Election 2012 : Virginia Campus Vote Project Training

1. Election 2012: Virginia Campus Vote Project Training Presentation to VCEEP By Courtney Mills, Staff Attorney August 29, 2012 1825 K Street, NW ~ Suite 450 ~ Washington, DC 20006 202.331.0114 ~ fax 202.331.1663 ~ www.fairelectionsnetwork.com

2. What is FELN? • The Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN) is a national, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to remove barriers to registration and voting for traditionally underrepresented communities. • Operating year round to solve problems well before Election Day

3. What is Campus Vote Project? • Campus Vote Project is a campaign by FELN to empower students and college administrators with the tools they need to reduce barriers to voting on college campuses. The Problem • 48.5% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 voted in 2008. • 67% of Americans 30 years old and above voted in 2008. The Stereotypes When it comes to politics, young people are… • Lazy • Apathetic • Uninterested

4. Students Don’t Fit the Stereotype • Two-thirds of college students between 18 and 24 years old who did not vote in 2010 cited lack of information about the process, confusion about residency rules, or scheduling problems. • CIRCLE: 87% of students who register to vote cast a ballot • Rock the Vote Poll (2010): 83% of young adults stated that their generation has the power to change the country.

5. Why is Student Registration and Voting So Important? • Since 2008, 9.5 million citizens have turned 18 (new voters). • Adults under age 30 will make up 24% of the voting age population in 2012 • Higher education budgets • Voting becomes a habit.

6. Barriers to Student Registration and Voting - Overview

7. Traditional Barriers • Residency • Voter ID • Student registration/voting discouraged • Off-campus polling places • Insufficient resources to handle student voters • Poll workers unfamiliar with student issues.

8. Campuses Have a Duty to Help Students Register to Vote “The institution…will make a good faith effort to distribute a mail voter registration form, requested and received from the State, to each student enrolled in a degree or certificate program and physically in attendance at the institution, and to make such forms widely available to studentsat the institution.”

9. Schools can do more • Voter registration information on school website • Only 2% of universities with links to a voter registration form include an active prompt. • More information: 14% provided instructions and 11% provided address • 15% send a link to voter registration forms to students by email.

10. What Campus Vote Project Offers • Campus Vote Project is a campaign to empower students and college administrators with the tools they need to reduce barriers to voting on college campuses. • Toolkit: CampusVoteProject.org/Toolkit • Technical support: FairElectionsNetwork.com/Resources • Communications collaboration

11. The Campus Vote Project Toolkit • Election Awareness Campaigns • Voter Registration Blitz • Integrating Voter Information into the School Website • Establishing a Student Poll Worker Program • Bringing a Polling Place to Campus • Get ID! Tips for Making Sure Everyone has Voter ID • Getting Students to Off-Campus Polling Places • Creating a Lasting Campus Vote Structure

12. CVP Toolkit: Election Awareness Campaign • Campus-wide emails • Candidate forums and debates • Non-partisan election rallies • Classroom announcements • Campus media

13. Election Awareness Examples Central Michigan University Turbotron commercial Denison University Door hangers Art project Miami Dade College Hosts Candidate Forums and Debates

14. CVP Toolkit: Registration Blitz • Short and intense voter registration period • Freshman move in and orientation • Hand out and display forms: classrooms, dining halls, student union • Student voting coalition • National Voter Registration Day: September 25, NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org • Address information for dorms and other non-traditional student housing • University of Oregon: Students received permission to enter dorms at pre-agreed times to conduct voter registration activities

15. CVP TOOLKIT –INTEGRATING VOTER INFO INTO SCHOOL WEBSITE • Pages that students frequently visit: • Class registration • Blackboard • Textbook orders

16. CVP TOOLKIT –INTEGRATING VOTER INFO INTO SCHOOL WEBSITE Example: University of Wisconsin

17. CVP TOOLKIT –ESTABLISHING A STUDENT POLL WORKER PROGRAM Why? • Shortage of poll workers means long lines. • Average age of a poll worker is 72. • Comfort with new voting technology and familiarity with issues that students face. • Dorm locations and proof of residency • Use of student IDs for voting

18. CVP TOOLKIT – ESTABLISHING A STUDENT POLL WORKER PROGRAM • Best Practices: • Professors, college staff are critical to recruitment. • Peer-to-peer recruiting resulted in exceeding goals. • Fellows were drawn to program by belief in civic engagement and duty and that it would be a positive learning experience. Less interest in pay. • Focus on social aspect of experience. • Aim for in-person meetings with election officials. • More positive experience than for those who did online training.

19. CVP TOOLKIT – GETTING STUDENTS TO THE POLLS • Identify the Location of Student-Heavy Polling Places • Transportation to the polls • : Shuttles took students to polling locations in 2008. • Other options: public transportation, carpools

20. CVP TOOLKIT –CREATING CHANGE THAT LASTS! • Institutionalize relationships • Build strong coalitions – Toolkit: “Build a Coalition” • Develop new leaders • Maintain momentum during summer

21. How-to’s and Templates • Advice and email templates for meeting with campus administrators and election officials • Media Guide: How to Launch your Campaign • How to Build a Coalition on Campus

22. Key Messages for Student Voters-Build this information into your voter contact to make sure every vote counts!

23. Have you moved since you registered to vote? • You need to update your address! • You can only vote at your old precinct without updating your registration if you moved in 2012. • Not updating your address risks you facing problems and the polls and voting a provisional ballot. Update your registration before the deadline to ensure you can vote a regular ballot on Election Day

24. Will students be able to vote on Election Day? • Election Day is November 6, 2012. • Once registered, check your Election Day polling place here: https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/PublicSite/Public/FT2/PublicPollingPlace.aspx • You can apply for an absentee ballot if you are a student • Must apply to local registrar by mail by 5pm on October 30 or in person up to three days before Election Day. If you apply in person you may apply and vote at the same time (in person absentee voting)

25. You must bring ID when you vote • Acceptable ID: • Student ID from any institute of higher learning in VA • Virginia voter registration card • Valid VA driver’s license or ID card • Social security card • ID issued by Federal govt., Commonwealth of VA or a local VA govt. • Valid employee photo ID card • Copy of current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows the name and address of the voter, or • Concealed handgun permit • If you don’t have proper ID you can vote a provisional ballot which will only be counted if you provide ID by noon on the Friday following Election Day

26. First time voters who didn’t provide ID when registering • If a student registered by mail, did not provide ID when registering, and is voting for the first time in Virginia, they face stricter ID requirements than other voters. • Acceptable IDs are: • A current and valid photo identification; • a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck; or • another government document that shows the voter’s name and address. • Students who do not provide this ID when voting for the first time will vote a provisional ballot that won’t be counted unless they provide ID by noon on Friday.

27. www.FairElectionsNetwork.com Guide to Voter Registration and ID in Virginia Guide to Legal and Practical Issues for GOTV in Virginia Guide to Election Day ID in Virginia Guide to Student Voting in Virginia Additional student-related materials and guides www.CampusVoteProject.org Guides for Organizers Examples of Best Practices for Student Voting Email Templates and How-To Guides Courtney Mills, Staff Attorney, cmills@fairelectionsnetwork.com Dan Vicuna, Staff Attorney & CVP Coordinator dvicuna@campusvoteproject.org 1825 K Street, NW ~ Suite 450 ~ Washington, DC 20006 202.331.0114 ~ fax 202.331.1663 ~ www.fairelectionsnetwork.com

28. Questions