Virginia Campus Vote Updates

2008 CAMPUS VOTE INITIATIVE
Update - November 3

Greetings,

Election Day Countdown: 0 days!

November 4, 2008—Tuesday
Virginia polls are open from 6:00am to 7:00pm.

The day has finally arrived. You have led, organized, motivated, supported, and inspired. You succeeded at increasing sincere, genuine engagement on your campuses, and you and your peers have shown that youth have been active, not passive, participants in this electoral process. I hope that your organizing efforts have empowered you and led you to believe more deeply that youth are not just leaders of tomorrow, but they are leaders of today as well.

And so now is the time to finally enjoy Election Day. Yes, there is much work to do today to ensure that we have the highest voter turn-out rates as possible and to ensure our voting rights are protected, but today is also a day to pause and take joy in the process of voting. If today is your first time voting, I hope you relish the moment and pause to feel the weight of your power. And whether it's your first time voting or your tenth time voting, we can all appreciate and recognize the historical significance of our candidates on the ballot.

Today is an exciting day in our history, and we have all played an important part in the story. So let's embrace the day. It's our day!

This update includes:

information on ID requirements;
a voting rights protection resource;
links to creative, catchy Get-Out-the-Vote posters;
a blank map of the US to record election results;
and highlights, highlights and more highlights from campuses across the state.

ID Requirements

Private School ID: Privately issued student identification with a photo is acceptable to fulfill Help American Vote Act (HAVA) requirements, but it is not acceptable to fulfill Virginia's Election Day ID requirement. Virginia’s requirement can be satisfied by completing and signing an affirmation of identity at the polls.

Publice School ID: A Student ID with photo or with voter name and address issued by a Virginia, public school will be an accepted form of ID.

For more clarification and examples of acceptable and non-acceptable forms of ID, please refer to the following chart assembled by the VA State Board of Elections: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/documents/Policy/Voter_Identification.pdf

Voter Protection

If you or someone you know encounter a problem at the polling place, call the national voter assistance hotline, 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The hotline is staffed by attorneys and trained volunteers. You can also call this hotline to find the location of your polling place.

Get-out-the-Vote Posters

AIGA, the professional association for design, hosted a Get-Out-the-Vote campaign and invited designers to submit non-partisan Get-out-the-Vote posters that would inspire people to head to the polls on Election Day. The selected posters are catchy, creative, and beautiful!

Instead of making your own posters, or to complement your own posters, you can browse through their gallery, then download, print and hang the posters around campus (some of them are even frame-worthy I think!)

Here’s the gallery – 314 posters: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/get-out-the-vote?pageNum=1

Election Results Watch Party Map

An addtional activity for your Election Results Watch Party: When voters join the party, hand out blank maps and red and blue crayons. Participants can color in the map as the results come in. The map will also be a great momento and record of the day. Here's a link to a blank map, although I suggest that you custom scale the page to 160%:

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/usa50out.htm

Highlights from across Virginia

Norfolk State University:

Several students will be poll monitors on Election Day. These students were trained by the AFL-CIO Student Voting Rights Protection Program
Students created “I vote for a Better Life, Community and World” posters
Staff members are sending out campus-wide electronic e-Daily updates which include information on the election and voting
Numerous campus departments are hosting “Election Watch: NSU Style” on Tuesday, November 4 from 6:00 p.m.‐‐11:30 p.m. in the Godwin Student Center Ballroom. Norfolk State University and the Norfolk State Hampton Roads community members are welcome to actively participate in the event which will feature facilitated informal conversations, access to a global community of election watchers, and a lot of "just plain fun.”

Radford University:

The Student Government Association hosted a student debate. A Political Science professor and her husband moderated the debate and two teams of five students debated the issues. Audience members received a folder of information about the candidates. Some professors offered extra credit to their students for attending the debate
Students are organizing transportation to the polls

Germanna Community College:

Students and Student Activities staff held an Absentee Drive on 10/27
They also manned a Voter Education table 11am-2pm on 10/30. At the table, they had a laptop so people could access polling place locations and undecided voters could take the GlassBooth quiz to determine which candidate best addressed their concerns
Additionally, they asked students to complete Voting Pledge cards on which students could write down the issues that were most important to them. The Voting Pledge cards are being mailed to VA Senators
Obtained $500 worth of coupons from the local Chic-Fil-A, and the coupons will be given to people after they vote. Chic-Fil-A is also donating sandwiches to GCC’s Election Results Watch Party
One student painted pumpkins with a local girl scout troop. The GCC student and the troop talked about the election and voting, and then painted election-related slogans and logos on the pumpkins which were donated by Bloom, a local grocery store. The girls took the pumpkins home to their parents
Posted AIGA Get-Out-the-Vote posters around campus

D.S. Lancaster Community College:

Manned a Voter Education table all last week and provided a variety of non-partisan information
Found out that students on campus are indifferent to flyers and prefer to actually engage in dialogue about the candidates and issues. Students want to be active, not passive, participants
Planned a Mock Debate with the Student Senate. The Democratic and Republican parties were each represented by one student, and a Social Sciences faculty member moderated the debate
Had much success writing letters-to-the-editor to the local paper

College of William and Mary:

Working with Student Voting Rights Protection program
Planned a local panel focused on service and civic-engagement. The mayor, a college staff member and a student presented ideas and fielded questions based on how to develop programs and incorporate service into the larger community’s civic engagement plan
Planned “demROCKracy,” an Election Day concert featuring some campus bands and speakers addressing the importance of voting. They created a Facebook Event page to advertise "demROCKracy"
Coordinating transportation to the polls on Election Day – four student driver
Obtained voter file from local registrar to do phone banking to remind students to vote

Mary Baldwin College:

Hosted an open discussion about the election and the candidates led by a Political Science professor. The discussion was attended by on- and off-campus community members
Organized transportation to the 10/28 Obama rally on JMU’s campus. The students had great bipartisan conversations about the candidates on the 1.5 hour ride from the rally
Coordinating vans to the polls on Election Day (polls are 15 miles from campus)
Hosting an Election Results Watch Party at the campus’s Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement. Only those who vote are allowed to attend

Northern Virginia Community College:

Emailed professors encouraging them to allow students to skip class to vote (or not to penalize students who skip class to vote)
Hosted an event on Monday with local 9^th District candidates

Patrick Henry Community College:

Hosted Great Debate on 10/29. There were 12 student debaters (4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, 2 Green, 2 Undecided), and a law professor moderated the event. The event was covered in the Martinsville Bulletin (http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=16331). The mayor also attended the event, and after the debate they held a mock election. The event was advertised on the online campus calendar
Organizing transportation to the polls. They will either use college buses or student cars
One student is volunteering as a poll worker. This same student has decided to take a minor in Political Science as a result of the voter engagement efforts

James Madison University:

Hosted and created the “Harrisonburg Candidate’s Forum” which aimed to inform students about the non-presidential candidates that will be on the ballot. The forum was geared toward JMU and college students, forcing the candidates to think about how they want to better connect with the university student body. Advertised the event via flyers, banners in high visibility spots on campus, and created a Facebook Event page
Organizing transportation to the polls on Election Day. They’ll be using JMU shuttles

Keys to Success (strategies you have mentioned that are worked for you):

Collaborative efforts: students and staff working together, various organizations working together
Targeting your efforts to meet the needs and time frames of students on your campus
Local community involvement: debates with local politicians, donations from local stores, education program with community’s younger youth

Documenting Democracy

ServiceVote flickr and YouTube Accounts
Today will be filled with inspiring, significant moments that are certainly worthy of being recorded and shared with family and friends, with people across the country, and with future generations. So while you are waiting in line to vote, smiling after you voted, or reacting as the election results flow in, take a few pictures or record a video to document what is happening on your campus and in your community. Also, consider bringing your younger siblings and neighbors to rallies and to the polling places and allow them to snap a few shots. It is a great way to get youth involved in democracy from a young age. You can post your photos on the ServiceVote 2008 flickr and YouTube accounts: http://servicevote.org/content/view/214/188/

The New York Times Polling Place Photo Project

The New York Times is asking individuals to document democracy by taking photos of democracy in action at polling places. Capture the essence of voting in America! You can learn more about The New York Times Polling Pace Photo Project and browse through the gallery at the following website: http://pollingplaces.nytimes.com/

Survey

How do you plan on staying civically engaged after the election? Youth Service America is restructuring its civic engagement programs, and we would like to found our programs on your plans, your needs and your challenges. So please share with us your post-election plans to stay civically engaged. You can also tell us about which strategies you think will be effective, what challenges you foresee and any other relevant information.

All responses can be submitted to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . We look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for all of your efforts to increase civic engagement on your campus! It has been a pleasure working with and learning from such an enthused, dedicated group. ServiceVote and the Campus Vote Iniative have been inspiring, promising programs, and we look forward to continue working with you.

Weekly Update 10.28.08 -- Photo Finish

2008 CAMPUS VOTE INITIATIVE
Update - October 28

Greetings,

Election Day Countdown: 7 days!

"Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people. "
Harry Emerson Fosdick

Through our dedication to our voter engagement efforts, we have shown that there are extraordinary possibilities out there for all of us. This upcoming week will certainly be filled with exciting, inspiring moments. We are energized, we are nervous, and we are so close! Remember that in the 2004 Presidential Election, Virginia’s total voter turnout (% Voting of Total Registered) was an impressive 71%, while voter turnout for 18-24 year old Virginians was only 41%, 6 points lower than the nationwide young voter turnout rate of 47%. So let's do what we can to show that youth matter and that youth care. Express your voice, share your vision and let's get-out-the-vote!

This update includes:

• get-out-the-vote strategies, including ways to involve younger youth in Election Day events;
• information on ways to engage voters via photography and dance;
• reminders about voting rights and laws;
• voter education resources;< BR>• and a survey to find out about your plans to stay civically engaged after the election.

Get-out-the-Vote Strategies

***Applications for Absentee Ballots are due today, October 28th***

Mailed applications for an Absentee Ballot must be received by your Voter Registration Office by 5:00pm.

Absentee Ballot Application:
www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Absentee_Documents/VA_Absentee_ballot_application.pdf

November 1, 2008—Saturday
The last day for applying and casting your absentee ballot in-person at your local Voter Registration Office.
November 4, 2008—Tuesday
Absentee ballots must be received by the Electoral Board before polls close on Election Day at 7:00pm.

Get-out-the-(Absentee) Vote Events
1. Host a lively, fun absentee ballot event on campus one week before the election – By mailing ballots together, absentee voters will feel less isolated from the electoral process

2. Ask absentee voters to help with Get-Out-The-Vote efforts on Election Day – Emphasize that absentee voters can make a difference in their home AND school communities

Get-out-the-(Nov 4th) Vote Events
1. Work with the campus IT department to send reminder emails, voice-mails and text messages to every student on campus. Message can include links to www.govote.org, where students can find out where to vote and what they need to bring, www.votersunite.org, where voters can verify registration.

2. Ask faculty to incorporate voting into their November 4th lesson. Virginia’s Liberty University has cancelled all classes on Election Day and scheduled shuttle buses to take students to the polls. Their 10,500 students’ usual academic routine will be replaced with “an all-day concert on campus that will morph into an election party when the returns come in.”

3. Text message and Facebook message friends with voting reminders.

4. Encourage “Take a Date to the Polls” and “Real Friends don’t let Friends Vote Alone” concepts to foster support within peer groups (use posters, messages, facebook ads, etc)

5. Organize dorm storming on Election Day. Knock on doors and offer rides or offer to accompany someone to the polls.

6. Phone bank to all registered voters for whom you have phone numbers. If you did a registration drive, you should have this information from your own efforts. Otherwise, check with your local registration office and purchase a copy of the voter file.

7. Consider providing entertainment or snacks to folks while they wait in line at the polling place.

8. Organize and offer transportation to the polls. Consider using university vans or shuttles, student cars or rental cars.

9. Plan Election Night Parties to watch returns in student unions, dormitories, fraternities, sororities and other places where students gather. Distribute a list of the campaigns’ parties so students can celebrate with the community and the campaigners.

10. Bring younger youth (younger siblings and neighbors) to the polls. Let children become aware that voting is an element that constitutes civic life. You can also engage younger in this democratic process by encouraging them to take pictures of the polling place and submitting their pictures to ServiceVote 2008 Flickr account or to The New York Times Polling Place Photo Project.

11. Carve (or paint) election and voting related slogans, pictures and logos into pumpkins. This is another activity that you can do to get younger youth involved in the election.

Documenting Democracy

ServiceVote flickr and YouTube Accounts
This upcoming week will be filled with inspiring, significant moments that are certainly worthy of being recorded and shared with family and friends, with people across the country, and with future generations. So while you are cheering at a rally, decorating your campus, manning a voter education table or waiting in line to vote, take a few pictures or record a video to document what is happening on your campus and in your community. Also, consider bringing your younger siblings and neighbors to rallies and to the polling places and allow them to snap a few shots. It is a great way to get youth involved in democracy from a young age. You can post your photos on the ServiceVote 2008 flickr and Yo uTube accounts: http://servicevote.org/content/view/214/188/

The New York Times Polling Place Photo Project

The Voter Dance

We all know the Shopping Cart, the Lawnmower, the Sprinkler and the Fishing Pole. What does the Voter look like? Have some fun, let your creativey flow, and show us your best Voter dance! Videos can be posted on the ServiceVote YouTube account: http://servicevote.org/content/view/214/188/

Also, consider involving younger youth in this dance. The dance movements could be a great way to go through the steps and process of voting.

Voting Laws

State Board of Elections Upholds Campaign Materials Code
The Virginia State Board of Election recently clarified the Code of Virginia and stated that voters may not exhibit campaign materials within 40 Feet of the polling place. Individuals are not allowed to wear or carry materials that advocate for or against a candidate. For more information, you can contact the State Board of Elections at (804) -786-0282. The press release is available at the following website:
http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Media/Press_Releases/State_Board_Of_Elections_Press_Releases.html

Voter Empowerment Cards
The ACLU of Virginia and the NAACP Virginia State Conference are making available -- free of charge -- 2008 Voter Empowerment Cards to organizations, individuals, and political parties (regardless of affiliation) to distribute to voters. This pocket-sized accordion-fold informative card explains the voting process and answers more than 30 basic, practical voting questions. The cards are available in both English and Spanish. If you would like to preview the cards, they are available online at http://www.acluva.org/pages/2008elections.html.

These cards are one of the ACLU of Virginia's efforts to ensure that all qualified persons have the opportunity to vote and to prevent people from turning away from the polls either because the voter or the poll workers are not fully aware of the law and the rights of the voters in Virginia.

If you would like to place an order for an organization or group, or to distribute among your social networks, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (804) 644-8080. Please state the amount you would like to receive, provide a mailing address, and state when you will need the cards. The ACLU will be happy to get the Vote Empowerment Cards to you right away.

Voter Education Resources

Voting Process

Polling Place Locations:
1-866-OUR-VOTE (a voter information hotline providing information in English and Spanish) and http://www.govote.org/

Voting ID requirements:

• Brennan Center: http://www.brennancenter.org/studentvoting/states/virginia

• Call your Registrar -- work with your registrar to ensure that procedures will run smoothly on election day

General Voting Information:
http://www.sbe.virginia.gov

Candidates, Parties and Issues

Public Agenda: http://www.publicagenda.org/
On the Issues: http://ontheissues.org/default.htm
VoteGopher: http://www.votegopher.com

Survey