1. NONPROFITS GOTV! Nonprofits Get Out The Vote in the 2016 Electionjj
The PowerPoint and a link to the recording of the webinar will be distributed in a follow up

2. This webinar was made possible by YWCA-USA
This webinar was made possible by YWCA-USA. YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Learn more at:
YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. YWCA is one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families. YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. YWCA carries on this long tradition of social action and advocacy to advance its critical mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Learn more about YWCA at YWCA.org

3. Today’s presenter Gabriela Castillo Coordinator
Long Island Civic Engagement Table
Julian Johannesen
Director of Research and Training
Nonprofit VOTE
Who

4. Agenda Overview Being Nonpartisan Talking about Voting
Planning GOTV Activities
Early Voting
The Final Two Weeks
Where are elections happening?
KY, LA, and MS have gubernatorial elections. LA has theirs on Oct. 24th. And may have a runoff on Nov. 21st.
Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Virginia all have state legislative elections.
There are 26 statewide ballot measures appearing on ballots in CO, LA, ME, MS, OH, TX, WA.
There are hundreds of mayoral, city council and other municipal elections, judicial elections, school board elections and local ballot measures. And that includes high profile races in places like Houston, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Paul.
Agenda

5. What is GOTV? GOTV stands for Get Out The Vote
GOTV can increase voter turnout by providing timely information to voters
Typical traditional GOTV tactics include door-to- door canvassing, phone banking, lit drops, mailers, and robo-calls
-Focus on this slide for definition purposes. GOTV sounds for Get-Out-The Vote.
-Emphasis on “hot period” to get voters informed (its very present, its on everyone’s mind
-Name off the tactics listed, and provide an example of what you have done in the past
What?

6. Being nonpartisan

7. Talking about voting
Guidelines

8. TONE AND POSITIVITY
Content is important. But tone is also important. Stay positive. Assume that people plan to vote and help them to do that.
Use positive messages
Your voice, your vote
Stand up and be counted
You decide
Avoid negative messages
Avoid talk about voter suppression that makes voting seem scary or difficult
Avoid complaints about what’s wrong with our system, e.g. photo ID, etc.
The first thing to remember is that although what you present is important – the messenger is equally as important. As nonprofits we are trusted messengers. According to recent Harris Polls that asked who they wished had more influence in political affairs - respondents indicated that they wanted nonprofits to have a greater say. So, - above businesses, above politicians, the like.
So its important that we leverage that trust properly – in a nonpartisan way. We also have to really drive it home that we are providing our services to help with voting for their benefit and the communities benefit – as we want our constituents to have a voice.
Two things to consider, that seem simple is to keep positive messaging, and avoid negative messaging. It can be very subtle, so try to keep that in mine.
Talking
About Voting 8

9. SOCIAL PRESSURE
Personal contact is best: Face to face contact with a voter is most persuasive, if the interaction is genuine
Positive social pressure works: “Thank your for being a reliable voter!” “I see that you voted in 4 of the last 5 elections. Thank you for being such a dedicated voter!”
Bandwagon: “Everyone in the community is voting this year. Turnout is going to be really high.
Julian
Make it person! Engage clients and constituents in conversation about the election. Your relationship with your constituents and your face to face interactions with them carry more weight than any TV commercial or billboard.
Let the people you serve know how the election will affect your agency and the services you provide
The closer it gets to election day, the more important it is to turn up the volume. Spend more time talking about the election. Create more visibility. Do more to promote the election.
Talking about voting 9

10. PERSONAL APPEAL
Ask for their help: Connect the election to your ability to provide services to the community. You need their help to continue to do your good work.
Connect voting to family and community: You’re not voting alone and you’re not doing it just for you. You’re voting with your family, friends, and community to make all of your lives better.
Julian
Make it person! Engage clients and constituents in conversation about the election. Your relationship with your constituents and your face to face interactions with them carry more weight than any TV commercial or billboard.
Let the people you serve know how the election will affect your agency and the services you provide
The closer it gets to election day, the more important it is to turn up the volume. Spend more time talking about the election. Create more visibility. Do more to promote the election.
Planning
GOTV 10

11. REHEARSING YOUR VOTE
There’s evidence that asking someone to visualize or think through their own plan to vote increases their odds of turning out. But they really have to think it through. Ask questions that prompt folks to do that:
“Are you voting early or on Election Day?”
“Are you going before work? I usually go after.”
Assume that people are voting
Ask Questions
Are you voting early or on Election Day?
Do you know your polling place?
What help do you need voting?
Scheduling an appointment:
Research has shown that being asked to think about or visualize your plan to vote increases the chance that you will vote
Talking
About Voting 11

12. Messages that work
Stand up: It’s important to stand up for our rights and elect leaders who will lift up our country and our communities. America’s future is our future, and we need to vote and make sure the politicians hear our voices and know we count and we matter. We can’t complain about the way things are going if we don’t take responsibility and stand up for what we believe in.
Your voice matters: Your vote — along with everyone’s vote — matters. It lets politicians know that the American people have an opinion, and that they need to listen to what we have to say.
We need your help. We count on your support to send a message to the politicians that what we do and the services we provide are important.
You can also use the message of “Your voice matters.” – And the way you can talk about this, is uplifting the fact that every vote counts. If possible you can put in an anecdote, possibly citing a close election. As you all probably know, people get discouraged from voting, because they really don’t feel like their vote makes a difference. So, by citing a close election, you can really emphasize how just one voice, can change the tide.
Another type of message that you can use, is talking about needing help. And the way you can do this is to talk about your services. As many of you know, nonprofit services are often affected by legislative bodies. So, if you are asking your constituents to vote, emphasize that you need their help to send a message to politicians that the services provided at your nonprofit are important.
Talking
About Voting 12

13. Be prepared!

14. THINGS TO CONSIDER
Who will you be able to reach in the next few weeks?
How will you reach them? How will you interact with your constituents, clients, and consumers over the next few weeks?
Are staff and volunteers adequately prepared to take part in your planned activities and answer voters’ questions?
Helena
SOMETHING ABOUT OUR NONPARTISANSHIP AND HOW THAT’S AN ASSET.
NEW SLIDE BETWEEN AGENDA AND NEXT SLIDE ON ENDORSING VOTING AND NONPARTISANSHIP
We can’t endorse candidates, but we can endorse voting!
Final
Push

15. Know Your Stuff! Does your state have a late registration deadline?
Does your state have Election Day Registration or some other form of Same Day Registration?
Does your state have early voting and if so, what form? When does it begin and end? Where can people do it?
What are your jurisdictions polling place hours?
What are your state’s laws around time off to vote?
Do you know who’s offering rides to the polls?
Does your state have a voting hotline?
Julian
About half the states have voter registration deadlines that are about 30 days before Election Day. The other half varies. And a few states allow what’s know as Same Day Registration or Election Day Registration. [Explain that]
In many states, people who have a past felony conviction who have completed the terms of their sentence (prison, probation and parole) are immediately eligible to register and vote. Unfortunately, many ex-offenders are unaware of this fact and mistakenly believe that they can’t register and vote.
The only thing to note about age requirements is that more and more states are now allowing 16 and 17 year olds to register to vote, automatically making their registrations active when they turn 18.
PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS
VISIT WEBSITE IF TIME
Planning
GOTV

16. Early voting
Guidelines

17. EARLY VOTING ACTIVITIES
Vote by Mail/Absentee Ballots:
Help your community get and fill out absentee ballot applications.
Find and promote the deadlines for applying and turning it in.
Early Voting In Person:
Promote where and when to vote early in person
Early Voting: In most states and the District of Columbia, any qualified voter may cast a ballot in person during a designated period prior to Election Day. No excuse or justification is required.
Absentee Voting: In a little less than half the states, an excuse is required, while just over half the states and the District of Columbia permit any qualified voter to vote absentee without offering an excuse. Some states offer a permanent absentee ballot list: once a voter asks to be added to the list, s/he will automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections.
Mail Voting: A ballot is automatically mailed to every eligible voter (no request or application is necessary), and the state does not use traditional precinct poll sites that offer in-person voting on Election Day. Three states use mail voting.
In 2012 one in three voters voted early! This year it’s expected to be 40%!
Early voting is an increasingly important part of voter turnout, especially in presidential elections. In 2012, nearly a third of all votes cast were cast early. In some states the proportion was closer to half.
So what that means in terms of GOTV is that we need to start earlier than we used to.
3 are all-mail ballots: OR, WA, and CO
Early
Voting

18. EARLY VOTING RESOURCES
Nonprofit VOTE 50 State Guide: Links to official information on Absentee and Early in-person voting on your state election website
Vote.org: The absentee ballot experts and guide to early voting
Your local election board
* Voting absentee is easy! In fact, it’s a lot less hassle than voting in person. Learn when absentee voting begins and ends in your state and promote the early voting period to your community.
* You can also talk to your local elections officials and find out whether your state offers no-excuse absentee voting and whether permanent absentee voter status is available.
* Hand out and help people fill out the absentee ballot application. It’s usually pretty simple. Name, address and few other details are all that’s needed.
* This is an area where you can really help your constituents.
* If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your local election officials. That’s what they’re there for. 18

19. Suggested tactics
Guidelines

20. Get the word out
The election should be visible to everyone you interact with
Use signage
Use your communications: newsletter, social media, local radio shows, community access TV,
Julian
One basic way to communicate your message is through visibility!
In the days and weeks leading up to Election Day the election should be a part of every conversation with your clients and constituents. Think about how to integrate messages about voting into your services, trainings, classes, intake, etc. It’s about making voting a part of you normal interactions with you constituents.
Make announcements or hold discussions at meetings, events, classes, etc. Inform people of key dates like the start of early voting, the day and date of the election, how to find their polling place, etc.
Put up Vote November 3 signage – posters, flyers, etc. - throughout the lobby and all public spaces. Posters and signage are as much for you staff as they are for your constituents. They serve as a constant reminder that your organization has made voting a priority.
Use communications like your newsletter, s, social media like Facebook and Twitter, text messages, etc. to create added awareness of the election and important facts like the dates for early voting, polling place hours on election day, etc.
Final
Push

21. MORE IDEAS - THE FINAL TWO WEEKS
Orient staff to answer basic election questions
When providing services, ask people if they need help voting
Hold a Get Out The Vote event like a Rock the Balut event or a Trick of Vote event.
Give out sample ballots, voter guides, palm cards
Make sure you can answer questions from your clients and constituents about things like:
How to vote early in your state
The day of the week and date of the election
The polling place hours
How to find their polling place
What ID you might need to vote
How to get help voting
Again, ask people if they need help.
Consider hosting an event – like Rock the Balut (BAH-LOHT) – this is a GOTV event paired with the an eating contest of a Filipino delicacy called balut
Also, make sure to have sample ballots, guides, and palm cards if available
Final
Push

22. ELECTION DAY!
Provide Election Assistance: Be able to answer questions about
Where to get help voting
How to find your polling place
Ask “Have you voted?”  Ask everyone if they voted or need help voting
Celebrate Democracy: Make Election Day special. Have a party.
Next I wanted to highlight things that you can do on election-day. A lot of these we went over, but to just to emphasize – here are three things to think about doing on election:
First one being providing election assistance – so really being able to answer those questions about where to get help voting, finding out where your polling place is, etc.
Have you voted? – Make sure to keep this in your messaging.
It’s a celebration: Make sure that the election is visible throughout your nonprofit. (e.g. red, white, and blue day – posters – etc.)
Election
Day 22

23. Time off on election day
Allow staff to take part in nonpartisan get out the vote activities
Or as a staff person, take personal time to work for a campaign
Become a poll worker or translator
A big part of the solution to all of the problems on election day, probably the most important part, is to have well trained poll workers.
Some jurisdictions have filled these positions, but many have not. Call your local elections officials to find out if they’re still looking for poll workers. In many areas, translators are also needed to assist non-English speaking voters
Time
Off

24. 1-866-OUR-VOTE 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota 1-800-API-VOTE VOTER TOOLS
Voting in Your State: Voting information straight from your SoS
Hotlines: Promote the toll free voter assistance hotlines.
Voting In Your State: Make sure to check out your SoS website, use NPV’s voting in your state tool
Hotlines: Promote the toll free voter assistance hotlines. The EPC is a coalition of more than 100 groups, active since The English hotline is managed by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law and the Spanish hotline is maintained by NALEO Education Fund.
1-866-OUR-VOTE
1-888-Ve-Y-Vota
1-800-API-VOTE

25. VOTER TOOLS
VIP Voter Information Tool: A tool from Pew and Google. Find your polling place and more.
Text VOTE to GOVOTE (468683)

26. info@nonprofitvote.org 617.357.VOTE (8683) www.nonprofitvote.org
2464 Massachusetts Ave
Suite 210
Cambridge, MA 02140
Gabriela Castillo
Julian Johannesen 26