A Summary of New Jersey Nonprofit Voter Education Guide
Photo of the cover of the New Jersey Nonprofit Engagement Guide.
Editor’s Note: The New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, Nonprofit VOTE, and the National Council of Nonprofits has released a 43-page guide full of resources for nonprofits to help fulfill our civic duty by serving our community of voters. Called the New Jersey Nonprofit Voter Engagement Guide, CivicStory believes this is a valuable tool for all as the election approaches. This article provides excerpts and summaries of what’s inside the guide for those looking for a quick snapshot. Nonprofit organizations should have the approval and support of their boards and executive leadership before they begin voter engagement activities.
The guide begins with a handful of acknowledgements including defining “charitable nonprofits” or “nonprofits” as shorthand for “501(c)(3) tax exempt organizations other than private foundations.”
There’s also a letter from Linda Czipo, president and CEO of the NJ Center for Nonprofits, explaining the value these organizations bring to elections. She writes in part:
Charitable nonprofits have a unique and vital role to play to ensure that voters can access and exercise their rights at the ballot box. We know that when nonprofits engage with the community as nonpartisan, trusted partners, participation grows, especially among people who have been historically excluded from the process.
Below are excerpts and summaries of what’s inside the guide:
Why should nonprofits engage voters?
Active voter participation builds healthier communities. People who vote are more likely to volunteer, advocate, or be civically active in other ways.
Voters need guidance with many of the following:
finding their polling location.
locating a number to call for assistance.
learning about their voting options (by absentee ballot, in person, etc.)
understanding what’s on the ballot.
seeing the connection between what’s on the ballot and the issues they care about.
Nonprofits are among America’s most trusted community institutions; we have personal relationships with communities that have often been underrepresented in elections and public policy advocacy.
In an analysis of over 7,000 prospective voters in 8 states who were contacted before the 2022 elections by nonprofits and social service agencies, Nonprofit VOTE found that prospective voters who were contacted were 10 percentage points more likely to vote than demographically similar registered voters (56% vs. 46%). When nonprofits engage prospective voters, we all benefit from a more inclusive and representative democracy.
Make sure your efforts are nonpartisan. That means that none of your communications or activities attempt or even appear to support or oppose any candidate or political party. In New Jersey, the state Division of Elections’ website is https://vote.nj.gov.
Nonpartisanship reinforces the role of charitable nonprofits as trusted messengers who can engage marginalized populations that campaigns and candidates often miss. Our nonpartisan approach is one reason charitable nonprofits have proven effective at reaching youth, new voters, rural residents, and increasing voting rates across all demographics.
Nonprofits may:
Educate registered voters on a nonpartisan basis on the where, when, and how of voting. Encourage and remind people to vote.
Distribute nonpartisan sample ballots, candidate questionnaires, or voter engagement guides.
Host or co-sponsor a candidate forum in nonpartisan ways.
Host or co-sponsor events so people learn about ballot measures (e.g., propositions, referenda, bonds) they will be asked to decide by voting and how the outcomes can affect their lives.
Encourage staff to serve on Election Day as a poll worker, translator, or other nonpartisan volunteer.
Continue issue advocacy during an election. Support or oppose ballot measures.
Ways to publicize and promote
Promote voter registration deadlines and how-to’s in the weeks before the election.
Assign a staff member to plan and direct voter education activities.
Make announcements about when and where to register to vote on your digital communication channels.
Put up posters or offer flyers with voter registration information to clients in person.
Sign up as a National Voter Registration Day community partner for free posters and stickers at nationalvoterregistrationday.org.
Talk about registering to vote at a staff or board meeting. Encourage all your staff and volunteers to register to vote.
Mobilize your education efforts outside your nonprofit. Identify partners in your neighborhood or service area – like other nonprofits, libraries, schools, or small businesses – and encourage them to promote voting.
Election protection
Make sure people know where to go if they need help casting a ballot.
Include the relevant election protection hotline numbers for different languages:
866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683),
888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) for Spanish,
888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) for Asian languages
844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) for Arabic.
Display or distribute sample ballots or nonpartisan voter engagement guides
Seeing a sample ballot helps people familiarize themselves with the voting process, giving them greater confidence to cast an actual ballot on Election Day. Share instructions for how to find sample ballots on your state or local elections website.
Include lessons about voting
Consider hosting a discussion about the principles of a fair democracy or fair election. Be sure to discuss the election with community members who are not able to vote and develop ways they can participate as volunteers.
What do people need?
Most people benefit from reminders about upcoming elections and information about who and what is on the ballot. Some voters have additional needs. Identify the barriers your audience may face when trying to vote to anticipate the information or assistance needed to successfully cast a ballot.
Examples include:
Eligibility and registration because they are a new or returning citizen, an out-of-state student, experiencing homelessness, or anyone lacking a current state ID for any reason.
Accessibility and accommodations due to disability or language barriers.
Getting time off from work to vote or transportation to and from the polls.
How are you tracking and celebrating efforts?
If you are taking the time to run a voter engagement campaign, take the time to track, celebrate, and share your success! The documentation you do during the campaign can be used for fundraising, developing partnerships, and raising your profile.
Keep track of:
Stories: Take pictures of engagement activities and collect quotes from staff, volunteers, and potential voters.
Metrics: Track the number of voter registrations collected as well as events, discussions, and other voter interactions. Include digital voter outreach, such as social media posts and newsletter mentions.
Post-election: Collect photos and stories from people your nonprofit helped to vote. Consider ways to use them soon after the election to demonstrate your community engagement work and save them to inspire people before the next election.
Voter engagement is a year-round initiative focused on talking directly with potential voters, building trust through relationship, and honest communication. Be proactive! Stand up, get out from behind the table, and greet people. When you’re talking to somebody, offer them a pen and clipboard to fill out their information. Once they see how easy the form is, they’re more likely to follow through with registration.
Remind them that they won’t be voting alone – they’re voting with and for their families, neighbors, and community. Even a small nonprofit can have a mighty impact on voter turnout by leveraging the power of our most natural, closest connections.
The standard elements of any time-off-to-vote policy include:
A statement of support for active and engaged citizenship;
The number of hours granted, usually two hours with pay;
What is a ballot measure?
Ballot measures ask voters to vote on laws, bonding issues, or constitutional amendments. Generally, activity supporting or opposing ballot measures is considered lobbying – not electioneering for or against a candidate – and as a result charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofits may advocate to pass or defeat a ballot measure as a lobbying activity, subject to normal limits on lobbying. Depending on the amount the organization spends on such activities, additional registration and reporting to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission may be required.
Engaging Voters With Disabilities
The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires states and local governments to make voting more accessible to ensure that people with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote in all elections. The ADA covers all parts of voting, from voter registration to selecting a location for polling places to actually voting, whether on election day or during an early or absentee voting process. Since then, other laws such as the Help Americans Vote Act of 2002 have continued these efforts. Despite this, people with disabilities continue to face barriers to voting.
Visualize and Walk Through the Steps to Vote
For first-time voters or if a polling place has changed, visiting the site together in advance can help to give the person a feel for the location and opportunity to identify any areas of concern.
Any issues can be shared with the local county election office, which can be an ally in making sure accessibility requirements for polling places are met. Frame it as, “We want to help you make sure everyone can vote.”
Try reaching out to the local election office to receive a demonstration to give people with disabilities experience with the actual voting machine that will be used.
Organize phone or text banking
Phone or text banking involves individual outreach to eligible voters through phone calls or text messages. Contact from a trusted organization can help prepare and motivate people to vote and is more effective than emails or postcards. Include phone or text banking as part of your strategy in the weeks leading up to the election.
Sample Outreach Emails
Subject Line: Register to Vote for the Upcoming Election
Email Draft:
Dear
We at [Organization Name] are asking all our staff, board members,
and volunteers who are eligible to make sure you are registered to vote. You are important to us and our community, and we want to make sure that your voice is heard in the upcoming (and future) elections.
If you’re already registered, now is the time to make sure your official voter registration information is up to date at your current address. Our goal is to have 100% of eligible staff, board, and volunteers registered by the week of National Voter Registration Day [Insert Date].
Will you help us reach that goal?
When we ask elected officials to support our issues and funding for services like ours, having our staff, board, and volunteers be registered voters makes our voice that much stronger. [Insert org. specific or election-specific information].
Option 1: Direct
[Employee Name] will be coming around the office with registration forms asking you if you need to register or update your registration [Insert timeframe]. They can help you fill it out and return it.
Option 2: Indirect
You can learn more about registering and voting using [Organization’s registration tool of choice]. Be sure to visit your county’s election website for the most up-to-date information ahead of the election.
We appreciate your service to [Organization Name]. Thank you for being a registered voter!
Sincerely [Insert Sender]