How can I sign up to register voters in a swing state this summer?
February 10, 2020 1:59 PM Subscribe
My family would like to spend a month volunteering this summer (doing something which makes it more likely that we’ll have a Dem president in 2020). Since we don’t live in a swing state, we plan to travel. Can you help me figure out how to plan this? Details inside.
We have writing, research, teaching and administrative skills; I think the ideal would be a situation where we could do administrative work for a voting rights organization, or be seated behind a table registering people to vote at a college, something like that. (Calling and door-knocking are less desirable because of shyness; I also don’t know when we will have a candidate.). We’ve been talking about Wisconsin or Arizona in June, though we are flexible about all the details.
How can I find us an organization that can truly use us in this time period?
We have writing, research, teaching and administrative skills; I think the ideal would be a situation where we could do administrative work for a voting rights organization, or be seated behind a table registering people to vote at a college, something like that. (Calling and door-knocking are less desirable because of shyness; I also don’t know when we will have a candidate.). We’ve been talking about Wisconsin or Arizona in June, though we are flexible about all the details.
How can I find us an organization that can truly use us in this time period?
NextGen America organizes voter registration drives, and they are mobilizing in Arizona. Lots of tabling opportunities now; might be less during summer months when students are off.
Let me gently nudge you to consider knocking on doors. Don't knock it (heh) until you've tried it! It is hands-down the most effective way to reach voters and affect change in an election. It is hard work so a lot of people don't want to do it; there is always a strong need. Professional field organizers, some of the funnest people on the face of the planet, will love you forever if you show up with a good attitude ready to work. People are, on the whole, way nicer than you might expect them to be (way nicer than they are on the phone to a faceless voice). You get exercise and you get to look at homes (like your own personal HGTV).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:15 PM on February 10, 2020 [12 favorites]
Let me gently nudge you to consider knocking on doors. Don't knock it (heh) until you've tried it! It is hands-down the most effective way to reach voters and affect change in an election. It is hard work so a lot of people don't want to do it; there is always a strong need. Professional field organizers, some of the funnest people on the face of the planet, will love you forever if you show up with a good attitude ready to work. People are, on the whole, way nicer than you might expect them to be (way nicer than they are on the phone to a faceless voice). You get exercise and you get to look at homes (like your own personal HGTV).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:15 PM on February 10, 2020 [12 favorites]
Great idea. Many voters in the South have trouble getting to locations to register. Maybe you could help. Check out Fair Fight.
posted by theora55 at 4:19 PM on February 10, 2020
posted by theora55 at 4:19 PM on February 10, 2020
You might contact the party offices in the states you are considering.
I expect that in June, Wisconsin will have more pleasant weather than Arizona will.
posted by NotLost at 7:47 PM on February 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
I expect that in June, Wisconsin will have more pleasant weather than Arizona will.
posted by NotLost at 7:47 PM on February 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Hi. I run a nonpartisan voter registration program in Wisconsin. If you wanted to come work for us for a month, we could absolutely put you to work, primarily knocking doors in low-turnout wards in Dane and Milwaukee Counties, helping voters check their registration, registering them if necessary, and providing information and assistance to help them comply with our draconian Voter ID law. There could be some tabling work (I could hook you up with some folks who camp out at Milwaukee DMVs all day doing registration) but you need to understand that successful tabling requires you to be even more outgoing than canvassing, because you need to be willing and able to get peoples' attention, draw them away from the task they came in for, etc. The way you would plan this is by sending me a memail, and we would start to talk about dates when training is available and what a schedule would look like for you.
If you are committed to only doing partisan work... have you contacted the Democratic Party of Wisconsin or the Arizona Democratic Party? They regularly have people show up to help out, and they will sit you down next to the interns and give you stuff to do all day. It will likely not be a lot of voter registration, but it will be stuff that needs doing. Another possibility in Arizona would be contacting the Kelly senate campaign. Anything that helps him will likely help a presidential candidate as well.
Finally, listen to TPS about knocking doors. I used to always refuse to canvass, opting for phone banks. Then I tried canvassing. It's so much more fun, and SO MUCH more effective. You get to really check out new neighborhoods, have authentic conversations with interesting people, pass judgment on strangers' landscaping choices, and breathe fresh air. Nonpartisan canvassing is even better than partisan. If you knock doors for the presidential campaign, you'll talk to people who are sick and tired of being reminded to vote. If you knock doors for me, you'll talk to people who have never before been invited to participate in democracy.
posted by juliapangolin at 7:53 PM on February 10, 2020 [8 favorites]
If you are committed to only doing partisan work... have you contacted the Democratic Party of Wisconsin or the Arizona Democratic Party? They regularly have people show up to help out, and they will sit you down next to the interns and give you stuff to do all day. It will likely not be a lot of voter registration, but it will be stuff that needs doing. Another possibility in Arizona would be contacting the Kelly senate campaign. Anything that helps him will likely help a presidential candidate as well.
Finally, listen to TPS about knocking doors. I used to always refuse to canvass, opting for phone banks. Then I tried canvassing. It's so much more fun, and SO MUCH more effective. You get to really check out new neighborhoods, have authentic conversations with interesting people, pass judgment on strangers' landscaping choices, and breathe fresh air. Nonpartisan canvassing is even better than partisan. If you knock doors for the presidential campaign, you'll talk to people who are sick and tired of being reminded to vote. If you knock doors for me, you'll talk to people who have never before been invited to participate in democracy.
posted by juliapangolin at 7:53 PM on February 10, 2020 [8 favorites]
You don’t want to be in Arizona in June. Nobody does. Temperatures of 115 are not unusual. Any other swing state would be better.
posted by permiechickie at 4:46 AM on February 11, 2020
posted by permiechickie at 4:46 AM on February 11, 2020
Best answer: As you decide which state you’ll travel to, can I also suggest that you look into how they handle certification of volunteers and the actual registration part? I’m a volunteer deputy registrar here in Texas, and we have a system (seemingly) designed to make it difficult. You want to make sure you work in a state that handles it well!
In order to actually register people here, you have to be certified in each county that you plan to work. Certification means an hour of training (scheduled perhaps once per month) with a test at the end. Some counties will let you bypass this part if you are certified in another county, others will not. Some counties ask you to use their carbon copy registration booklets, others do not. If you do not get certified in a county, you are only allowed to hand out the mail-in cards and hope that they eventually get dropped in a mailbox. Which I suppose is better than nothing, but fairly suboptimal. It’s worth it to go through this hassle if you’re here for an extended time, or if you plan to stay in a fairly limited geographic area, but probably not under your circumstances.
In case you were wondering, this is one symptom of why, despite a quite diverse and increasingly urban population, Texas is still not blue. And, uh, sorry, this post seems to have turned into a rant. But great on you that you are wanting to do this! It’s really rewarding signing people up to vote.
posted by Cecilia Rose at 7:04 AM on February 12, 2020
In order to actually register people here, you have to be certified in each county that you plan to work. Certification means an hour of training (scheduled perhaps once per month) with a test at the end. Some counties will let you bypass this part if you are certified in another county, others will not. Some counties ask you to use their carbon copy registration booklets, others do not. If you do not get certified in a county, you are only allowed to hand out the mail-in cards and hope that they eventually get dropped in a mailbox. Which I suppose is better than nothing, but fairly suboptimal. It’s worth it to go through this hassle if you’re here for an extended time, or if you plan to stay in a fairly limited geographic area, but probably not under your circumstances.
In case you were wondering, this is one symptom of why, despite a quite diverse and increasingly urban population, Texas is still not blue. And, uh, sorry, this post seems to have turned into a rant. But great on you that you are wanting to do this! It’s really rewarding signing people up to vote.
posted by Cecilia Rose at 7:04 AM on February 12, 2020
Response by poster: Thank you very much, everybody!
And I sent you a memail, juliapangolin — looking forward to hearing from you.
posted by hungrytiger at 2:22 PM on February 13, 2020
And I sent you a memail, juliapangolin — looking forward to hearing from you.
posted by hungrytiger at 2:22 PM on February 13, 2020
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posted by hungrytiger at 2:01 PM on February 10, 2020