Local Civic Challenge #3: Getting Ready for Election Season
Maintaining the integrity of our elections is vital to democracy, so this week we’re challenging you to get more involved with the process. Below, find out where you vote, how to register yourself and help others, volunteer at the polls, and more.
1. Get Registered
First off, make sure you’re registered to vote. A great place to start is vote.gov, where you can find out how to register online, or download a hard copy of the National Mail Voter Registration Form to send in. For information about registering in person, registering in other languages, registration deadlines, voter requirements, and more, check out this voting guide.
2. Find out where you vote
You can find your local election office here. This website will direct you to your state’s voting guide, where you should be able to see your polling place (including maps and directions), districts for your precinct, and candidates and questions that will be on the ballot at the next election. Your state may also have a primary election coming up soon, which determines the candidates that will be on the ballot in the general November election.
3. Know the issues and positions
What issues do you care about? Do you know where candidates stand? Here are a few resources that will help you match your views with your vote:
iCitizen or Vote411: provide voter guides by location
Project Vote Smart: helps you explore not only issues and stances, but voting records and campaign contributions
BallotReady: research every name and issue on the upcoming ballot
iSideWith: working backwards, this matches you with the “perfect” candidate based on your stances on issues
After you find your favorite candidates, see if they could use any help on the campaign trail. Joining a volunteer team is usually as simple as making a quick phone call or sending an email.
4. Help others
Help another person register to vote. Download and share voter outreach materials like these online and at your office, college, or neighborhood centers, and see if your community has a local get-out-the-vote campaign. For teachers, programs like Your Vote Matters can help students learn more about the voting process.
5. Work at the polls
Election judges are temporary, paid employees of local election offices who handle all the aspects of voting day! Your duties would include setting up the polling place, ensuring elections are fair, impartial, and secure, and tabulating the votes for the precinct. Contact your local election office to find out the requirements, like if you have to be a registered voter in that state, of a certain age, or officially affiliated with a political party.
How are you preparing for the upcoming elections? Was it difficult to find information about voting in your community?
Next week, we’ll take a look at the power of supporting local journalism and community storytelling. If you want these challenges delivered directly to your inbox, sign up below:
