As Leagues ramp up election preparations, this guide is meant to provide resources to support your League’s work as we navigate the expected and unprecedented challenges of ensuring that people get to fully participate in our democracy. This toolkit is to help with public education, outreach, and action in the lead up to the election. It follows the flow of key dates and the resources needed to make your election related activities stand out and have the biggest impact!
Before getting started, we recommend that you first review LWVUS’ Guidance and Considerations for the 2020 General Election which outlines additional advocacy and communications strategies to be applied to your election plans.
For resources and considerations related to additional COVID-specific circumstances, please see our COVID guidance page.
Please visit the organizing team's bi-weekly training and monthly community call schedules which will serve as places for additional collaboration, learning, and expanding on existing efforts!
Because of the constant changes to the election processes in states, ongoing public education around election processes and participation will be critical.
The League's mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. We know that part of empowering voters means getting people part of the process through civic engagement and de-mystifying election processes. Defending democracy means that we will fight against voter suppression to make sure voices are heard. Below, please find talking points, blogs, and resources navigate common trends this election season!
The Postal Service is an essential service used to get people critical resources like personal medication, paychecks, and--in this election season--their ballots. We must ensure that people have the information they need to cast their ballots and make their voices count. Protecting the Postal Service combined with getting people the information they need to vote is necessary to support our democracy. Below are talking points, actions, and additional resources when developing your organizing strategy and plan around this work:
7 Actions you, your League, and network can take:
Make your voting plan now!
1. Apply for your mail-in ballot now and encourage your networks to do the same! Or find a polling place or drop box near you!
2. Make an early voting plan and encourage others to do the same! Provide videos or pictures of people in your Leagues making your early voting plan.
3. Use VOTE411 to share updated election information! Including voter registration deadlines, ballot request deadlines, and locations and ways for people to return completed ballots!
Provide Celebratory Moments and Ways to increase trust and relationship with Postal Workers!
4. Tell your postal worker why they matter to you! Share a note to a postal worker and add a picture on Facebook or Instagram!
Demand Equal Access to the ballot box!
5. Advocate for increased drop boxes! Contact your elections officials to secure drop boxes accessible to the public and communities!
6. Support poll worker recruitment and safety at the polls! Poll workers play a critical role in making sure poll locations can open up and run on time.
Maximize your impact!
7. Engage your networks and increase your reach and impact through relational organizing!
Educational resources, tools, and social media:
100 Days and 100 Ways to Get Ready for Election Day. Providing the public with a list of easy ways to get involved is a great way to increase public engagement. Adapting things like this to social media graphics, also allows for seamless civic and League engagement!
Check out our 2020 Election Social Media Materials which will be updated with key messages and examples that Leagues can leverage
Here are two examples from LWV of FL of effective public education tactics as they break down a process into simple steps and utilize other trusted messengers.
Video: How do we confirm that our vote-by-mail ballot has been received and counted?
Social media post with simple reminder: Sign your ballot
LWVUS In the news:
Want examples of how to put talking points to use and engage the media? Check out these recent articles featuring LWV:
Need help or want to share? Contact the organizing team at [email protected]!
Check out our DEI webinar series!
We are not the only organization focused on ensuring that every person has equal access to the ballot! Strengthen your efforts by partnering with local organizations and community leaders to support the messaging and efforts of others to reach the most people.
Relational organizing believes in the power that each individual member’s network brings to the collective. Each one of us can leverage our pre-existing relationships and networks. We can reach out to our family, friends, neighbors and colleagues and maximize our impact as a trusted messenger as we do so! Here are tips for relational organizing strategies:
Preparing for the voting season provides the opportunity to share our mission with the country and to engage current and new volunteers. Election season provides many opportunities for recruitment and new ways to engage old and new volunteers and members to work together.
Growing an effective volunteer base is an intentional process—even if it is for one event. When volunteers have a positive experience with the League, we increase their likelihood to stay committed to our work and to come back for more! The elements of a great volunteer program include coming up with a plan, an ask, training, thoughts for growth, and investment in culture.
This two part volunteer management training helps Leagues get focused and ready for the election season and beyond!
Leagues are thinking outside the box and reaching voters where they are to encourage everyone to get registered and update their registration ahead of time. Whether you plan to share registration information virtually or in-person this year, every one of us can help make sure our communities are registered.
View the complete LWV Guidance for Voter Registration Activities During COVID-19. Key takeaways include:
Trainings
Resources
Have additional questions? Reach out to [email protected]!
Getting out the vote will be ongoing and will include a combination of public education, engagement, digital and in-person strategies, and more! Be sure to partner with other local organizations and community leaders to ensure that you are reaching targeted communities.
Direct voter contact is key to increasing voter turnout – especially among young people and first-time voters. LWVEF is happy to provide these tools for Leagues working to conduct effective get out the vote! Review our GOTV Best Practices Guide!
GOTV and Election Prep Trainings and calls
Tips and resources
Ongoing: addressing misinformation and instilling confidence in our systems:
National Vote Early Day is October 24th! Use this sign up form to get your League registered!
While Vote Early Day is October 24th, we want to ensure that October is full of many different activities and messages to capitalize on the momentum around early voting nationwide to get out the vote. Below are some ideas to build up momentum to get out the vote throughout the early voting season.
Bring Your Own Ballot (BYOB) virtual parties are a great way to make sure that no mistakes are made completing your ballot, so your vote is counted. You can use VOTE411.ORG to find all you need to know about voting in your community and share that information with your friends and neighbors at the party! Here is a very simple toolkit to help you organize your BYOB party. We want to recognize Washington DC League President, Kathy Chiron, for sharing this great idea with us!
Use relational organizing to make the biggest impact!
Sign up for OutreachCircle to spread the word about key dates and processes and give people information about changes as they happen!
Have additional questions? Reach out to [email protected]!
Poll workers are critical cogs in ensuring a healthy democracy and working election system. Poll workers are necessary for running in-person election efforts. Because of limited funding in states for elections, much of the work of poll worker recruitment this year will fall on nonprofits like the League of Women Voters. We saw that during many primary elections, poll workers left or did not show up because of unsafe circumstances. To help anticipate this potential challenge, advocate for poll workers to have the equipment and space they need to remain safe and recruit more poll workers than you would typically need!
Events and tools:
Tips from the field!
The League serves an important role of connecting voters needs with elections officials. Working closely with elections officials at the state and local level helps give us the insight needed to know how to best plug in and support elections officials, how to get voters needs are met, and how to bring diverse voices to the table.
Building relationships with elections officials and county clerks allows the Leagues to also assist elections officials.
Tips from the field:
League examples of work with Elections Officials:
