GUIDE TO VOTER REGISTRATION
Young voters traditionally have lower voter registration rates than their older counterparts – but you can help buck the trend! Register your friends, family, colleagues, fellow students, and community members and help us secure Democratic victories! VOTER REGISTRATION LAWS It is very important to be aware of voter registration laws and deadlines in your state, city, and/or county North Dakota does not require voter registration. Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Wyoming, and Idaho allow sameday registration (meaning you can register up to and on Election Day). Other states set their deadlines weeks or even months before Election Day. Local and state laws have been changed to reflect the National Voter Registration Act (known as the “Motor Voter” law because it allows people to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license), and in most cases, laws have been relaxed to allow for more comprehensive registration efforts. Typically, state voter registration and elections fall under the jurisdiction of the secretary of state or commissioner of elections; their websites should have helpful information. Keep in mind that some states restrict who is eligible to conduct voter registration drives, so be sure to read about any relevant restrictions. For more information on registration laws and deadlines, and to access the National Voter Registration application, go to http://www.eac.gov/docs/nvra.pdf. Also, contact your county elections commission, clerk’s office, registrar, or whichever office handles elections on the city, county, or local level.
They can provide you with voter registration forms (try to request and collect the forms well before your planned registration activities, and re-stock when you get low on forms). See if they can also provide you with a “Frequently Asked Questions” guide or other information to have as an on-the-spot resource for questions, and keep their phone number handy during your registration drives. Ask for locations of local polling sites and whom to contact in the event of a problem on Election Day. A little research at the beginning can go a long way towards helping things run smoothly on Election Day. Be sure all of your volunteers are aware of voter registration laws and other important information before embarking on a voter registration drive. The beginning of the school year is an ideal time to register students, as freshman may be voting for the first time, and upperclassman may have recently changed addresses. A federal law, the 1998 Higher Education Act, requires all colleges and universities to make voter registration forms available to all students. A 1979 Supreme Court decision ensures that students are legally allowed to register at their college residence address. However, universities and the local community may not be as cooperative as one would hope. Many states, counties, and cities have restrictive laws about student voter registration. Campuses, even large schools encompassing many precincts, may not have polling locations on-campus. Be aware of these laws and know the polling locations for on-campus students. Ask students or community members if problems have occurred on area campuses in the past. CONDUCTING VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES Once you are aware of registration laws, establish a timeline, working backward from the voter registration deadline date. This will provide you with enough time to reach out to all of your targeted voters. Find out when major events are being held in the community or on campus before the registration deadline, and include them on the timeline so you remember to attend and register participants. Have College Democrats sign-up sheets and materials at each event, as well, to gather contact information for people interested in becoming involved. Think outside the box. Are other groups or candidates planning voter registration drives in your area? Can you team up to cover more territory? If a non-partisan voter registration drive is being conducted, can you have a College Democrats volunteer team present to sign-up new supporters?
For colleges, contact the Student Government Association to see if campus groups are already planning voter registration drives. And be sure to let the campaign or local party know about your upcoming plans, so efforts aren’t duplicated. Don’t forget about absentee ballots. Have information for those voting absentee whenever you register voters. This is especially important for students or co-workers who are may live in non-targeted states but are registered in battleground states. For detailed information, check out the Harvard Institute of Politics State-byState Guide to Absentee Voting website at http://www.iop.harvard.edu/programs/natlcampaign/absentee_ballot_guide.pdf. Also check to see if your state has a vote-by-mail program and if so, encourage people to vote early. Suggested voter registration locations include: Community events, concerts, fairs, sports events, movie festivals, public transportation stops, libraries, parks. Areas frequented by young people, such as shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants, and movie theatres. Office buildings and factories with a young work force. Apartment complexes or neighborhoods with predominantly young residents. Houses of worship and community organizations – but make sure it is legal and that you obtain permission in advance. Hot spots on campus, such as the student union, dining halls during meal time, the library, the bookstore, and bus stops. Create a “dorm storm” system where a group of volunteers go door-to-door in dorms. Ask professors if you can bring voter registration forms to class one day and speak briefly about the importance of voting.
Needed materials: Lots and lots of voter registration forms, with a sample form already filled out to use as an example Absentee ballot requests forms College Democrats sign-up sheets Signs or other visibility items Clipboards Pens and pencils
HELPFUL TIPS
Sign-up people for College Democrats as you register (or, if legal, photocopy voter registration forms before you hand them in) to collect names, address, phone numbers, and email addresses for follow-up and get out the vote efforts. Also ask enthusiastic supporters if they would like to volunteer for the campaign. Encourage students to register at their university address. Many students may already be registered in their home towns, but remind them that school is their home for eight months of the year. Local elected officials and community members are more likely to take student voices seriously if there are strong registration numbers on campus. If you live in a battleground state, stress the importance of voting in states likely to have close election results. (Battleground states include: New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Washington.) Educate others. As you register, pass out a flyer with polling locations, websites, and other information for newly registered voters. Ask people to fill out voter registration forms at your table or event, so you can be sure the form is filled out correctly to help prevent confusion or problems on Election Day. Registration forms may be disqualified if applicants fail to fill out the form completely (for example, you need to affirm that you are a United States citizen in two places on the form; applicants need to check the box AND sign the bottom.) Tell applicants who register by mail that they should include a photocopy of some form of identification with their address on it (this should be the address where you are registering to vote – a utility or phone bill will suffice if your driver’s license does not list the state where you are registering). Just to be on the safe side, first-time voters should also bring the original identification (with your voter registration address on it) and a photo ID with you to the polls on Election Day. Give people a reason to vote! Tie the importance of voting to a particular issue; local issues are an especially good motivator. For students, the rising cost of education is an issue that hits home. Remind them that, especially given the close presidential elections results in 2000, every vote makes a difference! Be sensitive to cultural differences. Try to have bilingual volunteers and literature. Note important religious holidays.
Be aware of the schedules of those you are registering (for instance, don’t go door-to-door too early in the morning on college campuses). REGISTERING ONLINE People may ask if you can register to vote online. The answer is, yes and no. While you can locate your state’s registration form online, you must print out the form, sign it, and mail or fax it in to the appropriate office for your state or county. Many websites offer easy step-by-step online registration with good instructions. You can direct people to the Democratic National Committee’s link, https://electionimpact.votenet.com/dnc/?CFID=2763851&CFTOKEN=37404809. The Federal Election Commission provides the National Voter Registration Form, http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm, and also a list of states that require their own form. Several youth organizations focus on registering new voters, and their websites provide additional information. Check out the Youth Vote Coalition, http://www.youthvote.org/index.cfm, or Rock The Vote, http://www.rockthevote.com/, to learn more.