Voter registration is critical to winning elections, especially in years when we choose a president. Michael McDonald, an elections expert at the University of Florida, predicts record turnout in 2020. Yet, people can’t vote if they aren’t registered.
Partisan registration drives are more effective
Many organizations can only participate in non-partisan voter registration drives and I certainly appreciate those efforts to enfranchise people.
If your goal is to elect Democrats, a partisan voter registration drive is more effective. Though I have no objection to Republicans registering and voting, Republicans will never go out of their way to help Democrats register and vote, hence I feel no obligation to go out of my way to register Republicans. Partisan voter registration drives also allow you to coordinate with the Democratic party and candidates to make sure that these new voters are included in their Get Out The Vote drive. Separate non-partisan Get Out The Vote drives, though well meaning, often end up irritating voters because of the duplication with the Democratic party GOTV efforts.
This article focuses on partisan voter registration drives because they are more effective at helping Democrats be the person that they want to be – i.e. vote.
Ironing boards are better than tables
Active tabling, i.e. standing and talking to people, will increase your voter registration rate. Better yet, leave the table at home and bring your ironing board instead. Ironing boards are the right height for writing on, they grab people’s attention and encourage your volunteers to stand and greet people.
Learn your state’s voter registration laws (here is a synopsis for Ohio)
This post is aimed at the Buckeye state. I am not a lawyer, but from what I have read as of June 2019, Ohio law: 1) allows partisan voter registration drives (though any one who specifically asks to fill out a form must be allowed to do so) 2) Allows ex-felons who are no longer incarcerated to register and vote. 3) Allows forms to be filled out by others with the applicant’s permission. 4) Allows you to make copies of the voter registration forms before handing them in. 5) Requires that voter registration forms be handed in or mailed within 2 weeks of the time that they were collected and in any case by the last day of voter registration for an upcoming election. (I recommend handing them as soon as possible, especially as you get closer to the voter registration deadline). 6) Never check the “US citizen” box without asking. 7) All forms that a person has written anything on, must be handed in, no matter how incomplete. See resources below for expert legal opinions.
Pick a good location and check your supplies
Like in real estate, location is everything. Pick a spot where many Democrats will come by. Make sure that you have plenty of pens, clipboards, voter registration forms and a way to check people’s voter registration status. Make sure that you have a way to lookup a person’s voter record, such as: State of Ohio Voter Lookup, bring a poster identifying your connection to the Democratic party.
Identify yourself as a Democrat
Of course you should register anyone who asks to do so. But, identifying yourself as a Democrat encourages Democrats to talk to you. Wear a shirt identifying yourself as a Democrat, and/or place a sign with Obama’s picture or a county Democratic Party sign.
Engaging people
The first step is to get people’s attention and get them to think about whether they have moved since the last time that they voted. There are many approaches to this, find an opening line that works for you. Here are a few that I have had success with:
“The Republicans have been purging voters from the roles. We want to make sure that you don’t lose your right to vote. May I look up your voter registration just to be sure?”
“We are here to make sure that all Democrats are properly registered at their current address. Do you remember where you voted most recently?”
“We are registering Democrats to vote. Have you moved since the last time you voted?”
Sometimes it makes sense to ask people if their name has changed since they last voted. This could be as a result of marriage, gender change or any reason.
Ask for their phone number. Although the phone number is optional, providing one greatly increases the chance that their application will be accepted. The voter registration form is a quiz. One mistake can prevent their application from being accepted. However, in Ohio, as long as you collect their phone number and their signature, any gaps can be completed by phone.
Check the form right away. Better yet, have a friend check it. Make sure that the handwriting is legible. Illegible handwriting invalidates many voter registration forms.
Ask everyone. If you start guessing who will be receptive, you may end up talking to very few people.
Back at headquarters – make sure that the voter’s name and address get on the rolls
Double check all the information on each voter registration form. If any information is missing, reach out to the person by phone (text often works best) right away while they still remember filling out the form.
Make a copy of the voter registration form (use a sticky note to hide the social security number and/or driver’s license number). Check to make sure that all voter registration forms result in the appropriate change to the voter database. Typical well-run voter registration drives have a 10% failure rate. If after two weeks the voter still is not registered, let them know that their application has not yet been accepted.
A variety or errors that can disenfranchise a voter. Misspelled names can lead to disenfranchisement. I have seen an E get data entered as a W, putting the voter in a completely different precinct and hence off the rolls on election day.
Voter registration is the first step in a Get Out The Vote campaign.
Consider combining voter registration with a Commit-To-Vote campaign. At a minimum, enter the phone numbers into VoteBuilder so that these voters will be included in the Democratic Party Get-Out-The-Vote drive.
Legal resources:
Project Vote: “Helping Voters Register Under Ohio Law”
Fair Election Network: “Conducting a Voter Registration Drive in Ohio”
State of Ohio: “Voter Registration Instructions”
Resources to help make you more effective:
Resistance School: “How to Register Voters”
nonprofitvote.org: “Tips for ‘Active’ Tabling”
nonprofitvote.org: “Tips for Asking Someone to Register to Vote”
Ken Stanley 