Campaign and Logistics

Voter Registration

Get Info on Local Registration Laws & Deadlines

Before you begin registering people to vote, it is important to familiarize yourself with local voter registration laws and procedures.

Get Registration Forms

You can get regional voter registration forms specifically designed for your state by contacting your local election board. When requesting forms, be sure to ask whether your election board provides language assistance in Asian languages and if so, be sure to incorporate bilingual materials in your voter registration campaign. National Voter Registration Application (NVRA), which is accepted in most states.

You can download the form at:

http://www.eac.gov/voter/Register%20to%20Vote/voter_form_en

The NVRA Form can be used to:

Register out-of-town tourist and convention groups
Register people from surrounding states who work, shop or attend events in a central city
Conduct voter registration drives, especially on college community.
Register individuals at State agencies or other public offices

The NVRA Form should not be used by:

U.S. citizens living abroad and people serving in the armed forces should not use the NVRA.*

* The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) in the Office of the Secretary of Defense is responsible for administering the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. This law provides that members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, Merchant Marines and their family members may vote absentee while away from their place of voting residence, wherever stationed, within or outside the US. For more details visit www.fvap.gov, or call 1-800-438-VOTE.

Absentee Voting

Registered voters may vote by mail through requesting an absentee ballot and mailing or faxing it in to local election officials before the appointed deadline instead of going to the polls on Election Day.

Absentee voting regulations differ state to state so be sure to check your state laws.
If you live in the following states, you must vote in person the first time you vote: Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.

In order to request an absentee ballot, one must already be registered to vote.

Voting absentee can strengthen your voter registration strategy by creating more access to voting. Encouraging voters to vote via absentee ballot removes obstacles for voters in getting to the polls and reduces the amount of GOTV outreach you will need to do close to Election Day.
People who register to vote for the first time usually have to vote in person at a polling site unless they provide:

Government Issued Identification
Proof of residency (check book with address printed on checks, rent receipt, utility bills, driver’s license, government-issued mail addressed to you, or anything which may list both your name and address on the same document).

Campaign Kickoff

Pick a good week or event to begin your voter registration campaign. Your campaign kickoff is a good opportunity to: draw media attention, gain public visibility, and recruit volunteers. Try to incorporate voter registration into your organization’s existing events like opening events for organizations in the community.

Requirements for Deputization to Register Voters

A deputy voter registrar is someone certified by their state to aid others in filling out and submitting registration forms. While most states do not require volunteers to be deputized to collect and submit voter registration forms, the following states require deputy registrars: Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska and Texas. Deputization normally consists of a brief (15 min to 1 hr) seminar in which voters are instructed on how to hold voter registration drives.

Voter Registration at Special Events & Conferences

Voter registration is easy to do at events where there is a large majority of your target constituency. You know your community best, take the time with your team to brainstorm APIA Hubs in your area to hold voter registration efforts.

How to Promote Your Campaign at a Conference

Organize a registration table as part of the conference registration area.
Organize a workshop on your voter registration and education efforts. Distribute voter registration starter kits. At the end of the workshop, ask students to complete a commitment form if they plan on participating in this campaign.
After the conference is over, sort all the registration forms by state, and mail them to each respective designated secretary of state. This must be done within a couple of days or within a week (check guidelines of the states), procrastinating may invalidate the application.
Report back to APIAVote with copies of registratoion forms.

Election Day (Same Day) Voter Registration

Idaho, Minnesota, Maine, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming allow for voter registration on Election Day. People who register to vote for the first time usually have to vote in person at a polling site unless they provide:

Identification
Proof of residency (check book with address printed on checks, rent receipt, utility bills, driver’s license, government-issued mail addressed to you, or anything which may list both your name and address on the same document).

Building Voter Files

It is important to create a database for volunteers and campaign event attendees as well as a separate database for people you register to vote. The contact information is crucial for Get Out The Vote efforts closer to Election Day. Compile it and report this information with campaign event details to APIAVote’s national office.

Online Campaign

Voter registration is a mobilization campaigns now being made easier by several online resources. Registering to vote and voter education on important issues and candidates are easily found by surfing the web. The internet provides many resources for campaigns to obtain materials, network, and recruit volunteers.

Promote APIAVote's voter outreach by:

Putting WWW.APIAVOTE.ORG on your organizations website.
Sign up for the mailing list on APIAVote’s website to receive the newsletter, update on events nationwide, and breaking news.
E-mailing your listservs and networks about online voter registration, statistics, and profiles.

Utilize Online Social Networks:

Facebook & MySpace
Update your picture or status to remind others to register to vote and vote on Election Day.Add the CAUSES application to gain support for APIAVote and other voting organizations.
Create groups and events in order to build coalitions, mass message, and send out reminders for your organization’s voter registration events.
Promote MySpace’s online voter registration campaign at http://www.myspace.com/declareyourself by mass messaging, updating your profile, and posting bulletins.

Pledge Cards

Pledge cards are a good way to hold registered voters accountable to their commitment to vote as well as a good way to obtain personal contact information and seek out volunteers and coalition members. This information can be later used in GOTV efforts.

Campaign and Logistics

Voter Registration

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