“Get Out the Vote”

Once clients/shelter residents are registered, they face the difficulty of actually getting to the polls on Election Day. “Get Out the Vote” drives are critical for high levels of participation. There are many ways to encourage people to vote on Election Day and ways to give them the means of getting to the polling site. The following is a list of suggestions that can be tailored to your specific needs and should provide a good starting point for developing a successful “Get Out the Vote” drive at your agency.

Educating Voters:

Hang signs in shelters telling the open hours and location (with a map) of the designated polling place if registered at the shelter.
Provide information about absentee ballot requirements and deadlines for your state.
Print newsletters or fliers about the candidates and issues and distribute them in shelters shortly before Election Day.
Hold a candidate forum so that people can become more familiar with candidates and their positions.

Getting People to the Polling Sites:

Have a shelter designated as a polling place.
Have volunteers on call to walk or drive clients or shelter residents to the polling places.
Arrange for a church or school bus to shuttle people to the election site throughout the day.
Encourage taxi companies and other forms of public transportation to provide free rides to the polling places.
Hold a rally, complete with food and music, and then march to the polling place(s) together.

Facilitate Voter Comfort at the Polling Site:

Invite local elections officials to bring voting machines to your organization to familiarize people with the process of voting. Alternatively, have a mock voting booth at your agency beforehand with sample ballots so people feel more comfortable when voting.
Staff the election site with poll watchers who will assist homeless persons if they encounter any voting problems with local election officials.
Match volunteers with registered voters a week before the election. The volunteer will contact the registered voter a week before the election to talk about Election Day, the polling site, and ask if any assistance is needed to get to the polls. The volunteer can then call or visit the registered voter the day before the election to remind him or her. On Election Day the volunteer can accompany the registered voter to the polling site.