Polling Place Vote Tripling Guide
Many thanks to our friends at Vote Rev Action Fund for their help putting this guide together!
FAQs
What is Polling Place Vote Tripling?
Polling Place Vote Tripling is a simple technique to get a recent voter outside of a polling place to remind three of their friends or family members to cast their ballot as well. By bringing in three new voters, this technique strengthens turnout and triples the number of people sharing their voice! Watch this video to learn more.
How does it work as a Vote Early Day activation?
On Vote Early Day, station a few volunteers outside of a location for voting early (either at an in-person polling place or at a ballot drop box). After people have voted and are heading out, have volunteers approach them and ask if they can remind three of their friends to vote as well. The goal is to get the voter to text three people in front of you to confirm that the reminder gets sent!
Why is it effective?
Studies have shown that people are significantly more likely to vote when they’re asked to do so by someone they trust. Because the reminder comes straight from a friend or family member, this method cuts through the noise of politics as usual. It also helps create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) for anyone who hasn’t yet joined in on the fun of voting early.
What message should people send to their 3 friends?
We encourage people to text a link to the Vote Early Day online voter tool to make sure their friends have all the tools they need to vote early. You can find a sample text below.
What kinds of materials do I need?
- A Vote Early Day poster or a sign that says “Remind 3 friends to vote!” to let people know why you’re there
- Handouts of sample text messages (see below)
- Candy (double check the laws in your state about food at polling places first) or stickers as incentives for voters to text their three friends
Best Practices for Approaching Voters
- Approach everyone: you never know who will say yes!
- Actively engage with voters—don’t wait for them to come up to you
- Nail the greeting: be friendly and approachable
- Start the conversation by thanking the voter for casting their ballot
- Make a hard ask: make sure you’re direct and to the point
- “Can you text three people right now and remind them to vote?”
- Tell them why you’re there
- Make it clear that this is nonpartisan and you’re just trying to get more people to vote early
Sample Script (for Talking to Voters):
Hello! Thanks so much for being a voter! I’m [your name] and I’m volunteering with [Organization]. We are out here today because it’s Vote Early Day, so we are trying to get more people to cast their ballot ahead of Election Day. Will you text three people right now and remind them to vote early?
Sample Text Message (for Voters to Send to Friends):
Hey [their name], today is Vote Early Day so I just wanted to check in and remind you to vote early! Head to voteearlyday.org to find out how, where, and when you can cast your ballot 🗳
Other Things to Keep in Mind:
- Every text sent in front of you is worth its weight in gold! Reiterate to any hesitant voters that it’ll only take a second. If you have them, use stickers or candy to seal the deal.
- Lots of folks will say that their friends already voted, but encourage them to send the text anyway! To make them comfortable sending the text, tell them a story of someone in your life who benefited from the reminder.
- Check your state’s electioneering laws before you go. Every state has a law dictating how far away you must be from a polling location, and many will have specific requirements around ballot drop boxes as well. Polling Place Vote Tripling is NOT electioneering, but we recommend you stay outside the electioneering limit anyway just to be safe.
- Make sure you find all the exits for the polling place so you can catch every voter on their way out.
- You don’t need to take down the voter’s—or their friends’— contact information, but do keep a tally of how many people you engage with and how many texts they send out.
- Dress for the weather! You’ll be standing outside, and we want to make sure you stay safe and comfortable.