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CCL & Voter Participation Outreach

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/ voter-participation-outreach

July 23, 2020

Welcome to Citizens’ Climate University, a weekly webinar program of Citizens’ Climate Lobby that provides CCL supporters with access to in-depth training opportunities on topics relating to climate change and effective climate advocacy.

I’m your host Brett Cease and tonight’s topic is: CCL & Voter Participation Outreach. Our democracy is strengthened when more people participate, so tonight’s training is going to walk through several options for how you and your chapter can help with voter participation while staying non-partisan. �

We’ll get started at the top of the hour.
In the meantime, follow us online.

FB: http://facebook.com/citizensclimatelobby
Twitter: http://twitter.com/citizensclimate/

Welcome! Share where you’re calling in from, what questions you have, and what brought you here in the chat.
Tonight’s slides: http://cclusa.org/voter-participation-outreach

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Housekeeping

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Training being recorded, available after in CCL Community

All lines are muted - we’d love to hear from you in the ‘Chat’

“Raise your hand” -click on “Participants” or *9 if on phone

If you need tech help call: 1-888-799-9666

Format: Presentation and then time for Q&A & Interaction

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About Our Speakers

Shannon Seigal

Organizing Director, Environmental Voter Project

Carol Kravetz

CCL CA Pasadena Foothills

Dublin Galyean

CCL CA Pasadena Foothills

Whitney Larsen

CCL CA San Francisco

Jeff Joslin

CCL GA North Atlanta

Shannon Seigal is a former Environmental Voter Project intern and a graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Spanish. Shannon has years of experience organizing intersectional coalitions for climate justice and led the multi-stakeholder effort to create and adopt Mount Holyoke’s first Sustainability Plan and ambitious carbon neutrality goal.

Whitney Larsen is a co-lead of the CCL San Francisco chapter and joined CCL in 2016 because she wanted to help solve the climate crisis. I stay in CCL because I am motivated on a daily basis by the passion of CCL volunteers and the organizational values of respectful communication and relationships In my career I've worked in home energy efficiency, renewable energy, finance, and technology sectors, most recently as a Program Manager. I'm an organizer at heart, both at work and for CCL.

As a group leader of Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s North Atlanta chapter, Jeff Joslin knows these stressors all too well. An airline captain with a degree in psychology, Joslin also knows that a spiritual or contemplative practice can help us develop more satisfying self-care, self-empathy and stronger relationships.

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Three Learning Goals

Begin to work locally in your own circles to increase voter registration and participation

Take action to engage groups like students to vote and participate in democracy

Partner with non-profits like Environmental Voter Project doing their own turnout work

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Our Agenda

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Working Local Campaigns

Help Students Vote

Stories From The Field

Q&A Discussion

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Environmental Voter Project

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Partnering With The Environmental Voter Project

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Environmental Voter Project

Fill the important niche of targeting non-voting environmentalists and mobilize them
Time involved is minimal and well supported
Designate a chapter point person to jump into your own campaign

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Working Local Campaigns

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Ensuring CCL Advocates Vote

States are engaging in various approaches/campaigns to ensure voter registration and important election dates are sent to our volunteers well ahead of time
Work with your state coordinator if interested

The background from AZ State Coordinator Jeanne Weir: We have heard at our various GL, SC, National Conference etc that working into voting is a very important and necessary focus during the lead-up to primaries and elections. We also agreed that encouraging voting using various electronic platforms including phoning, texting, emails and social media are relatively easy to do at this time . Gabrielle is our point person for attending collaborative meetings with various statewide environmental headed youth by Hazel Chandler who is also a CCL member and previous co- group leader of our Scottsdale chapter along with Gabrielle and I. Hazel Chandler works for the Union of Concerned Sciences and Elders Climate Action, Environmental Voter Project. We are planning on one more statewide email with laser focus on the presidential election at the right time to be most effective. We are also going to post opportunities on our AZ CCL Facebook page for CCL volunteers to get involved with the phoning and texting effort that ECA and UCS and EVP are working on.

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CCL’s Work With TurboVote

TurboVote is an online tool that helps people register and vote in every election
Register here: cclusa.org/vote
Sends election reminders - links to voter registration confirmation
Sample Social Media Posts & Email Outreach, recommendations on how to feature in your group’s work with Turbovote’s Toolkit: https://nonprofit.turbovote.tools/

Big shout out to: Jill Brownfield she/her Voter Engagement Partnerships Democracy Works, Inc.

Turbo Vote is an online tool that helps people register and vote in every election, 7 million across 50 states and DC, they receive personalized election reminders from TV.

It works. During the sign-up process -provides registration options available (some states are 39 online reg), others are reg in person (with paper) - help users know what the options are and prompting them to do so.

Online users are eligible to vote in them, due to improper ID, if a user registers online, provides guidance for eligibility

If volunteer prefers paper - TV asks questions and pre-fills paper form - so user can fill it out - and sign in (and Driver ID/SSN).

Include info on where to send form. Different variations across states given each has autonomy on how they handle it.

TV- by mail or absentee - if a user lives in a jurisdiction where by mail isn’t default - TV sends link to online registration link - or paper absentee ballot request.

One month ahead of election - sends reminder “you have an election on Aug 21 - we know you like to vote by mail, we’ve attached the ballot by mail and here’s where to send”

In 2020 we’ve extended our vote by mail (even if otherwise prefer in person) - also sending additional notifications for when to return (we know more are voting by mail).

Election Reminders - our research team keeps track of almost all elections (rule of thumb is to send election reminders for any election that has over 5000 people in the jurisdiction) - covering localized elections - send a reminder out and the day before.

Checking your voter reg - ballot return deadlines,

When we partner with CCL, we’ve created unique co-branded site - users see the CCL logo and we can see the stats -

What type of tasks does partnering with TurboVote include?

up to the partners. Best practices - promotion strategies - linking with website, sending email reminders on election days - social media posts, wherever you interact with your users. National efforts vs. local groups - depends on how local groups appetite

How much time is involved?

We have partners that have add campaign - some groups have internship program, or a staff level. Non-profit toolkit - launched, sample email/social media posts - getting the link out there to generate signs-ups
https://nonprofit.turbovote.tools/

Your advice/recommendations for other CCL groups wanting to sign up to partner with TurboVote?

Go through the sign-up process itself to understand what it looks like

Check your registration tool? None- check your voter registration is separate from the process
Already registered to vote? Y/N - if clicked Y - have you moved - N, no need to re-register can still opt in for election reminders including timely critical information - it is important to register to vote.
When we send reminders for elections - check your status first - link to the state’s registration tools

What are the benefits/joys for chapter members of volunteering for TurboVote drives?

CCL National promotes - sharing TurboVote basics and the sign-up page

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TurboVote is an online tool that helps people register and vote in every election
Register here: cclusa.org/vote
Turbovote’s Toolkit: https://nonprofit.turbovote.tools/

Why is volunteering with TurboVote important for climate advocates?

One thing that’s striking - is that citizensclimatelobby.turbovote.org - the one thing we’re seeing in the research - younger people are motivated by issue calls to action - “I vote because I care about X issue” - vs. older Americans are impacted by identity “I vote because I’m American, etc.” if we can tie voting/election results back to the issues that people care about - it can be effective to help people realize that their issue is important - people care about pollution in the stream, lake that their kids swim in, if they can’t name the person in charge of the EPA or Senate Committee - that tying it back to local connections. It’s less about the people running than about the power people have when in the office.
Ad Council Research: https://vote2020project.adcouncilkit.org/
Volunteering/getting involved in an org - and voter engagement work - also a way to interact with community in a new and unique way. I’ve done some door-to-door canvassing - helped me get to know neighbors I wouldn’t have met or spoken with - as someone who cares about a cause it can be a rewarding way to connect with others - restorative and community building aspect.
1-on-1 conversations and social pressure. Someone from your community asking you to vote - can be very impactful - than seeing a voter registration banner on a website- someone taking the time to invite you in the process “your vote matters, I’d like to help you, are you registered, absentee tool called TurboVote, I think you should sign up” - rather than broad swatch - they’re time intensive, but if you have the opportunity to talk to friends or vol with drive it can be impactful and rewarding
More information about the tool (About TurboVote + our FAQs) along with the research I referenced on our call for you. You can also check out our toolkit (launching officially tomorrow) at nonprofit.turbovote.tools.
https://www.democracy.works/tools-for-voters

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Help Students Vote

Millennials and Gen Z comprise 40% of all American voters in 2020
CCL’s campus leaders and groups will be working with Rock the Vote
Use research-driven programs and innovative solutions to ensure young generation is represented in our democracy.
Contact highered@citizensclimate.org

Help Young People to Vote

In 2020, Millennials and Gen Z will comprise 40% of all American voters. Young voters are new voters, and as new voters, they face unique obstacles to voting that result in turnout that is historically 20 to 30 points below older voters. This discrepancy is even greater in midterms, state and local elections. Rock the Vote is a non-profit non-partisan organization in the United States whose stated mission is "to engage and build the political power of young people."

CCL’s campus leaders and campus groups will be working with Rock the Vote this fall to encourage students to vote. Rock the Vote is a non-profit non-partisan organization in the United States whose stated mission is "to engage and build the political power of young people." It uses research-driven programs and innovative solutions to ensure each youth generation is represented in our democracy. If your chapter is interested in engaging young people on voting, please check out www.rockthevote.org or contact highered@citizensclimatelobby.org.

Go to https://www.rockthevote.org/ for

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Stories From The Field

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CCL GA North Atlanta Story

Coordinated a statewide effort across Georgia
Goal was to expand voting participation as much as possible
Volunteers found joy and empowerment
Easy to use, low stress experience

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CCL CA San Francisco Story

“Campaign For The Climate” is a collection of electoral strategies
Phone banks run every other Sunday across Northern California
With tabling on hold, this action help volunteers stay engaged in outreach work
Features a healthy mix to new and veteran volunteers

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CCL CA Pasadena Foothills Story

A bipartisan way to highlight the importance of climate change as an electoral issue
Local experiences with both phone banking and text banking has been very rewarding for volunteers
Smooth, tech-friendly interface
Focus on getting people to the polls is important and engage advocates to vote

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Time For Questions

Click Participants & Raise Hand Or *9 If On The Phone

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https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics

Share online, with social media, and with your chapter, family and friends!

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Thank You!

Shannon Seigal email: shannon@environmentalvoter.org

Brett Cease email: brett@citizensclimate.org

Questions? Ask on CCL Community’s Forums: https://community.citizensclimate.org/forums

www.citizensclimatelobby.org

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