2026 California Residential Get-Out-the-Vote Retreat (Bakersfield)
In support of Democrat Socialist Rudy Villegas’ quest to win a Congressional seat in California, we will be conducting a two-week residential Get-Out-the-Vote retreat in Bakersfield. We’ll augment the efforts of local Democratic volunteers by knocking on doors and encouraging Villegas supporters to vote.
To register, please fill out the form below, and be sure to click the red “Register” button at the bottom of the page!
Schedule
The retreat will run from Tuesday, October 20, through Election Day, November 3rd. The daily schedule will include two periods of meditation, a dharma talk and a shared breakfast in the morning; precinct walking in the afternoon; and dinner and a closing period of meditation in the evening.
Housing
Housing will be provided at the homes of friends and supporters in and around Bakersfield, and in a spacious airbnb we’ve rented for the duration. Dharma activities may take place at a nearby Buddhist temple, while political activities will occur at the home of a friend who lives nearby.
Transportation. For participants coming from outside Bakersfield, you can drive there or take an Amtrak train from the Bay Area or Central Valley. We can also help with pickup and dropoff. Local participants may make the drive from the Bay Area or other locations, and will use their autos for the canvassing work. Let us know if you need a ride and we’ll put you in touch with other people with cars.
Precinct Walking. We will be getting out the vote for Villegas by knocking on the doors of Democratic voters. We’ll track our interactions with voters using a phone-based app called miniVAN.
Food. Breakfast, dinner and bag lunch will be prepared by experienced Zen cooks. All food will be vegetarian; please indicate on the registration form if you have any special dietary needs, for example if you are vegan or if you have food allergies. We ask that you make a donation of $40 per day for food and supplies. (A few partial scholarships may be available.)
Work Positions. We are looking for volunteers to take positions such as cook, zendo manager, treasurer/administrator, and political liaison — all critical positions to help make these retreats a success. On your registration form please let us know what you can do to help.
Thank you: we hope to see you in Bakersfield! Deep bows, Stan Dewey, Ed Herzog, and Susan Marvin for the Bakersfield Election Retreat team