Connecticut Looks to Improve Elections

Last week we cheered California legislators who passed laws that will make it easier to register to vote. Now we want to shine a spotlight on the other coast. In Connecticut, Secretary of State Denise Merrill is looking to build support for election improvements that would incorporate technology and cut costs. She wants to create a more "centralized" election system and encourage greater youth participation. Merrill also expressed support for a constitutional amendment that would allow early voting--an option Connecticut cannot even currently consider because of the state constitution's restrictive wording.

In discussing her ideas for improving elections in Connecticut, Secretary Merrill emphasized preparedness-- particularly in light of last year's midterm election when some Bridgeport polling sites ran out of ballots. What's your Secretary of State doing--or not--to improve elections?

Register for Thursday's Webinar

There's still time to register for our September voter registration webinar! 

The ABCs of Nonpartisan Voter Registration
Thursday September 29th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Registering to vote is the first and most necessary step to becoming an active and engaged voter. This webinar will explain how your nonprofit can conduct effective, nonpartisan voter registration, emphasizing on-site strategies. Our discussion will help you decide what makes the most sense for your nonprofit given staffing, time, and other constraints. We will also share Nonprofit VOTE's new Voter Registration Toolkit and other online resources that will help you plan and execute successful voter registration activities.

Featured Presenter: Bridgette Rongitsch is a consultant with Grassroots Solutions, a firm that helps nonprofits, campaigns, and other groups organize, train, and mobilize grassroots supporters. She is the former national director of Nonprofit VOTE and previously worked as an organizer for the Minnesota Participation Project.

Saudi Women to Vote in 2015

Yesterday, Saudi Arabia's king granted women the right to vote and run for office in future municipal elections.

Although the change is welcomed by many activists, concerns still remain. The new law will not be relevant until the next election cycle in 2015. (Current municipal elections are scheduled for this Thursday.) And while senior religious scholars have endorsed the move, many are worried about the law's enforcement--particularly when many men prohibit their female relations from participating in legal activities.

Despite the fact that women will be allowed to participate in elections, they still do not have the right to drive and are required to have male chaperones for most public activities.

Nevertheless, this is an impressive move forward for women in Saudi Arabia, with one woman noting that "It is a good sign, and we have to take advantage of it…But we still need more rights."

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Voter Registration Initiatives in California

September has been an exciting and busy month for voter registration legislation in California. The state passed two new registration laws which will make the registration process more accessible. Their passage is yet another reason we're excited to celebrate voter registration this month. 

The first bill allows "new citizens"--individuals who became citizens during the two weeks before Election Day--to both register and vote at a designated location in the two weeks preceding Election Day, as well as on Election Day itself. The second bill allows county elections officials to move ahead in developing their own online registration systems. California is currently developing a statewide registration database that will enable online registration, but due to various issues, it is still a few years away from completion.

Congrats to California for expanding voter registration opportunities! 

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New Partner Spotlight

We'd like to welcome our newest partner, Lutheran Services in America, to the Nonprofit VOTE network. Lutheran Services in America and their 300 health and human services affiliates offer an array of services including health care, aging and disability support, community development, housing, and child and family strengthening. Every year, their work touches the lives of more than six million Americans.

Nonprofit VOTE is proud to partner with a variety of national, regional, statewide, and local nonprofit organizations, associations, and conveners. Nonprofit VOTE's partners are at the forefront of voter and civic engagement work in their communities and they support an integrated voter engagement model that allows them to more fully meet the needs of their clients and constituents. Their leadership demonstrates the profound impact the nonprofit and civic sector can have on the political process. We're pleased to add Lutheran Services to our growing list of national partners.

Wisconsin Board Sticks up for Students Being Allowed to Vote

From Electionline.org

A Wisconsin election board oks special stickers to help students with a new law passed this year in Wisconsin that makes their current students IDs invalid as ID to vote on Election Day.

"The Government Accountability Board, which overseas elections for the state of Wisconsin, unanimously adopted a policy this week that said universities could put stickers on existing student IDs to include information necessary to make the IDs compliant with the state’s new voter ID law. Many of the state’s student IDs do not include signatures or an expiration date which is required by the state’s voter ID law. The stickers will allow students to use their IDs without universities having to completely overhaul their ID systems."

September Webinar: Voter Registration for Nonprofits

As you may have heard, September is our favorite voter registration month, and it's this month's webinar topic too!

The ABCs of Nonpartisan Voter Registration
Thursday September 29th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Registering to vote is the first and most necessary step to becoming an active and engaged voter. This webinar will explain how your nonprofit can conduct effective, nonpartisan voter registration, emphasizing on-site strategies. Our discussion will help you decide what makes the most sense for your nonprofit given staffing, time, and other constraints. We will also share Nonprofit VOTE's new Voter Registration Toolkit and other online tools that will help you plan and execute successful voter registration activities.

Featured Presenter: Bridgette Rongitsch is a consultant with Grassroots Solutions, a firm that helps nonprofits, campaigns, and other groups organize, train, and mobilize grassroots supporters. She is the former national director of Nonprofit VOTE and previously worked as an organizer for the Minnesota Participation Project.

Do Nonprofit Staff Vote?

Survey says…yes!

Earlier this year, the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN) polled 560 nonprofit staff members to learn more about the sector's voting patterns. Respondents included 114 "executive and senior managers" and 446 "line-staff personnel," described as mid-managers, caseworkers, program and clerical staff, etc.

100% of executive and senior managers reported being registered to vote, along with 92% of line-staff. Overall, nonprofit staff were 49% more likely to be registered than the average Santa Clara county resident, where the survey was conducted. In California's 2010 midterm election, nonprofit staff turnout was 21% higher than the county average. In 2008 it was 12% higher.

In California's 2010 midterm election--which featured gubernatorial candidates--turnout among nonprofit staff was 21% higher than the rate for all county residents. In 2008 it was 12% higher. These participation rates help make the case for the sector's importance and impact, and it can also send a message to elected officials.

This study is exciting because there is almost no information on the voting habits of nonprofit staff. This data, along with other emerging research is building the quantitative case for what we already know anecdotally--that the nonprofit sector is a key player in the voter and civic participation field. Although the numbers are likely inflated due to an overestimation of self-reported behavior, Census surveys have found that the margin of error for voting questions is only a few percentage points.

Still, there are gaps to close within our ranks: respondents who identified themselves as Asian or Pacific Islander were about 12% less likely to be registered than other groups surveyed. Black respondents were about 29% less likely to have voted in the 2010 midterm election.

Nevertheless, it is safe to say that many nonprofit employees are already voting. While we often focus on the voting behavior of clients and constituents, your organization can also ensure all staff members are registered to vote by including a registration form in the paperwork for all new hires or adding a reminder to paycheck envelopes. Visit our website for materials and ideas.

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New Voter Registration Toolkit

Many states and municipalities have upcoming registration deadlines, so it's the perfect time to talk about one of our favorite voter engagement basics--voter registration!

We're pleased to present our new Voter Registration Toolkit for Nonprofits and Social Service Agencies. This toolkit describes the role nonprofits can play in registering voters and comes with:

• Seven Basic Principles for Agency-Based Voter Registration. This outline is accompanied by an easy-to-use checklist to help you plan and track your registration activities.
• A "Register to Vote" poster, available in either English or Spanish, to help you publicize your registration efforts.
• Seven Reasons Your Nonprofit Should Register Voters. This handout describes how voter registration benefits your organization, your clients, and your community.
• An online guide to voter registration for all 50 states. It includes information on eligibility and registration deadlines, links to check your registration status or download a registration form, and contact information for state and local elections officials.

The toolkit is available in both English and Spanish. Download the toolkit and associated materials directly from our website or order a print copy.

Putting It to a Vote

It's official. Question 1 will appear on the Maine ballot this November.

Earlier this year we reported that a new law had ended almost four decades of Election Day Registration (EDR) in Maine. But EDR supporters mounted a whirlwind campaign, spearheaded by the Protect Maine Votes coalition, to repeal the law and restore Election Day Registration.

They had less than a month to collect more than 57,000 signatures in order to put the issue before voters this November. They submitted over 70,000 signatures and today the secretary of state confirmed that the referendum will move forward. 

Now that it's officially on the ballot, supporters will have to make their case to voters who will answer the question, "Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Laws of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?"

Hopefully it won't be too difficult given EDR's popularity: almost 60,000 Maine voters used it in November 2008, along with 18,000 voters in the 2010 midterm.

Congrats to the Protect Maine Votes coalition on this victory--hopefully a taste of what's to come. 

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A New Look at On-Campus Voter Registration

A recent study, "Getting Registered and Getting to the Polls" examines the impact of on-campus voter registration efforts on college student turnout.

Although many schools frequently host on-campus registration drives, their success is generally evaluated solely on the number of forms collected. However, this study focuses on what happens after students register.

The authors explore whether or not students who register through an on-campus voter registration drive actually turn out to vote, and if providing basic information about the voting process to those students increases turnout.

By comparing the turnout rate of students who registered through the on-campus drives with the turnout rate of similar young people, the study found that students who registered on-campus turned out at a higher rate than young people nationwide.

And while it is important to analyze and improve on-campus registration strategies, we must also look at new and innovative ways to engage non-college youth in the political process. This includes registering eligible high school students and looking to expand pre-registration opportunities for 16 and 17-year-olds.

Because it has become difficult to reach many individuals at home, other voter mobilization efforts are increasingly important. Nonprofits and other community-based organizations are well-positioned to reach younger community members and to make the case for the importance of civic participation. By encouraging young people to register and to vote, we can increase the likelihood that they participate in both upcoming and future elections. Get started today!

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A Cause for Celebration: Voter Registration!

Yesterday Nonprofit VOTE joined MIRA and MassVOTE in registering over 1,000 new American citizens to vote following a naturalization ceremony in Boston.

This effort kicked off our annual celebration of voter registration, which we traditionally highlight in September. We choose to focus on voter registration in September because many states have voter registration deadlines in early October, up to 30 days before an election.

Although nonprofits can register voters year-round--particularly when registration is integrated into ongoing services--focusing on registration in September allows organizations to take advantage of heightened interest and visibility around an upcoming election.

Cities across the country, and even some states, are holding elections this fall and our webinar last month addressed how nonprofits can successfully increase participation rates during these critical local and municipal elections.

Visit our website for ideas and resources on how to conduct effective registration efforts. Stay tuned this month as we debut new voter registration tools and tips!

(The photo above was taken August 31, 2011 by Nonprofit VOTE staff.)