- VOTE AND help others to vote
- VOTE AND support a campaign
- VOTE AND talk to others about voting
- VOTE AND volunteer / engage with the issues and community
- VOTE AND make a plan to run for office
Vote AND help others to vote
- Drive people to the polls.
- Be a poll worker for the Forsyth County Board of Elections. A poll worker is a volunteer recruited and trained by county and local election officials to do the tough work of keeping our elections running. CNN described the importance of this roll by saying: without these unsung heroes at the polling place, our electoral system simply could not function.
- Be a poll volunteer (greeter or observer) with the Forsyth County Democratic Party. Greeters volunteer on the OUTSIDE and mostly help voters with the slate of candidates, hand out masks if a voter wants one (any voter) and provide direction to voters. Shifts are 3 hours. Observers volunteer on the INSIDE and do not speak to anyone, including voters. They are trained to look for irregularities in voting and to report on problems they witness. Shifts are 4 hours.
- Volunteer with the Forsyth County Republican Party. There isn’t a direct link to helping at the polls, but you can submit your information on their webpage if you would like to: make phone calls, knock on doors, put up ard signs, or host an event.
- Be a Vote Protector with Democracy North Carolina. Vote Protectors serve as the “eyes and ears on the ground” at voting sites across North Carolina. They help voters who encounter problems at the polls and ensure that every polling place is running as it should — sounding the alarm when something isn’t right. Please RSVP for the training.
Vote AND support a campaign
- Volunteer your time for your candidates, issues or nonprofits–canvas, phone or text bank, etc. Due to Covid, there is less face to face interaction prior to this election. However, there are loads of incredibly helpful ways to get out the vote from your home at a time that works for your schedule. Contact a specific candidate to find out more.
- Donate to candidates who share your values
- Pass out literature for a candidate of your choice during early voting and/or election day. Contact a specific candidate to help!
- Share some love by encouraging, building up, thanking friends and candidates who are working hard for this election.
Vote AND talk to others about voting
- Talk to kids about voting (check out Election Action Email #3 for tips!).
- #Ask5toVote (circle back to Election Action Email #2 for more ideas!)
- Share why you’re voting, how you’re voting, your voting experience, how you are getting out the vote and other tips via social media. A 2017 study using data from 61 million Facebook participants found that users who were exposed to pro-voting posts were both more likely to seek information about their polling sites and to self-report voting.
Vote AND address issues you see in the community
- Remember voting is one PIECE of enacting change in our community. The New York Times printed a great article about the importance of participating in social movements. “Where voting changes the players on the battlefield, social movements alter the very terrain on which the battle is being fought. Instead of suggesting that participation in movements is inferior to voting, people with influence should educate themselves and the public about the often hidden role of social movements in achieving change in this country.”
- Has researching candidates gotten you fired up about education, healthcare, immigration, etc? Find a local group that supports these causes. Not sure where to start? This group is a wealth of information! Just type “Women of Action” into the “to” field to email the group and ask how to get involved! If you are already a member, you can go to your google groups and read all of the archived messages from our group.
Vote AND run for office!
- Ah, you missed the registration deadline for this election, but YOU SHOULD RUN!!! Women are underrepresented at all levels of government. In order to reach equal representation in our lifetime, we need to build a Community of women who are curious about the possibilities of public leadership. Here’s a great resource to help you get started!
