Advocacy in an Election Year: Get Out the Vote (GOTV)
Continually updated from a post from Election 2014.
Election 2020 is in full-swing. Yes, as of writing, we’re all still living under quarantine. Yes, the election is still months off and it’s still unclear how campaigning, no less voting, will take shape.
That said, the question your organization should be asking itself isn’t “should we engage?” but “how do we engage effectively to motivate our stakeholders to participate?”
What if you could provide a hub for your community to make it easy for them find out the information they need to make their voices heard on election day? A branded site that had details like how to register to vote or how to vote by mail, who’s running for office in each district and key dates for primaries and the general election.
It’s easy to get started with SparkGOTV.
Getting Out the Vote Matters
A study released in the Harvard Business Review shows that organizations that engage their stakeholders with election information spur interest and see an increase in voter turnout among employees/consumers.
By their very nature, elections are a great way to “advocate” on behalf of your issues. A rallying cry for many organizations, elections provide an opportunity for your community to register their opinion and either reelect an official who’s been on your side or vote-in a challenger who promises to be more in-tune with your issues.
That said, elections, whether federal, state or local, are more than just about making sure that your stakeholders make it to the polls. Yes, that’s a critical aspect and should be a cornerstone of any effort, but if that’s all you’re doing, you’re leaving data on the table.
Specifically, election season is a perfect opportunity for your organization to capture more of the currency that can help ensure your issue advocacy effort, and, in turn, your entire organization, succeeds in the future – data.
SparkGOTV: Providing the Tools Your Community Needs
With that in mind, what if you could not only provide your stakeholders with the information they need to make their voices heard, but at the same time, potentially identify new advocates who could be aligned to your effort? And what if it were as easy as updating a few colors, logos and text and you were off and running?
Here’s what your stakeholders will have access to immediately, and be updated on throughout the election season:
- How to register to vote;
- How to vote early or by-mail;
- Who’s running for federal office in their district;
- What to bring to the polls (should they be open);
- The latest in COVID related election information for their state;
- Reminders by text and/or email on key dates.
We can even integrate a voting scorecard or “industry-friendly” type badges.
Contact us today or jump on our GOTV webinar to walk through exactly how folks are leveraging our GOTV solution to build member value and provide the tools their membership needs as the election heats-up.