Voter Registration - The first step

[pinto]

Every election cycle I commit a couple of hours a week to voter registration. It's a pretty straightforward process. I get voter registration forms from the County Clerk/Recorder's office, pick a spot and encourage folks to register if they haven't already. I usually "target" underserved populations and peddle participatory democracy at homeless service centers, free lunch program sites, public parks, bus stops, etc.

Fortunately, local organizations are happy to assist. Shelters routinely act as mailing addresses and will forward absentee ballots to the County for people who can't get to a polling place to vote in person.

And one committed friend tends to help others get involved.

It's an interesting endeavor at times, advocating voting to many who feel they have little or no voice in how things work, or have little or no interest in participating in the process. I keep it simple, non partisan, and try to reinforce local, day to day issues that can be influenced by a vote.

This cycle, I'm going to target 18 - 25 year olds. I live in a college town and the dismal turnout among that population, both locally and statewide, recently, is.....dismal. These kids have the time and the wherewithal to get to a poll or drop an absentee ballot in the mail. Yet, they seem as disconnected to the process as any other group I run across.

In any venue, I try and keep the focus on "voting matters". I don't care if they vote for the man in the moon as long as they take the small sliver of time it takes to vote.

It's a fun thing for me. The County Clerk/Recorder's office provides all the material and the legal guidelines (minimal) to follow. I'm always careful to be current on registration deadlines, absentee voting rules, residency requirements, polling locations and such, so I can answer questions. But other that that it's pretty simple.

I encourage DUers who have the time to give it a shot. Registration is the first step.

[wildeyed]

1. I do these events, too.

One of my favorite things to do. They are so much fun!

I do registration tables at grocery stores in undeserved neighborhoods, mostly. You need permission from the store, first, but they are very productive if you can get set up.

I have done larger homeless registration events that include a BBQ picnic and a candidates forum. Those take a fair amount of planning, but I have found that the shelter and homeless advocate people will pretty much take the ball and run with it. Another pro-democracy group handles the forum. It is a very cool event.

Something that I have not done, but some of my friends do occasionally is register after the swearing in ceremony for new citizens. Canvassing in large apartment complexes with high turnover is another activity that group does.

I would also encourage having a follow-up plan to encourage the newly registered to actually take that last step and vote. I keep copies of the registrations and call and/or mail postcards to all the folks who register with me right before the election period.

[H2O Man]

2. We used to get

a couple car loads of co-workers and go out and do voter registration. We would go into low-income neighborhoods, and get people who had not previously considered that their vote counted, to see that they could make a difference.

Voter registration drives are a form of voter education, as well. This includes everything from discussing important issues of the day, identifying which candidate takes what stand, and helping organize transportation to the voting booths on election day.

I hope that this general thread is post and re-posted in other DU forums this summer.

[wildeyed]

3. What is interesting, too, is that voting rates seem to predict

standard of living in a community. Higher rates of voting mean higher standard of living. Now I don't know if this a chicken or an egg thing, but I always feel like I am doing a small bit to improve life in challenged parts of my city.

At first I worried that people would not appreciate my activities, that they would be seen as condescending, but that has not been the case. I get many thanks and much interest for my small events.

I will try to do a thread about my events later this year and post in the big forums. Maybe Pinto can x-post this one, too.

Is any group doing a national push for registrations this year? It is nice to give folks a link if they want more info on how to get active in their own communities.

[Kixel]

4. I am really interested in doing this...

I am a Precinct Chair in a neighborhood with lots of condos, town homes, and apartments. The Dems have done well, but I am curious as to the best way to get people registered. Would door to door be good, or would it be best to park in a location? We don't really have a local community store-unless Target, Best Buy, or a gas station count. Lots of people walk pets and such in the neighborhood. Would it be goofy to set up in a park with a sign? Are large stores unlikely to let us set up? I can see big cooperate stores not wanting to deal with us.

This is the first year I even attended a caucus, but I have somehow managed to become pretty active. It's been interesting, to say the least. I appreciate any help or ideas you have. The local candidates have the door knocking thing pretty locked up-I will be walking with them, but I think it's really important to get the people who aren't registered. We are in a Purple district that tends to lean more red, so I need to blue it up a bit...

[wildeyed]

5. If you set up at a store, be sure that the area you pick is overwhelmingly

Democratic. If you pick a neighborhood that is mixed or leans conservative, you will end up registering as many reps as dems. When you do a store event, you must get permission from the management, and they will not allow a partisan table. Also, by law you must register anyone who asks.

I don't think it would be goofy for a precinct chair to set up at the park at all. Just the kind of neighborly politics we want to get back to :) Wear a tee shirt that designates you a dem so you don't get approached by too many reps to register.

[OhioBlue]

6. when you walk with the local candidates

they will probably have a walking list that identifies the house hold as Dem, Rep or Independent. Make sure you carry voter registration forms with you and at the Dem, leans Dem households, ask if there are any unregistered adults. It might be another good way to try and get more Dems registered.

And... welcome to DU!! :hi:

[wildeyed]

7. Had a really nice morning of voter registration today.

Good weather, too. Overcast and cool for this time of year.

We went to a number of apartment complexes in the city. We didn't use a walk list. It was a non-partisan walk, and anyway, the area is so overwhelmingly Democratic, there is no need. Our group of volunteers was very diverse; some from a local immigration action group, a group of Christians interested in local poverty issues, and a few from my pro-democracy group. We met people from all over the world. Hmong, Colombian, Sudanese, Haitians and that is only a start. It was a fun and productive day. Anyone else get a start on election year activism yet?

[CornField]

8. Great advice

We've done similar here and have had really good luck setting up voter registration tables in library lobbies -- especially during the summer months when so many lower-income individuals go there for entertainment and air conditioning.