Nonprofit Voter Registration and Engagement in Ohio
55
Nonprofit Voter Registration & Engagement Featuring Ohio VOTES
-
Upload
advocates-for-ohios-future -
Category
Government & Nonprofit
-
view
2.120 -
download
2
Transcript of Nonprofit Voter Registration and Engagement in Ohio
Nonprofit Voter Registration & Engagement
Featuring Ohio VOTES
WILL PETRIKSTATE DIRECTOR
GAIL CLENDENINCOMM. DIRECTOR
a statewide coalition of over 470 organizations working together to promote health and human service budget and policy solutions so that all Ohioans live better lives.
Advocates for Ohio’s Future is…
We believe in
Endorse at www.AdvocatesforOhio.org
Your organization can join AOF’s work
• Help you take action for strong families and communities
• Inform & Share Resources• What’s happening at the state level?
AOF’s NEW Monthly Webinar Series
Cathy JohnstonAdvocacy Director-
COHHIO &Ohio VOTES
Rubén Castilla HerreraCommunity Organizer-Central Ohio Worker
Center &Ohio VOTES
What is your experience with voter registration and engagement?
POLL: Please respond on your screen.
✔ Make your Mark on November 4
Nonprofit Voter Engagement Training
Good Afternoon!
Today’s AgendaWho we are
Why Should Nonprofits Be Engaged?
Do’s and Don’ts
Making An Agency Voter Engagement PlanVoter RegistrationGOTV
Leave with knowledge of how, when and what you need to vote
Who We Are OhioVotes is a year-round, statewide, voter
engagement initiative. We are a project of the Coalition on Homelessness & Housing (COHHIO), a 501c3 housing advocacy organization based in Columbus.
OhioVOTES encourages nonprofits to engage their agencies and people they serve in voter registration and voter mobilization. It builds on the relationships nonprofits already have with the people they serve.
12
WHY NONPROFITS?
Non Profits are Trusted Messengers
We understand the value of inclusion and empowerment
Advance our issues and mission
Engage voters with nonpartisan appeals
Inclusion & Empowerment
Nonprofits NEED to advance our issues and mission!
15
local_gov
Nonpartisan Appeal
Do’s and Don’ts
Of Voter Engagement
17
Do:Check with your agency director
DO: Be Nonpartisan -
Basic Guidelines for 501(c)3)s
DO:Promote nonprofit voter engagement
activities to educate the public and help them participate in elections, including:
Voter RegistrationVoter Mobilization (aka Get out the Vote)
Don’t:A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization MAY NOT SUPPORT OR
OPPOSE A CANDIDATE for public office.
Don’t• Endorse candidates• Donate money or resources to candidates• Rate candidates on single issues
Making a PlanVOTER REGISTRATION
There are different levels of voter registration activities. Consider the capacity of your organization before developing a voter registration plan
• At events, in newsletters in e-blasts or on your website, promote voter registration deadlines and how or where to register to vote.
• Talk about registering to vote at a staff or board meeting. Ask new staff if they are registered to vote.
• Put up posters advertising voter registration deadlines, along with where to get and return voter registration forms.
Level 1: Publicize and Promote
Level 2: Conduct Voter Registration on Site
• Register all new employees
• Assign and train a staff member to plan and direct voter registration activities
• Have voter registration forms available and offer to help clients register to vote at intake
• Set up a space in your lobby with cards, instructions and a drop box
Make a Voter Mobilization PlanAs with Voter Registration, gauge the capacity of
your organization before embarking on a plan.
GET OUT THE VOTE
501(c)(3)s may:
• Make the election highly visible• Provide voter assistance or refer to local
board of election or the League of Women Voters of Ohio.
• Remind staff and constituents to vote• Remind people to mail in their absentee
ballot request form if they want to vote at home.
Make October Get Out the Vote Month
GOTV PrinciplesMake it PersonalCreate VisibilityBe PositiveMake it UrgentGet Voters the Help They Need
Engaging America’s nonprofits in voting and elections
http://www.nonprofitvote.org/#89 South Street, Suite 203
Boston, MA, 02111Phone: 617-357-8683
Fax: 617-478-0378Email: [email protected]
Voting in OhioVoter Registration
Three Ways to Vote in Ohio
Voter ID
Ohio Voter RegistrationVoter Eligibility
You must be a citizen of the United States.
• You must be a least 18 years old on or before the day of the general election.
• You must be a a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote.
• You are not currently in jail or in prison for a felony conviction.
• You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court
• You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violations of election laws.
Ohio Voter Registration
Voter Registration Deadline is October 6
Frequent Errors on Form
Voter Registration Voters who are
HomelessVoters who are homeless in Ohio can register
and vote. Voters who are homeless may use the address
of a shelter or other location.Ohio law states: If a person does not have a
fixed place of habitation, but has a shelter or other location at which they have been a consistent or regular inhabitant and to which the person has the intention of returning that shelter or other location shall be deemed the person’s residence for the purpose of registering to vote.
Voter Registration & Criminal Records
National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)
The National Voter Registration Act: Made it easier for Americans to vote and to
maintain their voter registration.. Requires states to offer voter registration
for all offices that provide public assistance.
Ohio Voter RegistrationVoter registration forms are available here:
County Boards of ElectionsOhio Secretary of StatePublic librariesPublic high schoolsBureau of Motor VehiclesDepartment of Job and Family Services
agencies
Voter Registration
You cannot register TO VOTE online in Ohio.
Visit MyOhioVote.com
Check & Update Your Voter Registration
If you move . . . If you change names . . .
If you have moved you can update your voter registration onlinewww.MyOhioVote.com
Change Address OnlineMyOhioVote.com
Ohio Voter Registration If your agency will be collecting
voter registration forms they must be turned into the Board of Elections or the Secretary of State’s office within 10 days from completion.
For a complete guide to Voter Registration see the Secretary of States Voter Registration Instructions to be found at MyOhioVote.com
Three Ways to Cast Your Ballot 2014
1. Vote by Mail (Absentee Ballot)
2. Vote Early In-Person3. Election Day Voting
1. Vote by Mail (Absentee Ballot)
Vote by MailChange in Law for 2014: Absentee ballot
forms require more information this year! You must provide this information for your ballot to be counted. Be sure to follow all instructions carefully.
Vote by MailAbsentee Voting begins September 30. If you
mail in your absentee ballot, it must be postmarked no later than November 3.
You can drop off your completed ballot at your Board of Elections before the close of the polls at 7:30 pm on Election Day.
2. Vote Early In-Person
Vote Early In-PersonEarly in-person voting begins September 30 for
November 4 General Election. Call your local Board of Elections for voting
locations.
www.MyOhioVote.com
Vote Early In-PersonNovember 4 General Election Early In-Person
Hours:**On Sept. 4, 2014, a federal judge ruled that Ohio must restore early voting times that had been cut, including:
Early voting will begin Sept. 30, 2014 for the Nov. 4 general election.
Evening hours and Sunday hours for early in-person voting must be set.
This ruling is being appealed.Check with your local county board of
elections or visit www.MyOhioVote.com
Election Day Voting
Many polling locations and precincts have changed since the last election. It’s a good idea to confirm your current polling place and precinct before you go vote, by contacting your Board of Elections or looking it up online at:
www.MyOhioVote.com
Make sure you have acceptable forms of ID
Cell phone bill, utility bill, government document from this calendar year
Voter ID
Ohio Contacts
614-469-1505 Carrie Davis, LWVO Executive Director,
Cathy Johnston, OhioVOTES Director, COHHIO
614-280-1984, X25
Materialswww.ohvotes.org
www.lwvo.org
www.MyOhioVote.com
http://www.afj.org
Contact Cathy Johnston 614-280-1984 x25 if you have difficulty locating
needed materials
TAKE ACTION: MAKE A VOTER ENGAGEMENT PLAN
• Select a method of voter engagement
• Get materials you need from Board of Elections,
Ohio VOTES website or other source
• Choose a point person in charge of the project
• Get registrations turned in on time (within 10 days)
Q&A
• Unmute using the phone icon on top
center of your computer screen or by
pressing *6 on phone
• Type your question into the chat bar
COMING UP NEXT
Webinar on October 9, 3-4:00 P.M.
MEDICAID UPDATE & HEALTH CARE ADVOCACY
Advocates for Ohio’s Future510 East Mound Street, Suite 200Columbus, OH 43215www.advocatesforohio.org
Will Petrik | [email protected] Gail Clendenin | [email protected]
