Registering voters is easy. Here are some
practical tips to help get you started in your voter registration
endeavors:
-
The most effective way to get people
registered to vote is simply to go to places where unregistered
Democrats are likely to be (such as bus stations, bus stops, college
campuses, city festivals and fairs, public parks, local neighborhoods,
shopping centers, and even door to door) and ask people at these
places if they are currently registered to vote. If they are not
registered, give them a pen and voter registration form and instruct
them to fill it out -- right there, on the spot. Such an assertive
approach is much more effective than just sitting at a table waiting
for folks to walk up to you.
-
Pick up a bunch of
a registration forms; they can be gotten by the boxful from your local
election office or department.
-
In
order to make yourself look more professional and official, create a
"VOTER Registrar" laminated tag. Simply type out the words "VOTER
Registrar" (in 24 point font) on your word-processor and print out a
hard copy of these two words. Drive to your nearest Kinko's print shop
and ask someone there to laminate it for you. Simply clip your new
"VOTER Registrar" laminated tag to your collar whenever you go out in
the community to register voters.
-
For those
people who aren't currently registered to vote, let them know that now's
their chance to do so -- that it's quick and painless and will take
just a few moments. (Let them see your clipboard and a filled-out
registration form so they can see for themselves how brief the process
will actually be.)
-
Do not waste
time on those people who blow you off and refuse to consider your
initiative and good intentions. Such people are not worth thinking
about.
-
Try humor. Ask
them "Are you rich? or are you a Democrat?" ... such playful words
tend to break the ice a bit, and make talking to new people a little
bit easier.
-
When registering
new voters, rip out the actual registration form from the multi-page
registration packet. Hand them the actual registration form -- the
part they need to fill out.
-
Don't
just hand people a form and ask them to mail it in. If you attempt to
register people in this manner, a large majority of these people will
never complete the form, let alone mail it in with adequate postage.
It's much simpler and more efficient to help them fill out the form and
have them give it back to you right on the spot.
-
Keep a
collection of your filled-out voter registration forms and turn them
in to your local Democratic Party. At party headquarters, each
registrant's data can be put in a database so that they can be
reminded to vote at election time.
-
Throughout the process of registering
voters, it's essential to work with
your local
Democratic Party. They'll be happy to
support your efforts.
-
Remember that each state has its own
voter registration laws. Every registrar needs to be familiar with
them. Do not break the law. Always be fair and fair-minded in your
voter registration endeavors.
