Tips for an Effective Registration Campaign

• Recruit volunteers with personal requests. General announcements—whether electronic, oral or printed—can be helpful, but nothing is more effective than a direct, personal invitation.
• Link voter registration and election work into ongoing congregational social justice projects.
• Integrate voter registration into every congregational activity. Have voter registration tables at all events, soup kitchens, and Sunday services.
• Work with your minister to find creative ways he/she can support election activities from the pulpit and within the congregation.
• Keep a database (or at least contact list) of everyone who expresses interest in volunteering. Invite volunteers to take on specific tasks.   
• Involve youth and young adults. The energy and expertise of the young people in your congregation can help make your campaign wildly successful.
• Support your volunteers. Provide clear information well in advance about what’s expected, from the date and times of the commitment(s) to what they will be doing. Make sure that each and every volunteer receives adequate training about the relevant legal guidelines and procedures!
• Keep in mind basic human needs: make sure that volunteers have sufficient access to water, restrooms, and food (even if this means letting people know that they need to bring their own).

Possible Venues for Voter Registration

• Your congregation’s neighborhood
• High-traffic public areas, such as urban hotspots, grocery stores, public transit stations, etc.
• Special events: concerts, festivals, etc.
• College campuses
• Your personal neighborhood
• Anywhere people are standing in long lines and have nothing else to do

REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL!

Do not partner with candidates, parties or other political groups engaged in partisan work (such as Political Action Committees or IRS Section 527 organizations), which could be considered political campaign intervention and thus jeopardize your nonprofit tax status!