Civic Participation Campaign Proposal and Timeline
Taking part in our democracy is important, but as people of faith it is sometimes hard to know what that should mean. Through our places of worship we can be involved in lots of different non-partisan election related activities. Faithful Democracy is committed to providing the resources that you need to:
- Connect civic participation with your faith beliefs
- Develop the desire and skills to engage emotional issues with civility
- Learn what to do if you or people in your community have problems at the polls
- Learn what to do if they have problems at the polls
- Find simple, non-partisan ways to promote civic participation in your community
Timeline | Planning Tips | IRS Guidelines for Political Action | Being a Civil Voice in Uncivil Times
· Determine when and how you are going to conduct the overall civic participation campaign. Obtain the necessary support or approval from congregational leaders/staff.
· Make sure that you know the relevant deadlines and procedures and have all necessary forms (including for absentee ballots). Visit http://www.canivote.org/ to learn about the regulations for your state.
· Recruit volunteers and provide any necessary training on deadlines/regulations.
· Plan for a major push on the weekend of September 25-26. Obtain the necessary approval from congregational leaders/staff for space in the congregation, announcement in newsletters or at events, etc. See the appendix for sample announcements.