Voter Engagement Starter Kit: Updated for 2012

Now that your organization has decided to endorse voting, you might be wondering what to do next. Just in time to help you make your summer plans, we've revised our Starter Kit for 2012!

A Voter Participation Starter Kit for Nonprofits and Social Service Agencies is an ideal guide for helping kick off voter participation activities at your organization.

It not only covers how to make a plan that works for your nonprofit, but it also describes a variety of voter registration, education, and get-out-the-vote activities and ideas. Whether you're looking for tips on getting buy-in, ideas for organizing events, or want to collaborate with a partner organization, the Starter Kit can help.

Whatever your capacity and interests, voter engagement can complement your organization's mission and work. Download the PDF and get voter engagement underway at your nonprofit!

Univision and ‘Ya es Hora’ National Partners Join Mayors from Top Hispanic Cities

Univision Communications Inc., the nation's leading Spanish-language media company, and the “Ya es Hora” (It's Time) national partners, announced the expansion of its civic engagement campaign through new partnerships with mayors in the top Hispanic cities to register and mobilize voters. Mayors partnering in this effort include New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Houston Mayor Bill White. Learn more.

NonprofitVOTE Store to Launch July 1st!

Nonprofit VOTE’s new store will be launching at nonprofitvote.org/store on July 1st, 2008! The new NonprofitVOTE store will feature November 4th logo T-Shirts, Hats, Stickers, Buttons, Bumper stickers and Tote bags.
Soon after, the NonprofitVOTE store will feature a special “Design-Your-Own” section, where you can pick and choose from a variety of VOTE graphics and logos and T-Shirt colors to create an individualized shirt, tote or hat.

National Campus Voter Registration Project Launches Your Vote, Your Voice

The National Campus Voter Registration Project has launched a nonpartisan, nationwide campaign to register college students, educate students about the issues and candidates, and motivate students to go to the polls on Election Day. The National Campus Voter Registration Project, is a joint effort of 50 national higher education associations that provides resources to the nation's 3,700 colleges and universities to aid campus efforts for the 2008 election.

The Your Vote, Your Voice web site includes state-by-state details on voter registration, voter education and participation activities. The campaign is targeted to campus organizers.

"In the last two presidential elections, students saw the difference that each individual vote can make," said NAICU President David L. Warren. "Civic awareness and voter engagement is on the rise on campuses across the country. If the momentum continues through the party conventions and into the fall, the student vote will not only hit a record high but it could determine our next president."

Throughout the primaries, polls have shown record levels of engagement among the nation's youth, especially with college students, who have taken on active roles in the 2008 primary season. Research by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Education (CIRCLE) found that 79 percent of the youth voting, ages 18- 29, in the 2008 Super Tuesday primaries on February 5 had attended college.

The project is co-chaired by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).

Read more.
Link
http://www.naicu.edu/news_room/national-initiative-aims-to-set-record-voter-turnout-at-colleges-and-universities

Minnesota Nonprofits Could Be Required to Register Voters

Nonprofits who are wary of election-related activities for fear of losing their 501(c)(3) status need not fear voter registration work - especially in Minnesota, where some nonprofit organizations are actually required to conduct voter registration for their employees and constituents.

At the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits' June 3rd Voter Mobilization kickoff event, coordinator Josh Winters cited statute 201.162 to Minnpost.com:

"... [A] nonprofit corporation that contracts with the state agency to carry out obligations of the state agency shall provide voter registration services for employees and the public. A person may complete a voter registration application or apply to change a voter registration name or address if the person has the proper qualifications on the date of application. Nonpartisan voter registration assistance, including routinely asking members of the public served by the agency whether they would like to register to vote and, if necessary, assisting them in preparing the registration forms must be part of the job of appropriate agency employees."

(And Minnesota isn't alone. Many other states have similar regulations for agencies that contract with the state, including............)

Other states encourage 501(c)(3)s to engage in voter registration services on a nonpartisan basis. Contact your Secretary of State for more information. To learn more about conducting nonpartisan election-related activities such as voter registration, sample ballot distribution and candidate forums, read NVEN's Toolkits or visit the 501(c)(3) Guidelines page on NonprofitVOTE.org.

Event: Alliance for Nonprofits Conference

The Alliance for Nonprofits' 2008 Annual Conference will be held in Dearborn, Michigan on July 9-11, 2008. Over 45 workshops will be offered through various session tracks: Executive Leadership for Nonprofit Managers, Senior Practioners, Public Policy, Ethics and Hot Topics.

The Alliance Exhibit Showcase will feature new products to enhance businesses and skills. Attendees will have access to plenty of networking opportunities in the exhibit showcase area as they enjoy refreshment breaks and evening receptions. Exhibitor and Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Register today!

Link
http://www.allianceonline.org/annual_conference/c08.page

Homeless Coalition Teams Up With LWV to Register Voters

The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, Florida (about us) is partnering with the League of Women Voters for the first time in their effort to make sure that homeless people enjoy their right to vote- even without a residential address.

Volunteers will begin visiting soup kitchens this week during lunch hours to register voters.

"That population doesn't trust the government very much," said Corinne Miller, LWV voter registration leader. "If they're coming for a meal at a recognized site, they know the personnel and they know we're working with them, so they'll have more trust in us."

Homeless people will be instructed to list the Supervisor of Elections Office' West Palm Beach address as their own, or a post office box. Voting by both absentee ballot and at local polling places will be encouraged.

'We're trying to restore (homeless people's) dignity to be respected as people that should be able to exercise their civil rights," said Rita Clark, ED of the Homeless Coalition. "And one of those rights is to be able to vote."

According to a 2007 census there are roughly 1,800 homeless people living in Palm Beach County.

"Some of the homeless people are probably not aware that they can vote," said Miller, "but they are affected most by the government."

(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

HeadCount Registers Voters at Bonnaroo

HeadCount- a nonpartisan voter registration organization founded by bassist Marc Brownstein of the Disco Biscuits- was at last week's Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee as part of its mission to register 100,000 summer concert-goers for the November 4th election.

HeadCount is going to all the major summer concert series and festivals this year, as well as hopping on tour with the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters, in an effort to revive the political involvement levels of music lovers around the country.

In recent years, says Brownstein, festival audiences have considered themselves outside of the political process. However, as of late HeadCount has been seeing an increased political receptiveness in music fans, reminiscent of the '60s Woodstock activist audiences. "I think it's changing and it's changing rapidly because we're able to use the platform of music to get people thinking about things outside of music." said co-founder Andy Bernstein. "If there's a core purpose to Headcount, it's to take people who are outside of the process and bring them into the process." (AP Press)

List of HeadCount's upcoming concert events.