VOTER EDUCATION M BILIZE THE V TE

GOALS  Have more women vote  Inform voters of issues  Develop the “Voting Habit”  Gain visibility  Further the mission

GET OUT THE VOTES 3 “R’s”  REGISTERING  REMINDING  RIDES

VOTER TURNOUT  PERSONAL CONTACT  Register voters  Note phone number. Invite to forum. Remind them to vote.  Call voters a week before election from Board of Elections lists  Coordinate taking people to polls

FORUMS Work in Coalition with other groups BUT Be sure AAUW issues are addressed AND Your branch receives visibility OR Attend Town Hall meetings & ask AAUW questions about issues.

CANDIDATES FORUMS o Are local this year o Local issues can be significant o Find out about them from candidates, political parties, town officials, newspapers & civic groups o Are non partisan o All candidates are invited o Names and contact info are available from local political parties and County Boards of Election

ISSUES FORUMS Can be held anytime Could be part of your Branch Public Policy Project Should incorporate AAUW & AAUW NYS Public Policy Action Priorities Could utilize AAUW Position Papers

The Gender Gap Since 1980, there have been noticeable differences in candidates supported by women and men The gender gap is driven by policy issues If more women vote, politicians will be forced to respond to the interests of women voters

Why an AAUW Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout campaign? Increase women’s activism Impact future elections by increasing the number of women voting Hold elected officials accountable Recruit new and retain current AAUW members

Keeping Your Campaign Manageable Take stock of your resources: Leadership Energy Interest Time Volunteers Money

Recruiting Your Campaign Team Campaign manager Voter file coordinator Volunteer coordinator Canvassing coordinator Phone coordinator

Volunteers Critical to success The number of volunteers determines how many women you can reach

Putting it All Together Plan a campaign that fits your resources Start small Celebrate and build on your successes Keep track of your progress Share information with other branches and AAUW national office staff Evaluate what works and what doesn’t