The goal of every Vote Early Day celebration is to help as many voters as possible take measurable steps toward casting their ballot in a fun and engaging atmosphere. We encourage each of our government partners to design a celebration that best fits the needs of voters in their community while understanding their offices’ limited capacity during election season. This guide will help provide some inspiration and suggestions for activation ideas, but how you celebrate is up to you!
Goals:
For Vote Early Day celebrations, partners should measure their success nationwide by the number of voters who take one (or more) of the following actions:
- Casting a Ballot: How many people drop off their mail ballot or cast a vote in person as part of your Vote Early Day celebration
- Making a Plan to Vote: How many people create a concrete plan for when and where they will cast their ballot
- Looking Up Voter Information: How many people use the Vote Early Day voter tool or find information from a local election office.
As you begin to plan out your activation, you can use this worksheet to determine an achievable goal for your organization.
Celebrate at the Polls
Overview:
Draw people to the polls with public celebration! Vote Early Day is an excellent opportunity to motivate voters to come to the polls early (reducing traffic on Election Day!) by building extra excitement into casting a ballot. You can also go the extra mile and set up a party outside an early voting location so people can celebrate with their friends and neighbors as they cast their votes. Encourage voters to take selfies with their “I voted” stickers after they vote and tag #VoteEarlyDay when posting their pictures on social media
Examples:
- Party at the polls: [Tier 3 – Regional Impact]
Invite your community to celebrate the act of voting early by partnering with local businesses and nonprofits to throw a party! Bring in performers, set up games, and pump some music outside your community’s location for voting early or ballot drop box. Organizations have previously put on concerts, hosted picnics and potlucks, and organized carnival-style festivals outside early voting locations. The sky’s the limit – be creative with how you celebrate to encourage new voices to cast a ballot! - Polling place red carpet: [Tier 3 – Regional Impact]
Set up a red carpet at your early voting location and have voters cast their ballots in style! People can pose for photos and share their experiences online to encourage their friends and family to join the fun. Invite local community leaders and celebrities to make it a star-studded event. - Celebration at a satellite voting location: [Tier 3 – Regional Impact]
Meet people where they are with a satellite voting location where voters can cast a ballot in their communities! Satellite voting will look different based on election laws in your state. In the past, election offices have set up ballot drop boxes or locations for voters to receive and cast a ballot directly at local businesses, campuses, and nonprofits. On Vote Early Day, partner with local groups to turn these satellite voting locations into a community celebration. Hold a meet-and-greet with staff from your local election office where voters can get their questions answered, enjoy music and games, and cast their ballot. - Trick-or-treat at the polls: [Tier 2 – Community Impact]
Vote Early Day is the Thursday before Halloween – what better time to throw a Halloween party at the polls? Encourage staff and voters to come in costumes and have a contest for best and most creatively dressed. Have a station with candy (if allowed by local election laws) and games for kids while the parents cast their ballots.
Why this celebration works:
With an event, people have a fun reason to come out to vote on Vote Early Day. Instead of being just an item somewhere on their to-do list, voting becomes the highlight of their day! A community celebration is also a low barrier to entry into democracy for people who are sometimes intimidated by politics.
Celebrate by Educating Voters
Overview:
Help people understand their early voting options and take an active step toward casting their ballot on Vote Early Day! Make voting early more accessible through a fun and educational event or direct voter outreach.
Examples:
- Interactive discussion or webinar: [Tier 2 – Community Impact]
Put together an informational event about why people need to make their voices heard this year and help the public understand how, when, and where they can vote early. Be creative in recruiting panelists! In addition to your staff, invite community leaders to share their stories and talk with the audience about why these elections matter. By the end of the event, direct attendees to your online voter resources or the Vote Early Day online voter tool to make sure they have a plan for how they will cast their ballot early. - Pitches at community meetings or events: [Tier 1 – Neighborhood Impact]
Ask for a minute at the start of a community event, meeting, presentation, or concert to remind people to vote early on Vote Early Day. Share why voting is important to you and discuss what’s at stake in these elections. By the end of the event, make sure all attendees have made a plan (using your office’s resources or the Vote Early Day online voter tool) for how they will cast their ballot early.
Why this celebration works:
Studies show that people are much more likely to vote if they make a concrete plan for how they’ll cast their ballot. Vote Early Day celebrations are the perfect opportunity to help voters think through their options for voting early and decide which method works best for them.
Celebrate by Sharing the Tools to Vote Early
Overview:
Vote Early Day is here to help with your ongoing outreach to voters in your community! You can use a Vote Early Day celebration to help ensure voters have the resources to cast their ballot early and help make voting early the norm for your community.
Examples:
- Launch a #VoteEarlyDay social media campaign: [Tier 1 – Neighborhood Impact]
Share resources on social media to give your community the tools they need to vote early. Direct your audience to your office’s online resources or the Vote Early Day online voter tool, where they can make a plan to vote. Post across all your social media platforms using our sample social media posts and graphics for the most considerable effect. - Encourage voters to post their “I Voted” selfies: [Tier 1 – Neighborhood Impact]
Set up a selfie station outside the polls (check out our toolkit for inspiration and printable swag!) for voters to show off their new stickers. Encourage your followers to post selfies on social media. Reshare their posts to amplify their message (you can find fun templates and creative ideas in our social media toolkit). Make sure to tag #VoteEarlyDay in all posts! - Reach out to the press: [Tier 2 – Community Impact]
Anything you do to celebrate voting early is newsworthy! Put out a media advisory, hold a press conference, or write a letter to the editor to inform your community about your plans to celebrate Vote Early Day. Include a link to the online voter tool on the Vote Early Day website to make it easy for your audience to create a plan to vote.
Why this celebration works:
Studies show that people are much more likely to vote if they make a concrete plan for how they will cast their ballot. When you share Vote Early Day’s online voter tool, you make it easy for voters to make this plan. People are also more inclined to vote if they see that their friends and family are doing so. By encouraging the people who follow you on social media to share their voting experience online, you motivate more people to join in on the fun.