Promote Democracy by Recruiting Poll Workers

Yesterday's webinar, Poll Worker Recruitment: You Be the Judge, is now available. Thank you to Jenny Flanagan from Common Cause for joining us to discuss how nonprofits can facilitate democracy by encouraging their constituents to serve as poll workers and translators.

Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation, or browse all of our voter engagement resources.

Register now for our next webinar on how to participate in National Voter Registration Day on September 25th! Let's ensure our communities register ahead of the upcoming deadlines!

Poll Worker Recruitment Webinar on Thursday

Register now for Thursday's webinar on how your organization can encourage your constituents to serve as poll workers and help your community vote in 2012!

Poll Worker Recruitment for Nonprofits 
Thursday August 30th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Poll workers are on the front lines of helping people vote on Election Day. This year, many states have new ID requirements and voting procedures, so poll worker recruitment and training will be critical to the Election Day experience. Your nonprofit can ensure that poll workers represent and are familiar with your community by encouraging staff, volunteers, and constituents to serve as poll workers. In many areas, translators are also needed to assist non-English speaking voters by translating voting information and answering questions. Learn how your nonprofit can help facilitate democracy in your community by recruiting poll workers, translators, and poll monitors.

Featured Presenter: Jenny Rose Flanagan is the Director of Voting and Elections at Common Cause, where she works with state and national leaders to improve election policy and administration at both the federal and state level. She previously served as the Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause, leading the organization through the successful passage of Colorado's ethics law, and is a primary founder of Just Vote! Colorado Election Protection, Colorado's election monitoring program.

Registration Improvements for California Voters

California is poised to become the newest Election Day Registration (EDR) state. Currently, Californians must be registered two weeks ahead of Election Day, but under a new bill eligible voters would be allowed to register up to and on Election Day.

If Governor Brown signs the bill, California will join ten other states and the District of Columbia in allowing some form of same day registration--but it would not take effect until 2016 after the completion of a statewide voter database.

EDR is implemented differently in every state, and in California, voters needing to register on Election Day would have to visit a county registrar's office (rather than their regular polling station) where they would be able to register and vote.

But that's not all: beginning in September of this year, California voters will be able to register to vote online. For about six weeks leading up to the October 22nd registration deadline, voters will likely be able to register in "a one-click process."

Although California voters can currently enter their information online and have a registration form automatically populated, they are still required to print, sign, and mail the form.

Online registration is made possible by coordination between the databases of the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles, authorized by law last fall. Not only will online registration streamline the process for voters, it will also save counties staff time and money by reducing data input from paper forms and eliminating possible data-entry errors.

Although Secretary of State Bowen said her office will undertake an extensive public awareness campaign once the system is operational, she expects that "an awareness campaign will take care of itself." Let's help the good news travel fast ahead of November 6th!

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New York to Improve Voter Registration at DMVs

Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a new system to simplify and modernize voter registration.

Currently, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers register to vote each year at a Department of Motor Vehicles office where they fill out a paper form, which the DMV then mails to each county's Board of Elections.

This multi-step process is outdated and error-prone, as a 2004 New York City study found typos in 20% of records.

However, under the new system, DMV offices will collect voter registration applications electronically and automatically pass that information directly to the Board of Elections. Moreover, eligible voters with a driver's license will be able to register to vote or update their registration online without having to print and mail any forms.

This paperless registration system will likely improve New York's low registration rate--64% of eligible voters are registered, making New York 48th in the nation for voter registration.

Only 17.6% New York's voter registrations come from DMVs, but nationally this number is more than 30%. In Washington, the number of voter registration transactions at DMVs doubled after automation and in South Dakota it grew almost eightfold.

Twelve other states have fully automated registration at DMVs, and nine more have partial automation. Eleven states have online registration. Streamlining registration at DMVs increases accuracy, minimizes the potential for fraud and saves money, all while increasing registrations. Arizona's Maricopa County recouped its startup costs for an automated registration system in a single election, saving over $450,000.

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Partner Spotlight: OhioVOTES

OhioVOTES, a project of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), is hosting three voter engagement trainings in September. Ohio nonprofits are invited to either Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati to learn how to mobilize and motivate your staff, board, volunteers, and the people your organization serves.

The trainings are free and will cover voter engagement guidelines for 501(c)(3) organizations, ideas for educating and motivating your community, and the latest election laws in Ohio. Nonprofit executives, board members, program staff, and volunteers are all encouraged to attend and CEU credits are available.

If you're a nonprofit in Ohio--or know one--register now for a September training in the city closest to you! OhioVOTES is a nonpartisan voter participation initiative that supports and expands the ability of nonprofits to get people involved in and excited about voting.

August Webinar: Recruiting Poll Workers

We can't have Election Day without poll workers and translators! Encourage your constituents to serve as poll workers and help your community vote in 2012.

Poll Worker Recruitment for Nonprofits 
Thursday August 30th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Poll workers are on the front lines of helping people vote on Election Day. This year, many states have new ID requirements and voting procedures, so poll worker recruitment and training will be critical to the Election Day experience. Your nonprofit can ensure that poll workers represent and are familiar with your community by encouraging staff, volunteers, and constituents to serve as poll workers. In many areas, translators are also needed to assist non-English speaking voters by translating voting information and answering questions. Learn how your nonprofit can help facilitate democracy in your community by recruiting poll workers, translators, and poll monitors.

Featured Presenter: Jenny Rose Flanagan is the Director of Voting and Elections at Common Cause, where she works with state and national leaders to improve election policy and administration at both the federal and state level. She previously served as the Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause, leading the organization through the successful passage of Colorado's ethics law, and is a primary founder of Just Vote! Colorado Election Protection, Colorado's election monitoring program.

Vote 2012: The Nonprofit Difference

The following appeared in the Summer 2012 issue of The Provider, the flagship publication of the Providers' Council.

Many nonprofits see voter outreach as something beyond the scope of the services they provide, leaving their clients to instead rely on the efforts of candidates and party campaigns. As a result, many potential voters receive no assistance at all.

Factors like being nonpartisan, financial and time concerns, and a lack of resources and support further compound the situation.

Nonprofits CAN participate.

However, nonprofits can participate. It's true that 501(c)(3) nonprofits are required to be nonpartisan, but nonpartisan does not mean non-participation. Nonprofits are realizing that voter engagement doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Many organizations now recognize the value of voter engagement as a key component in their advocacy toolkit and are no longer watching passively from the sidelines on Election Day.

Organizations like the Providers' Council—a long-time partner of Nonprofit VOTE—have led this transition in recent years by bringing voter engagement into the sector mainstream through initiatives like CareVote. The Council is joined by others like CalNonprofits which encourages California nonprofits to "Vote with Your Mission" and the National Association of Community Health Centers with its ongoing Community Health Vote project.

Participation is EASY.

Voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote work is most effective when nonprofits incorporate activities and conversations into ongoing services. There is no need to develop a new voter registration program when organizations can simply ask clients about registering to vote during intake or while updating their information.

Participation is EFFECTIVE.

Perhaps most importantly, the agency-based approach is effective. Research conducted with human service agencies in Detroit during the 2010 midterm election demonstrated that when nonprofits talked to their clients about voting they were not only more likely to vote, but also more likely to talk to their friends and family about voting. This year Nonprofit VOTE has partnered with CareVote to conduct additional research in Massachusetts and ten other states to further explore best practices for nonprofit service providers.

Participation HELPS nonprofits' missions.

The ballot box is critical to nonprofits' larger advocacy and policy efforts.

Elected officials pay attention to which communities and which populations turn out and are generally more responsive to organizations involved in registering voters and encouraging turnout. Voting is good for the people nonprofits serve, as voters are more likely to contact elected officials, talk to their neighbors, and actively engage with their communities.

But ultimately the only way to have representatives and laws that support your work is to vote and to encourage other people to do the same. Voting is an extension of your dedication to providing quality care and services, which is why it's equally important to encourage the people you serve to vote.

JOIN US. (And get stickers!)

As a member of the Providers' Council, your organization is already deeply involved in your community and invested in its future. We want to invite you to take the next step and support voting.

Your community contains distinct voices with specific needs. By conducting nonpartisan voter engagement your organization can help lift these concerns and empower your clients and constituents to participate in 2012.

Join a nationwide nonprofit campaign to support voting November 6 and send a message to your clients, constituents, and community. Plus every organization that signs on will receive a free "Vote November 6" kit and be eligible for weekly raffles for buttons and stickers to help raise awareness in your community.

This year, nonprofits in Massachusetts and across the country are engaging their communities around elections in greater numbers than ever. Nonprofit VOTE and the Providers' Council want to help you do more, both now and after the election. We have materials and resources to help you get buy-in, make a plan, and achieve success. With your added efforts, we can make nonprofit voices heard at the polls like never before.

Get Your "Vote November 6" Poster!

We're pleased to debut our "Vote November 6" poster design for 2012!

Order yours by signing up to support voting November 6th! You can choose to receive just the poster or a full "Vote November 6" kit which includes a poster, button, and stickers to help your nonprofit promote the election.

After ordering a copy, download the poster or additional 2012 designs, available through our partnership with AIGA. Browse AIGA's full get-out-the-vote design gallery.

Additional posters are available for purchase in bulk. Interested in other swag? Visit our online store and get 15% off your entire order when you use promo code VOTE2012--valid only through August 13.

NASS Declares Sept. 25 National Voter Registration Day

The National Association of Secretaries of State has officially declared September 25th, 2012 National Voter Registration Day! Read the full release.

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) is a nonpartisan professional organization for state officials and its members include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa. NASS facilitates the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy--including voting and election initiatives.

This declaration, coming from a leading bi-partisan organization of state elections leaders, further reinforces the importance of registering and voting in 2012.

On September 25, nonprofits and volunteers across the country will engage their communities to help register or re-register thousands of voters ahead of various deadlines. National Voter Registration Day is a great one-day activity that any nonprofit can leverage to help their community register and vote.

Your organization can still sign on to participate in National Voter Registration Day. In order to receive a hard-copy toolkit, be sure to register before September 1st.

Learn how your nonprofit can get involved in National Voter Registration Day and help your community participate in 2012!

Nonprofit Voter Registration Webinar Resources

Yesterday's webinar, Ready, Set, Register: Nonprofit Voter Registration, is now available. Thank you to Isela Gutiérrez-Gunter from Democracy North Carolina for joining us to discuss how your nonprofit can raise participation rates in 2012 by registering voters.

Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation, or browse all of our nonprofit voter registration resources.

Visit the National Voter Registration Day website to learn how your organization can get involved on September 25th!

70 (Week)days of Get-Out-the-Vote Posters!

We're kicking off our countdown to November 6th with 70 (week)days of posters!

Every weekday from now until Election Day we'll be sharing a different poster design from AIGA's get-out-the-vote galleries.

As part of their Design for Democracy program, AIGA--the professional association for design--has invited their members to create nonpartisan posters and videos that inspire the American public to participate in the electoral process and vote in the 2012 general election.

Let's use these designs to get the nonprofit community into the voting spirit! All submissions can be viewed as PDF files, downloaded, and printed. Share your favorites online or print and hang them at your organization to inspire your community to participate on November 6th!

Follow us on Twitter to get your daily get-out-the-vote reminder in poster form! Today's poster: Don't forget to Check It. 

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