Monday, August 29, 2011

I Did it All for the Sticker

A recent electionline article "Stuck on you" sought to explain the appeal of "I Voted" stickers.

Apparently the history of the "I Voted" sticker is unclear, although some historians argue that they were introduced in the 1980s and ElectionStickers.com claims to be the purveyor of the original "I Voted" sticker.

Nevertheless, the sticker has become a cultural icon, and is a badge worn proudly. Capitalizing on Election Day press, a number of companies have used the sticker to increase foot traffic by offering freebies and promotions to voters. Of course, due to regulations that prohibit payments when federal candidates are on the ballot, most of these offers are ultimately available to any individual—whether or not they voted.

Despite the sticker's traditional appeal, the Ohio secretary of state's office recently sought to change things up with an "Elect Your Sticker!" contest. 60,000 people voted and the winning sticker (seen above) will make its polling place debut this November.

While some counties are eliminating the stickers to save costs, others are making sure that all voters have them, including those who vote via absentee ballots. Despite being a vote-by-mail county, Pierce County includes stickers in Voters' Pamphlets and encouraged voters to wear them and "remind everyone of this important civic duty."

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Counteracting Campaign Cash

The Federal Election Commission's approval of the Colbert Super PAC has turned some heads, and it also has plenty of people wondering just what a PAC is and does.

With names that all seem to include "America" and references to apple pie, it's no wonder people are confused. (If you want to get in on the naming action, try the Sunlight Foundation's PAC name generator.)

A recent ProPublica article explains the various types of political action committees and how their campaign money can be spent (and hidden):
  1. PACs can accept donations of up to $5,000 from individuals and pass the money along to both candidates and parties.
  2. Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited sums of money from individuals, corporations, unions and other groups. They can't donate directly to candidates but can promote them and attack their opponents, as long as they don't coordinate with any candidate or political party. In 2010 Super PACs spent more than $80 million.
  3. 527s can either register as a PAC and give directly to candidates or focus on specific issues and then raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. While the rise of the Super PAC may draw attention away from 527s, 527 groups still spent more than $415 million during the 2010 election.
  4. 501(c) organizations include (c)(3) charities, (c)(4) social welfare organizations, (c)(5) labor unions, (c)(6) business leagues and trade associations, and others. As we know, (c)(3)s are not allowed to advocate for or against a candidate, but other 501(c)s are, so long as their primary purpose is not politics. And their 501(c) status means they don't have to disclose their donors.
  5. Combinations linking a Super PAC and a 501(c)(4) allow donors to give to the (c)(4) which can then give to the Super PAC. Although the (c)(4) is identified as the donor to the Super-PAC, the donors to the (c)(4) are kept secret.
PACs and Super PACs are required to disclose their donors, but lags in reporting as well as loopholes (like the combination described above) often allow donors to stay hidden. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions were allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose candidates, allowing even greater amounts of cash to flood the political system.

All of this money is spent in an effort to get voters to cast their ballots for or against candidates and ballot measures. And while money can certainly buy ad space, don't forget that your nonprofit also has the power to influence the political landscape by helping to engage the entire American electorate--starting with your clients and community. Visit our website to learn more about how your nonprofit can strengthen our democracy through nonpartisan voter engagement.

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Monday, August 22, 2011

Preparing for Municipal Elections

After our webinar last week on municipal and local elections, we wanted to follow up and make sure your nonprofit was excited and prepared for this fall. If your community is having a municipal election this year there are plenty of ways to get involved and get out the vote.

Want to host a candidate forum? We have a guide for that. Candidate forums are a great way for your community to question candidates directly, particularly because local elections are more intimate than statewide or national races. (And many candidates see local office as a gateway to higher office, so building relationships now can pay off down the road!) Want to register voters? We have a poster for that (in Spanish and English).

Here are other suggestions for generating enthusiasm around local elections:
  1. Increase visibility. Turn up the volume by including voting reminders in all of your communications. Put up posters or other signage to raise awareness of the upcoming election.
  2. Ensure staff and volunteers are equipped to answer basic questions about the election. They should know when polls open and close, how to help someone locate their polling site, and have contact information for your local election office available. 
  3. Make personal contact. Reach out to voters by integrating face-to-face conversations about the election into your services and meetings. Make frequent announcements and ask individuals if they are planning to vote, or if they have already voted. Personal reminders are an effective get-out-the-vote tactic, particularly on Election Day.
  4. Post a sample ballot or nonpartisan voter guide. Many voters, whether new or experienced, still have questions about voting, and they're more likely to vote if they know what their choices are. You can help by making sample ballots available at your organization. 
Visit our website for other resources and ideas to help your nonprofit work on local elections. If you have questions about an upcoming election, contact your local election office for information. In the meantime, tell us what strategies your nonprofit uses to get voters involved in local elections!

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Yesterday's Webinar Now Available

Thanks for joining yesterday's webinar, Think Locally: The Value of Municipal and Regional Elections.

The PowerPoint presentation is now available, along with the audio portion of the presentation in MP3 format. You can also watch the full presentation, including audio, online.

If you have additional questions about municipal and local elections, please feel free to contact our presenters. They'd be happy to speak with you.

Efrain Escobedo
Executive Liaison for the LA County Registrar-Recorder
Email: EEscobedo@rrcc.lacounty.gov

Lindsey Hodel
Director of Training and Partnerships, Nonprofit VOTE
Phone: (303) 910-5700
Email: lhodel@nonprofitvote.org

Thanks for joining us this month--we'll be announcing our September webinar shortly, so stay tuned!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Register Now for Thursday's Webinar

You can still sign up for Thursday's webinar:

Think Locally: The Value of Municipal and Regional Elections
Thursday August 18th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern


Typically, voter turnout is significantly lower in local elections than in national or statewide races. The upside is that municipal, city, and other regional elections give your nonprofit an unparalleled opportunity to boost turnout, simply by encouraging your clients and community to vote. Because local elections are intimate affairs, your organization can also build rapport with local candidates and elected officials who make many decisions that directly affect your organization and community. Join us for a discussion on how your nonprofit can effectively engage in local elections and maximize your impact--without overloading staff and volunteers.

Featured Presenters: Efrain Escobedo is the Executive Liaison for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, overseeing local elections throughout the county. Through his work, he also assists nonprofits interested in engaging in the electoral process. Lindsey Hodel is the Director of Training and Partnerships for Nonprofit VOTE, helping nonprofits across the country implement successful voter engagement programs. She has experience running a variety of voter engagement campaigns, both in Colorado and nationally.

RSVP Now!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Why We Should Restore Ex-offender Voting Rights

The Florida Parole Commission released a new study showing that an ex-offender whose civil rights have been restored is much less likely to return to prison than others in the released prisoner population.

Of the 30,672 former Florida felons that had their voting rights restored in 2009 and 2010, about 11% ended up back in custody. The recidivism rate for the overall released prisoner population is 33%.

Unfortunately, in March of this year, Governor Rick Scott and members of his Cabinet voted to eliminate the automatic restoration of voting rights for convicted felons. They claim that only individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to living a crime-free life should be eligible to vote, and that the (minimum) 5 year waiting period would provide the opportunity for ex-offenders to show that commitment.

However, the report contradicts the governor's decision, and shows that streamlining the clemency process and restoring voting rights produces tangible benefits for both the individual and the community. In Florida, nearly 90,000 ex-offenders are currently waiting to have their civil rights restored. Let's hope this report makes Governor Scott reconsider how long they should have to wait to vote again.

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Nonprofit VOTE on the Road

Over the last few months members of Nonprofit VOTE's staff have been at conferences, trainings, and events across the country to spread the word about nonprofit voter engagement. In July, Lindsey Hodel was at the Kansas Conference on Poverty where she gave a keynote speech and led a workshop. She also presented at the National Community Tax Coalition's annual conference.

Suggestions for voter engagement strategies were well received and Nonprofit VOTE's presence helped to focus rising nonprofit interest in 2012. Participants and attendees were particularly eager to hear about integrated approaches--like registering voters on-site in the course of providing other services--and what nonprofits can do to stay nonpartisan.

We have plenty of stops lined up this summer and into the fall, including appearances at the Michigan Nonprofit Association's Nonprofit Day 2011, the Alliance for Children and Families' National Conference and a 2012 planning workshop with Protecting Arizona's Family Coalition. If you're at these or other events, be sure to sign up for our workshop or stop by to chat. If your organization is hosting a conference or event and would like voter engagement materials to display or ideas on how to make a compelling argument from the podium, don't hesitate to be in touch!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

National Popular Vote: (Almost) Halfway There

On Monday California Governor Jerry Brown signed the National Popular Vote bill, making California the 8th state to enact the law, along with Washington D.C.

With California on board, the National Popular Vote plan now has 49% of the electoral votes needed (132 of 270) to guarantee the presidency to the winner of the popular vote. With 55 electoral votes, California is not only the largest state to sign on so far, but also the state with the greatest number of electoral votes. Texas (who has not signed the agreement) is the state with the second largest number of votes, at 38 (after the 2010 reapportionment).

Remember, the Agreement Among the States to elect the President by National Popular Vote only takes effect when it has been approved by enough states to guarantee that the majority of Electoral College votes would go the winner of the national popular vote. Although the movement still has plenty of work ahead, for now supporters are sure to enjoy their latest victory.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Ohio Rejects Voter ID Requirements

Although a number of states have enacted photo ID laws since January--Alabama, Kansas, Rhode Island (after days of confusion), South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin--not everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. Governors have vetoed voter ID laws in Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Minnesota.

Ohio is the latest of Nonprofit VOTE's partner states to reject voter ID laws that would mandate photo ID, despite the fact that many--particularly older and younger voters--don't have one. Earlier this summer, a voter ID provision was removed from election legislation in Ohio at the behest of Secretary of State Jon Husted who said that the "rigid" photo ID provision "does little to protect against fraud and excludes legally registered voters' ballots from counting." And two weeks ago, an Ohio House leader acknowledged that a separate attempt to pass voter ID legislation also failed.

Although asking voters to show a photo ID may be a reasonable requirement in the long run, the rapid implementation of such laws is troublesome. It is essential that state governments first ensure all eligible voters have free photo IDs before making them a requirement to vote, particularly because the financial barrier is just one obstacle. Voters must still invest time and other resources into acquiring identification--consider how long your last trip to the DMV was--which many simply cannot afford to do, especially on short notice. Some states have started to make IDs available, but information about how to obtain one, as well as long lines have already thwarted some.

Track the status of voter ID laws in every state, and remember that as laws change, nonprofits can help ensure that their clients are aware of new requirements, and thus able to successfully cast their ballot on Election Day. Learn more about registering to vote and ID requirements in your state.


Monday, August 8, 2011

California Moves Closer to Finalizing New Districts

The California Citizens Redistricting Commission recently approved the final drafts of the state's new district maps, setting the stage for its next challenge--potential lawsuits. The commission must formally certify the maps by August 15 and present them to the secretary of state, although Californians can challenge the districts in court or at the polls. Redistricting is always a heated affair, no matter who is in charge, and creating new maps for 53 congressional districts, 120 legislative districts, and four State Board of Equalization districts is bound to make some groups and individuals unhappy.

Whatever the outcome, the successful creation and implementation of the Commission should still be applauded. Rather than focusing on protecting party interests, map-makers worked to keep communities of interest together, while considering geographical compactness, and protecting minority representation. Of course, balancing these many considerations was no easy task, and compromises had to be made. In the process, the Commission fielded nearly 20,000 written comments in addition to the 2,700 comments made at 34 public hearings across the state.

With the redistricting process nearly complete, many are beginning to wonder about the future of the 14 commissioners. They serve 10-year terms and once the maps are finalized, it is unclear what they will work on next, or for the next nine years.

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Thursday, August 4, 2011

August Webinar: Valuing Local Elections

Although there are no presidential candidates on the ballot this year, your nonprofit and community still have plenty to gain from participating in local elections.

Think Locally: The Value of Municipal and Regional Elections
Thursday August 18th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern


Typically, voter turnout is significantly lower in local elections than in national or statewide races. The upside is that municipal, city, and other regional elections give your nonprofit an unparalleled opportunity to boost turnout, simply by encouraging your clients and community to vote. Because local elections are intimate affairs, your organization can also build rapport with local candidates and elected officials who make many decisions that directly affect your organization and community. Join us for a discussion on how your nonprofit can effectively engage in local elections and maximize your impact--without overloading staff and volunteers.

Featured Presenters: Efrain Escobedo is the Executive Liaison for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, overseeing local elections throughout the county. Through his work, he also assists nonprofits interested in engaging in the electoral process. Lindsey Hodel is the Director of Training and Partnerships for Nonprofit VOTE, helping nonprofits across the country implement successful voter engagement programs. She has experience running a variety of voter engagement campaigns, both in Colorado and nationally.

RSVP Now!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Last Week's Ballot Measure Webinar

Thanks to everyone who joined us for last week's webinar Laws on the Ballot: How Nonprofits Can Take a Stand on Ballot Questions. The presentation is now available as a PDF along with the audio portion. You can also watch the presentation with audio online.

If you have questions about how your nonprofit can take a stand on ballot questions, the Alliance for Justice has a toll free number you can call for technical assistance: 1-866-675-6229. As always, please feel free to follow up with our presenters if you have additional questions about the webinar.

Abby Levine
Legal Director, Advocacy Programs, Alliance for Justice
Phone: (202) 822-6070
Email: abby@afj.org

Ben Dudley
Executive Director, Engage Maine
Phone: (207) 553-7157
Email: ben@engagemaine.org

Lindsey Hodel
Director of Training and Partnerships, Nonprofit VOTE
Phone: (303) 910-5700
Email: lhodel@nonprofitvote.org

For more information about working on ballot questions, refer to the Alliance for Justice's Worry-Free Lobbying publication or visit their state law resources page for state-by-state information on ballot measures and disclosure laws. They also have a factsheet on ballot questions and recall elections.

You can also check out Nonprofit VOTE's ballot measures and nonprofits factsheet.