The same training runs in Show Low October 16, 3:00 to 5:00 PM, and October 17, 10:00 AM to noon, and in Prescott Valley October 18, noon to 2:00 PM, both at the public library. Evening, two hours, training provided.

March to the Ballot Box · October 16 · Oro Valley
Indivisible Tucson Action Alliance meets in the Oro Valley Community Center parking lot at 4:00 PM and walks north on La Cañada to the Oro Valley Library drop box, where people take turns dropping their ballots. Some may stay after to wave signs on the corner. Outdoors, one hour.

Also this week: Rural Arizona Engagement holds a community safety training at the San Luis Library October 14 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, building a volunteer team to monitor polling locations amid concerns about ICE sightings.

Education

Goodyear Ballot Party · October 14 · Goodyear
GATHER and Save Our Schools Arizona meet at Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q from 6:00 to 8:00 PM to talk through the candidates and propositions. The listing notes most early ballots arrive in the days before, so it's a chance to fill one out and turn it in. Evening.

South Chandler Community Canvass in LD13 · October 18 · Chandler
Save Our Schools Arizona knocks doors from 9:00 AM to noon for Kristie O'Brien for State Senate and Rockee Armstrong and Jacob Weinberg for State House, with Sen. Ruben Gallego as a special guest. Canvassers always go with a partner, and first timers are welcome. Outdoors, morning, first-timer friendly.

Peoria Ballot Party · October 18 · Peoria
Save Our Schools Arizona brings snacks to Sweetwater Park from 2:30 to 4:00 PM for a ballot party, and anyone who stays after can canvass for Deborah Howard, Kyle Clayton and other Public School Proud candidates. Refreshments.

Also this week: Save Our Schools Arizona lists October 14 as a statewide "Stand Out for Our Schools" day of action against Prop. 320, with sign-up through its form.

Healthcare

Calling Voters to Hold Rep. Eli Crane Accountable · October 15 · Virtual
Organizing to Fight Oligarchy and We The Fighters run an online phone bank from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, calling voters across Arizona's 2nd Congressional District about the cuts to healthcare and food assistance that followed the "Big Beautiful Bill," which passed July 3, 2025 with Crane's vote. Virtual, evening, sitting down, two hours.

Healthcare Workers for Jo Canvass · October 18 · Tucson
The Mendoza for Congress campaign knocks doors from noon to 3:00 PM to get out the vote in the 6th Congressional District, and provides training. Training provided.

Mental Health Walk & Party at the Polls · October 17 · Chandler
The Black Chamber of Arizona's 5th annual Mental Wellbeing Walk joins When We All Vote's Party at the Polls at New Square in downtown Chandler, 180 S Arizona Ave, from 8:00 to 9:30 AM. Outdoors, morning.

Mutual Aid & Community

Social Spin Donation Drive · October 14 · Mesa
Indivisible Mesa hands out hygiene kits and collects laundry supplies, clothing and shoes at Social Spin Laundromat, 1255 E Southern Ave, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Social Spin offers free laundry to Mesa neighbors, and about 10 volunteers are needed to run the machines.

NO KINGS Tempe Pedestrian Bridge March & Food Drive · October 17 · Tempe
No Kings organizers gather on the Cole Park pedestrian bridge from 10:00 AM to noon, then march north through neighborhoods and down McClintock. People who would rather not march can stay on the bridge. Outdoors, morning.

Also this week: Our Voice Our Vote Arizona hosts a tenant listening session led by local tenant leaders at Murphy-Wilmot Library in Tucson October 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, with light refreshments.

Every week in Arizona

These happen every week, so they're collected here instead of in the sections above.

• Rush-Hour Resistance Rallies, weekday morning and evening rush hours at several locations across the Phoenix metro. Current locations at RhRR.us.
• Eyes on ICE Vigil, weekly 4:30 to 6:00 PM, a half hour earlier than before (October 12 this week), Flagstaff. Details.
• MAGA Shave Roadside Sign Protests, 7:30 to 8:45 AM on several weekday mornings (October 13 to 15 this week), rotating corners around Tucson, Marana and Casas Adobes. Details.
• Caffeinate & Activate, weekly 9:30 to 11:00 AM (October 14 this week), Phoenix, coffee with Desert Democracy. Details.
• Stand Indivisible AZ Coffee & Community, weekly 9:00 to 10:30 AM (October 15 this week), Scottsdale. Details.
• Freedom Rings Indivisible Discussion Group, weekly 6:00 to 8:00 PM (October 15 this week), Tempe. Details.
• White Mountains Weekly Rally, weekly at 4:00 PM (October 16 this week), Show Low, thirty minutes on the corner. Details.

☐ Talk to 10 of your own neighbors with Neighbor2Neighbor. Indivisible has launched a statewide Neighbor2Neighbor program for Arizona that matches each volunteer with 10 nearby voters to talk to before November 3. Civic Engagement Beyond Voting promoted it in its October 4 newsletter, with a script focused on re-electing Attorney General Kris Mayes and other races.

• What to do: Sign up at Indivisible's Neighbor2Neighbor page.

☐ Join the Arizona Election Defense Corps. Civic Engagement Beyond Voting is recruiting volunteers through the general election and county certification to watch county Boards of Supervisors meetings, observe drop boxes and polling locations, report voter suppression and help with rapid response.

• What to do: Volunteer through CEBV's sign-up form.

☐ Adopt a legislative district with Save Our Schools Arizona. After the Arizona Supreme Court kept the Protect Education Act off the ballot in August, the group turned to the legislature and picked eight target districts. With about three weeks until Election Day, it is asking volunteers to commit to one.

• What to do: Choose LD2, LD4, LD9, LD13, LD16, LD17, LD23 or LD27 and sign up to canvass, drive canvassers or phone bank there through November 3.

Thanks for being here and I'll see you next week, patriots! All politics is local. So is the resistance.

Arizona Advocacy Hub is a grassroots operation run by June, a concerned Arizonan. If this roundup is useful to you, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help keep it going.