Do you remember learning about voting in school? I don’t, but then again, school was a long time ago. Most of that brain space has been filled with Golden Girls quotes and anxiety about whether my plants will sprout.
The fact is, most of us did not learn about voting in school, and even if you were one of the lucky few who did have some kind of voter education, it was probably a while ago. Every year, as elections draw closer, we get questions from all over the country about everything. How to vote, who to vote for, where to vote. Where is my polling place? Do I need an ID? Am I allowed to vote for people from different parties? We get these questions from our clients, sure, but also from people who contact us looking for answers.
This need for voter education is why we make voter guides that answer the questions voters ask us most, why we manage Read the Fing Directions to help young people make sure their mail in ballots are counted, why we run our Voter Ed program with online videos, guides, and events, and why we host voter education nights at shelters and community centers. It’s why we teach people how to have voting parties and answer countless questions for voters.
Lack of voter education is one of the main reasons people do not vote. Now is the time to think about how you can make sure everyone in your community overcomes that barrier. Maybe you can plan a voting party, hand out voter information guides, or teach a class to high school seniors. November is only a few months away and this election will take every one of us. What will you do?
Kat