Communications Plan Template-SHARE.xlsx

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P
1	Category	Becoming aware of the election and knowing how to take part							Learning how the election works and who is running						Participating in the election
2		Election Announced		Register to Vote	Decide how to take part				Find the polling place (or learn about early vote/ vote by mail)	Learn how to mark a ballot	Get voter ID	Learn who is in office now	Learn what's on the ballot		Mark the ballot	Check Results
3	Reasons for Message	Many new citizens struggle to find community after they become citizens.	In some cultures, participating in community simply means donating money for a cause	Becoming a citizen is an exciting experience, and people want to feel you're excited to have them vote. Inviting them to take part is good way to help them celebrate.	New citizens with disabilities often come from places where they weren't able to vote because there wasn't assistive technology in their home countries.	People who come from countries in which voting systems are corrupt don't see the point in participating in elections.	Past experiences with government officials are traumatic, and some new citizens may feel threatened by voting even though they've been naturalized.	Some people become citizens specifically because they want to have a political voice	Some people come from places where wealthy politicians control everything. If they weren't upper class, they aren't used to getting asked to participate.	New Citizens have hard time finding resources in general. They may not know there are voter guides and other resources that can make voting easier.	Local elections might seem irrelevant	Even after you become a citizen people can still afraid of expressing political opinions. Helping them understand the importance of voting as a political expression is important.	Some new citizens described having higher hopes for the American democratic system. They need to know how they can feel represented in the decisions that are being made.	People have misconceptions that voting is complicated	Sometimes new citizens come from countries that don't observe waiting in line (and other rules) the same way Americans do
4	Message to New Citizen	-Polling places are like temporary community centers. When you go to yours, you’ll meet friends and neighbors. -Meet your neighbors and friends at the polling place! -Home is where your vote is.	-Voting is a way of giving back to community. -Voting = community.	Be part of something bigger, use your voice, use your vote.	-People with disabilities can vote! And, it’s your right to bring someone to help you. -Need assistance to vote? Bring someone you trust with you. -Need assistance to vote? We can help. Just ask.	-Your ballot is secret, keep it that way. -Here’s who to contact if you think your right to vote has been infringed. -No one but you knows who you’re voting for. -Your vote is your vote and no one can take it from you. -Don’t let anyone interfere with your vote. -If someone offers to pay you to vote for you, say no. You own your vote. -Here’s who to contact if you think your right to vote has been infringed.	-Voting is not going to get you in trouble. -Voting places are safe places.	-Your vote can represent others in the community who aren’t able to vote. -When you vote, you give voice to your community.	-Your voice and your vote matter. -Decisions get made by the people who show up to vote. -Look out for the health of your country! -If you don’t vote, people like you won’t get elected.	-There are resources to help you prepare to vote. -Keep your voter registration up to date! If you move, you have to update your voter registration.	-The place where you can affect change is your local town or city. -You live at the local level, vote at the local level. -All change is local! Vote in local elections.	You don’t have to participate in a protest to have your voice heard.	-People in your community are making decisions for you by voting. If you don’t want that to happen, get out and vote. -If you don’t see someone who represents you politically, you have the opportunity to be that person.	-You passed the civics test to become a citizen. Voting is easy in comparison! -Become a citizen was the hard part, but voting is easy.	American elections can have long lines to wait in, so give yourself some extra time when you come to vote. Make sure you bring your ID! (Help people anticipate what the process is going to be like).	Help voters know what the dates and deadlines are
5	Media	Ethnic newspapers or radio stations; Facebook	Ethnic newspapers or radio stations; Facebook; Twitter	Ethnic newspapers or radio stations; Facebook	Facebook, Twitter	Twitter, Facebook	Twitter, Facebook	Ethnic newspapers or radio stations; Facebook	Ethnic newspapers or radio stations; Facebook	Twitter, Facebook	Twitter, Facebook	Twitter, Facebook	Ethnic newspapers or radio stations; Facebook	Twitter, Facebook	Twitter, Facebook	Ethnic newspapers or radio stations; Facebook
6	Other Outlets	Town halls, religious institutions, schools (kids can influence and inform parents); Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Ask Volunteer organizations (like United Way) to help do outreach	Town halls, religious institutions, schools (kids can influence and inform parents); Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Local organizations who work with people with disabilities	Any trusted organization; in this case government is probably not the best entity to be sharing these messages	Any trusted organization; in this case government is probably not the best entity to be sharing these messages	Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Town halls, religious institutions, schools (kids can influence and inform parents); Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Town halls, religious institutions, schools (kids can influence and inform parents); Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Town halls, religious institutions, schools (kids can influence and inform parents); Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Town halls, religious institutions, schools (kids can influence and inform parents); Local cultural and heritage organizations that provide services	Any entity that already shares election information	Any entity that already shares election information
7	Timing	E-120 to E-90	E-90	E-90	E-120	E-120	E-120	E-15	E-15	E-30	E-15	E-15	E-15	E-60	E-15	E-30
8	Obstacles	Might not even know an election is happening; newspaper and radio ads are too expensive; can't locate ethnic media	No access to social media	Was registered after taking the oath but don't know what to do next	New citizens with disabilites are completely isolated	Voter fraud occured in a past election, so people are afraid to be associated with voting	New citizens are afraid that they could somehow get in trouble if they choose to vote; they are intimidated to interact with government	Voter is isolated and not connected to community	No access to internet, or low computer literacy	Voting process is different than how they voted in their home country	Not sure what a voter ID is. After having many different forms of documentation, this is confusing.	No access to internet, or low computer literacy; amount of information is overwhelming. Information ecocystem is too dense	No access to internet, or low computer literacy; no understanding of how local offices work	Voting process is different than how they voted in their home country	No access to car or transportation; unclear where to vote; no work schedule prevents them from voting, or they simply forget	There aren't local ethic media sources to cover local election results
9	Special Considerations	New citizens with disabilities have to work harder to find community; they may be harder to reach	Privileged voters are often already see the value in voting; it's harder to convice those who don't have financial stability or education	Sometimes non-profits register new citizens to vote right after taking the oath, but they aren't permitted to keep contact information in order to reach out to them later.	Choose social media platforms that work well with assistive technology (not all do).	In some countries, it's common to get paid to vote a certain way. New voters might not know it's a crime to accept money or let others mark a ballot for them.	Even people who have never had a bad experience with immigration have most likely watched someone else get interrogated or questioned. These observations can also lead to fear.	New citizens from politically corrupt countries are afraid that miliita or mafias from their home countries are spying on them	Not all new voters will be skeptics, but it's important to look at where your new voters are from. In one group interview we conducted, a voter from El Salvador was extremely skeptical; their colleague from Japan was less so.	People with disabilities don't know they can bring someone with them to mark the ballot; they don't know about assistive technology at all.	People may come from places that don't have local elections at all	Older new citizens sometimes aren't literate, so translating materials doesn't help	Families who don't have younger children (who speak English often help their parents and grandparents vote).	There are no community or heritage organizations that have worked to bust the myth that voting is hard.	People with disabilities aren't able to ask for assistive technology because they can't speak English. They don't even know this is available.	Many new citizens sources of news are in their own language, and these can be regional if they aren't in large cities.
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