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NATIONAL CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
Janani Eswaran and Ralf Shaw
Janani Eswaran and Ralf Shaw virtually attended the 2024 LWV National Convention as representatives of LWV-BMC. The following are highlights of the information sessions they attended.
STRATEGIES FOR GETTING OUT THE VOTE
GOTV is direct voter contact just before an election to get voters to cast a ballot; it includes early, absentee, mail voting via door knocking, mailing, phone banking, texting, robocalls, email, and postcard writing parties. GOTV can increase turnout, especially among young and first-time voters.
Phone calls by real people increases turnout 2-3%. Mail-ins by Leagues increase turnout 1%. People engaged by nonprofits were 10% more likely to vote than comparable voters. This was greatest among young people, people of color (12%) and lower income voters (15%). Nonprofits reach voters most likely to be overlooked by campaigns.
Suggested timeline:
*Determine goals and leadership 4 months out;
*Assign team roles and outreach to venues 3 months out;
*Train 1 month out;
*Assign day-of duties 1-2 weeks out.
CREATING A CULTURE OF VOTING ON CAMPUS
Reasons students don’t vote include:
*Anxiety (PTSD rates sky-high among young individuals)
*Feelings of disengagement or anxiety related to voting, perceived as apathy
*Lack of connection to politics (“How does it affect us?”)
*Undergraduates – 8% homeless, 23% food insecurity; higher rates among graduate students
Some ways to engage students:
*provide practical information on voting process,
*facilitate understanding on relevance of voting,
*offer nonpartisan resources
*voting fairs where physical voting machines, etc. are brought in
*peer-to-peer engagement and self-discovery is key
Success isn’t the number of students registered (most are already registered–they just don’t vote). Instead, prioritize access and education.
IT’S NOT A JOURNALISM PROBLEM, IT’S A DEMOCRACY PROBLEM
People need media literacy/information to cast an informed ballot. TV and radio provide shallow coverage (and are also suffering). Local newspapers provide a sense of geographic community that cannot be found online.Without reliable local news: fewer people vote and run for office, corruption and polarization grow, public health officials generally decline, policy choices are poorer (e.g. less clean water, worse roads) → “Local News is a Public Good”
LWVUS holds that it is a responsibility of the government to provide support for conditions under which credible local journalism can survive and thrive. The League recognizes the evolving news environment.
To read this entire document, including the last section of this article -- which focuses on One Person, One Vote -- click on the link below.
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