Webinar Materials: Nonpartisan Guidelines for Voter Engagement

Yesterday's webinar, Being Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Nonprofits Doing Voter Engagement, is now available. It describes how nonprofits can engage their communities through nonpartisan voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote efforts. 

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 resources on how to stay nonpartisan while conducting voter engagement.

Be sure to check our 2013 webinar schedule for upcoming trainings.

Thursday: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Voter Engagement

There's still time to register for this week's webinar on how nonprofits can conduct nonpartisan voter engagement work!

Being Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Nonprofits Doing Voter Engagement
Thursday March 21st, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Unsure what it means to be nonpartisan when engaging voters and connecting to candidates around elections? Join our next training when we'll review what your organization can do on a nonpartisan basis to help your constituents and community vote through voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote efforts. Topics include candidate forums, ballot measures, nonpartisan use of social media, and what nonprofit staff and volunteers can do in personal time. Register now and help raise participation rates in your community!

Featured Presenter: George Pillsbury is the founder and Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE. In 2005, he joined with state and national nonprofit partners to launch Nonprofit VOTE as a resource for 501(c)(3) nonprofits wishing to conduct nonpartisan election activities. As its director, he has authored numerous nonpartisan voter engagement toolkits and guides, including Nonprofits, Voting and Elections: A Guide for 501(c)(3)s, A Nonprofit's Guide to Hosting a Candidate Forum, and a series of factsheets on nonprofits and election activity. His work spans four decades in the nonprofit sector working in the fields of philanthropy, social investing, and voter and civic participation.

Do Voters Contacted by Social Service Agencies Vote?

Last year, 87 service providers in nine states tracked approximately 41,000 voters they registered or had sign a voter pledge card. There were 15,393 voter registrations and 25,416 voter pledges. Now, we're using that data to measure the impact of nonprofit voter engagement and highlight effective strategies for nonprofits. We're excited about what we're learning. Here's the progress report so far:

1. Voter File Match: We're matching the 41,000 voters to state voter files to find out if they're officially listed as registered voters. Our match rate so far is 94%--high given our low-income and mobile populations.

2. Comparing Turnout Rates: For voters matched, we will compare voter turnout rates to average turnout rates for the state and various demographic groups.

3. Learning about our Voters: The state voter file, enhanced with data from research partners, will tell us who our nonprofits are reaching. What is their background and are they first time or infrequent voters? Demographic information on age, gender, ethnicity, and income can generate detailed turnout reports. Turnout rates can also be compared among groups, as well as for each agency and type of contact--either a voter registration or voter pledge.

We'll have additional details to share once the voter file match is complete and we start processing data. A full report, including case studies and data summaries, will be released in May. Stay tuned!

America Goes to the Polls 2012: State by State Turnout

With elections now certified in all 50 states, Nonprofit VOTE is pleased to release the latest edition of America Goes to the Polls--a report on national turnout and voting trends. Despite Hurricane Sandy and a slew of proposed or enacted state-level changes in voting procedures, an estimated 58.7% of eligible voters cast ballots on November 6th. Although turnout was below 2008's benchmark high, it still exceeded turnout for most presidential elections of the last 40 years--even in spite of steep drop off in hurricane-impacted states like New York and New Jersey. Here are other highlights from the report:

• Minnesota was number one in the country in voter turnout. Hawaii was last, while Wisconsin and Colorado came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
• Seven of the top ten turnout states had Election Day Registration, swing state status or both. Voter turnout in Election Day Registration states was 12 points higher than in states without it.
• 96% of television ad spending went to ten battleground states--this number represents spending by presidential campaigns and allied groups between April 11th and November 6th.
• Voters continue to embrace early voting. National polls showed that 33-40% of voters voted early in-person or by mail, up from 31% in 2008 and 23% in 2004.
• Youth turnout is growing in both size and diversity. Young voters ages 18-29 increased their share of national voter turnout from 18% in 2008 to 19% in 2012. The percent of eligible young voters who are minorities rose to 42% in 2012.

Read the full report for additional information on 2012 turnout and historic trends.

Next Webinar: Nonpartisan Guidelines for 501(c)(3) Voter Engagement

How does a nonprofit conduct nonpartisan voter engagement work? Find out during our next webinar:

Being Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Nonprofits Doing Voter Engagement
Thursday March 21st, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Unsure what it means to be nonpartisan when engaging voters and connecting to candidates around elections? Join our next training when we'll review what your organization can do on a nonpartisan basis to help your constituents and community vote through voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote efforts. Topics include candidate forums, ballot measures, nonpartisan use of social media, and what nonprofit staff and volunteers can do in personal time. Register now and help raise participation rates in your community!

Featured Presenter: George Pillsbury is the founder and Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE. In 2005, he joined with state and national nonprofit partners to launch Nonprofit VOTE as a resource for 501(c)(3) nonprofits wishing to conduct nonpartisan election activities. As its director, he has authored numerous nonpartisan voter engagement toolkits and guides, including Nonprofits, Voting and Elections: A Guide for 501(c)(3)s, A Nonprofit's Guide to Hosting a Candidate Forum, and a series of factsheets on nonprofits and election activity. His work spans four decades in the nonprofit sector working in the fields of philanthropy, social investing, and voter and civic participation.