Things You Can Do to Promote The Vote…Now and Until November!!!
The Midterm Elections seem to be so far away. Perhaps this is a good thing because it gives us more time to reach out and engage folks around the importance of these elections. Here, in Illinois, we will elect a new Senator, our Governor and Lt. Governor, State Officials, all of our Congressional Representatives, many of our State Senators (not all), but all of our State Representatives, judges (at all levels of our court system), the full Chicago School Board (if you live in the city) and many county-wide positions. This Midterm is not a ho-hum election.
So, what can we do between now and November 3rd, 2026? Election Day will be upon us sooner than we think. Depending on how much time and effort you want to devote, these are things you can do once, or once a day, or once a week… or more. Remember: Your vote is your voice. Use it wisely but be sure to use it!
Some options for promoting voting in November. How much time do you have?
5 MINUTES A DAY
Call a friend or family member and share some information about a candidate for office that they may not have paid much attention to. Tell them: “I just thought you might be interested in knowing this… pass it on!”
Post something on your Face Book page like: Only 150 days until the Midterm election! Do you know who’s running? Or Have you checked your voter registration? Only 150 days until the Midterm election!
Or just post (on a regular basis): Voting Is Your Superpower! Be Super!
15 MINUTES A DAY
Search for one new fact about a candidate for office in Illinois that you didn’t know. Start a daily post: “Did You Know?” and share what you learned. Be sure to note your sources. Don’t dig for dirt… just interesting factoids, like hobbies and favorite foods! Does our Governor know how to knit????
Reconnect with someone you have not talked to in a while and ask if they are doing anything related to the November elections. Tell them how you believe, even though these are midterms, how important these elections are in setting the tone for the next two years leading up to the next Presidential election… Perhaps, a coffee date for further discussion may result?
30 MINUTES A DAY
Find information about how supporters can volunteer for campaigns. Be nonpartisan… Share information about all those who are running for a specific office and who to contact if you want to volunteer. Take your time… Illinois, especially Cook County, has a large ballot!!
1 HOUR A DAY
Are you a phone person? Lots of voting rights organizations hold phone banks to recruit folks to work on “get out the vote” activities and to conduct polls. Find out which groups are doing this outreach and volunteer to help. Your local Indivisible chapter is a good starting place.
Take on a part of the Illinois ballot that most people skip (like Judges) and learn something about it so you can be the “go to” person to help others figure it out and not ignore it. For the judicial ballot, many of the bar associations rate the judges as does Injustice Watch and Courts Matter Illinois. Tell others where they can find this information or put together your own list of who you are voting “no” for (it will hopefully be shorter than you “yes” list!) and share it widely with your network.
½ DAY A WEEK
Connect to some of the local voting rights groups to see if their work on voter protection is a fit for you. Check out: ACLU-IL; League of Women Voters – Illinois; Common Cause Illinois; Chicago Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights Under the Law; Chicago Votes; Reform for Illinois (and there are more). Each has a special focus… one might be just up your alley.
1 DAY A WEEK
Join with others to canvass voters in Wisconsin, Michigan or Indiana. You will talk with voters and share information about the upcoming November election.
HEY, I’M FLEXIBLE
Become a Deputy Registrar and then register new voters anytime (or update existing voter registrations). This involves taking some training (either in person or on line). In Chicago, you will need to be sponsored by a civic organization (like Chicago Women Take Action) to the appropriate county clerk or election authority.
We don’t have enough Election Judges! These are the folks who spend from the crack of dawn (6:00 am)until the polls close on election day (7:00 pm), checking voters in and giving you your ballot to vote. You can be one of these valiant folks (and it’s a paid position). If you live in Cook County, you need to be registered to vote there and be a US citizen (you could not vote if you weren’t!) and attend and pass a training (on line or in person). Here’s the Election Judge Application for Cook County.
Become a Poll Watcher on Election Day. The role of a poll watcher is to observe what happens inside the polling place, so this is a full day’s job (usually from when the poll opens until it closes and the judges at the poll have counted the votes). Poll watchers represent specific candidates or parties, so you will need to “sign up” with those you wish to work for on election day and take specific training for poll watching. Poll watchers may represent established political parties, candidates, qualified organizations of citizens, State nonpartisan civic organizations or organized proponents or opponents of ballot propositions. The number of poll watchers allowed in the polling place at any one time is limited by law. A candidate may always appoint two poll watchers per precinct, while all other organizations may only appoint one poll watcher per precinct. Find out more at IL Pollwatchers Guide.
There is something that each of us can do to raise awareness of the importance of every vote. Participating in our democratic process and encouraging others to join in seems like a logical way to demonstrate how much we care about the future. So, feel free to add to this list, find what works for you, and pass it on. And thanks!
