You can be a one-person get out the vote crew, simply by checking in with your network of friends and family leading up to Election Day.
There are many ways to help get out the vote during an election season, from volunteering with a campaign to getting involved with groups like PA Colleges Vote, who help students organize to register voters and raise election awareness on campus.
You can also be a one-person get out the vote crew, simply by checking in with your network of friends and family leading up to Election Day. We’re not suggesting uncomfortable conversations about politics at a dinner party or family get together. This is all about reminding people to simply participate in the democratic process and exercise their right to vote.
Here are three ideas:
Remind your peeps to register to vote
It’s pretty simple: You can’t participate in an election if you aren’t registered to vote. Ask your friends and family if they’re registered to vote. If they are, fantastic. If they’re not, politely implore them to register ASAP. Explain to them how easy the process of registering to vote is, and that they can do it online, by mail, or in person. And make sure they understand that the deadline to register is Mon., Oct. 21.
Check in with your elders
This includes parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, along with your elderly neighbors and those friendly faces at the grocery store and your local park. Text them, call them, or pay them a visit and make sure they’ve got a plan to vote. Remind them that they don’t even have to leave the house to vote. They can apply for a mail-in ballot. Let them know about early in-person voting. And if they are planning to vote in person on Election Day, make sure they have a way to get to the polls. Offer to drive them if you’re able. If not, let them know about Drive Your Ballot, a Pennsylvania-based organization that connects voters with drivers to coordinate transportation to the polls.
Make sure your crew is informed about the candidates and issues
Again, we’re not suggesting you bring up reproductive rights at your nephew’s 10th birthday party. Just make sure your friends and family know who’s on the ballot and what issues are at stake. Point them toward trusted, nonpartisan resources. One of the most highly regarded resources that explains who and what is on the ballot is the Committee of 70. They’ve also got more election-related resources at their Voting 101 hub. And Ballotpedia is known as the “digital encyclopedia of American politics” for good reason. It’s a thoroughly detailed hub with election news and information on candidates, ballot questions, public policy analysis, and even sample ballots for your district.
Are you ready to vote? Make sure to check your voter registration status, see who’s on your ballot, and make a voting plan here.
Trump wins the White House
In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do as well as Joe Biden did in winning the...
Dave Sunday defeats Eugene DePasquale in PA Attorney General race
York County District Attorney Dave Sunday defeated former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale in the Attorney General’s race. Sunday is the first...
What happens next? A timeline of the process between voting and inauguration
My fellow Americans, we have reached the other side. Months of debate, campaign ads, unsolicited text messages, canvassers at the door, and a news...
Presidential race too close to call as vote counts continue in key swing states
Results in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin may not come in until Wednesday morning, and Arizona and Nevada are unlikely to see calls made...
Voters show enthusiasm as turnout surges across Pennsylvania on Election Day
Polling locations across Central Pennsylvania and the rest of the state witnessed an increase in voter turnout and enthusiasm on Election Day. ...