Transcript Pledge Card Presentation

Voter Contact
Voter Registration and Pledge to Vote
Cards
Who has experience with pledge
cards?
Why voter reg and pledge cards?
• What are our respective strengths?
– Community organizations have grassroots
relationships, but less time and capacity for voter
engagement work
– Voter engagement infrastructure programs have
capacity and time, but no grassroots relationships
Minimizing effort, maximizing effect
• Community organizations are busy, likely
overstretched and focused on meeting their
essential missions
• The simpler and more effective we can make
voter contacts, the more widespread the
adoption
• Registration and commitment cards are a
straightforward, low-cost and efficient way for
organizations to make a big impact
• Very concrete, practical and clear
Pledge Cards Pilot Project: St. Paul
2011 Municipals
• Organizations asked clients to fill out an ‘I will
vote’ commitment card for three weeks in
October
• Cards were dropped off and picked up by hand
• MPP sent reminders with polling location and the
names of candidates on the ballot.
• The messages were sent by phone, text message,
email and/or mail, in accordance with the voter’s
preferences listed on the commitment card.
Pledge Cards Pilot Project: St. Paul
2011 Municipals
• Neighborhood House, Goodwill/Easter Seals
and Wilder Foundation reached 129 residents
in a three-week period who committed to
voting in the November 7 St. Paul municipal
election.
• After the voter file is updated with 2011
election results on March 4, public election
records will be examined to understand the
voting behavior of the organization’s clients.
Voter registration
• Long been a central tactic and activity within
nonprofit voter engagement
– government grants may mandate or prohibit voter
registration work
• Service providers play a key role in keeping the
voter rolls accurate and updated
• Essential and necessary step, but insufficient
by itself to move the needle on voter turnout
Purpose of pledge cards
• Raise awareness about the election
• Provides opt-in mechanism for those already
registered
• Make people promise!
– making a written or oral commitment increases
the likelihood a person will actually perform a
behavior
• Gather crucial information
• Get consent for additional contacts
Purpose of pledge cards (cont)
• Provide additional reminders and information
to the voter
– Repeated voter contacts are VERY important to
increasing turnout
• Can be used to remind people that whether
you vote is a matter of public record
• May be used to check registration status of
your list to help people know if theirs is up-todate or not
Options
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‘Petition-style’ list
Individual pledge cards
Electronic or online pledge
Can include an element that is sent back to voter
(or not)
• Can include any number of opt-in ways to be
contacted
• Can include additional information about how to
participate
Opportunities
• Leverages what they have (relationships) with
what you have (systems support)
• Builds and strengthens advocacy programs
• Allows for measurable results
• Can be added in a variety of ways to an
existing service delivery model
Challenges
• Data collection (and sharing) makes organizations
nervous
• Accuracy of data on cards
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55th Street E
E 55th St.
East 55th Street
Legal name vs. your ‘everyday’ name
Transitory participants
• Clarity of data on cards
• Accuracy of data entry
What to put on the card?
• Should match the voter file
– What goes on the voter registration card is what
the voter file contains
• Consent language
• Additional voting information to leave with
voter
• “I will vote because I care about….”
• Other ideas?