I’ve noticed a smattering of clues that this coming midterm election might be important.
It might be President Trump careening around the country on Air Force One for his rallies-a-go-go, where he performs live pardons, amazes audiences with his rendition of “lion, bear, giraffe and snake,” and encourages voters to just lie back and pretend they’re voting for him.
Maybe it’s watching the wife of Michigan’s U.S. Senate candidate Mike Harris hand out $10 gift cards at a gas station in black stilettos. (Let them eat diesel!)
Perhaps it’s the ping, ping, ping! of requests for ka-ching that the Democrats pack into my text feed.
Or it could be the continued determined effort to upend any faith in the elections by the Department of Justice suing states over alleged non-citizens voting.
(And between you and me, I’ve heard rumor that all the bathroom air fresheners in Congress have been updated with the all-new-for-fall Scent of Desperation.)
With so much genuinely riding on this election, I have decided not to sit helplessly by gawping at the news — and have created my own personal campaign to encourage friends and neighbors to vote. Of course cookies are involved. Please join me if you can.
Here’s my plan:
Make a batch or two of chocolate chip cookie brittle. The recipe is below. It’s easy to make big pans of it and also happens to taste extremely good – like a cross between buttercrunch candy and a chocolate chip cookie.
Package the brittqale up in small plastic bags.
Stick a label on each bag with the following information:
When and where to vote. You can find a polling place locator at Vote.org.
Whom to call if if you see or experience vote intimidation:
Call the Election Protection Hotline: English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
Spanish or English: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA
Asian languages or English: 1-888-API-VOTE (including Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali/Bangla, and Punjabi)
Arabic or English: 1-844-YALLA-US
Note: It is illegal for ICE officers or military troops to be present at polling stations. The Brennan Center has created a PDF on how to protect yourselves and others when voting this year, which you can also print out and distribute with your cookies.
If you decide to get involved, please post a photo of your cookies and tag me on Substack @marissarothkopf.
Marissa Rothkopf Bates writes about food for the New York Times, Newsweek (RIP) and Publishers’ Weekly among others. Her newest book, “The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies,” is available wherever fine books are sold. Find her on Substack here.
That’s a great idea!