Organize a Voter Registration Drive! (Everyday Citizen)

There was a time in our nation's history when many barriers limited citizen access to the voting booth. Today, after the hard work and sacrifice of so many Americans, all citizens are guaranteed the right to have their voices heard at the polls.

As Americans, no right is more precious than the constitutional right to select our representatives to government. Yet thousands of eligible citizens are not even registered to vote. Some who think they are registered, may not actually be - if they have changed their addresses or last names.

Want to run a voter registration drive?

As recent elections proved, every vote counts. If you have not registered yet, go here for more information.

One of the most important actions you can take is to make sure the people of your community have a voice in the next election. Here's some information and ideas that will help you get started:

Set up a time and place for your drive
Get your group or team together
Notify your county clerk or county election officer
Put the word out
Get your forms and supplies together
Get familiar with the rules
Set up your table, booth or car
Register people and have fun!
Follow-up by the necessary deadlines

1. Set up a time and place for your drive.

What day? Regarding calendar dates, you will can do your drive on any calendar day - but you can't do it within the last 2 weeks before an election. Why? Because all voter registration forms have to be received by the county clerk or state office no later than 14 days before an election. So, probably the latest you should schedule your drive is the middle of October, for the November election.

Where? Citizens find many creative places to do voter registration. Young adults have had great success by setting up their drives in nightclubs, of course, with the permission of the club owners. People of all ages have run successful drives at sporting events, grocery store parking lots, libraries, college campuses, hospital lobbies - just about any place people go. Some drives involve door to door canvassing. In that case, groups normally split up into pairs and each pair takes a different street or section of town. Generally, if you have your drive on public property or by walking around, you don't have to gain permission from anyone. If you want to have your drive in a location, you may need to gain permission from the store owner or the property owner first.
What time? Well, you'll probably want to have it begin and end at times that are convenient for your group. Generally, you'll want to pick times when the most number of people will be frequenting your location.

2. Get your group or team together.

If you are a member of a club or organization, you may be able to ask around and see if any members will join you in a voter registration drive. If not, just ask family members and friends. It doesn't take many to have a successful drive. Two or three can manage a drive really well. Get everyone's commitment on the time and day.

3. Notify your county clerk or county election officer.

You do not have to have permission from your county in order to run a drive. However, most county clerks will be helpful to you. They can give you supplies, such as forms. Sometimes they will have posters or buttons too. It's also good to let your county clerk give you the rules that apply to registration drives (more about that later). And, you will want to verify the deadlines with your county clerk. Ask when you must have the completed forms in their office - very important! To find your county clerk, look in your phone book under county offices.

4. Put the word out.

If you are picking a location that a crowd will come to naturally, you may not think it necessary to hang fliers around town to announce your drive. However, many people will be pleased to know you are doing it since registering to vote on Saturday may seem very convenient to them. Here's a sample poster you can use to announce your drive.

5. Get your forms and supplies together.

Voter Registration Forms: Of course, you will need voter registration forms! There are several ways to get these forms. You will be able to get them from your county clerk or county election officer.

Flyers about Polling Places: It's a good idea to find out where the polling places are in your town (remember, they may have changed) and make up some flyers with the addresses and maybe maps. You may also be able to get this from the county clerk.

Other items you will want to have: You will definitely want to have ball point pens, clipboards, etc. If you set up a booth or table somewhere, you will not really want to sit behind it as people may be too shy to approach. So, the clipboards come in handy because you can have volunteers with forms and pens walking out into the crowds. It's not necessary to hand out "vote" buttons, particularly if your group does not have the money to spring for them, but, if you do want some, go here.

6. Get familiar with the rules.

It's extremely important to follow the rules when registering citizens to vote. Since this is a campaign website, the most important thing for you to know is that you cannot have any campaign materials (including pins, buttons, or flyers) on you or the table when you are registering voters. By law, voter registration must be strictly non-partisan. So here's some things to keep in mind:

Don't distribute material on particular candidates, political parties or issues as part of your voter registration drive. However, candidate forums are an effective and acceptable activity for congregations, and can be organized as a separate effort.

Don't offer suggestions or opinions on which party people should register for or for whom they should vote.

Remind volunteers that the effort is nonpartisan.

Don't tell anybody how you will be voting, even if they ask.

If citizens have changed their addresses or names, they do need to register again to vote.
Citizens who register, should:

be United States citizens
be residents of your state
be 18 years old or older
provide their drivers license number or social security number
sign the form with their own original signature

Registration forms must be received in the proper county office no later than 14 days prior to the election.

7. Set up your table, booth, or car.

If you are setting up somewhere, you will want to set up an inviting table. Use your imagination. Red, white and blue are always good colors. Be creative with your table - decorate it with bunting, balloons, and/or signs encouraging people to "Register to Vote Here." (But remember: no campaign material of any type is allowed to be displayed on or around the table.) If you will be canvassing neighborhoods, you might just want to load your stuff in a backpack or car.

8. Register people and have fun!

Have fun! You are helping fellow citizens fulfill one of their most important civic responsibilities. So congratulations! This is a lot better than doing nothing, right? You are doing something extremely important!

9. Follow-up by the necessary deadlines

Don't forget to submit all the forms to the right county office by the deadline!

"Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country." Franklin D. Roosevelt

The most important result of any grassroots action is - a strengthened democracy for all.

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future." President John F. Kennedy

"Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation." Martin Luther King, Jr.