Voter Services — What We Do
The goal of the Voter Services Team is to promote citizens’ informed participation in elections by providing non-partisan information in the following ways:
- Registration of voters
- Election information booths at community events
- Candidate events for each multi-partisan election
- Assistance with the publication of the online voter guide (VOTE411) for each election
Activities During 2020
Registration Events:
- 51 voter registration events resulting in 98 voter registrations
- Covid-19 required all registration events to be held outside with appropriate safety precautions (masks, distancing, hand sanitizer)
- Events were scheduled at farmers markets, store fronts, parks, churches, neighborhoods, breweries, nonprofits, community colleges, flea markets, and food pantries.
- 500 masks given out
- 3000 handouts with voter information given out
- Four workshops were held (virtually) to train people to register voters. A voter registration workshop was recorded and was available on the LWVHCNC's YouTube channel
- Voter Services designed and purchased two retractable banners to be displayed at all registration events
Candidate Events: (all events were virtual)
- Forum for candidates for NC Senate District 48
- Candidate conversations with candidates for NC House Districts 113 and 117
- Forum for candidates for Henderson County School Board
- Candidate conversation with candidate for NC District Court District 29B, Seat 2
- All candidate events were recorded and available on LWVHCNC's YouTube channel
- There were approximately 2000 viewings of these recordings
Voter Information:
- Approximately 2000 packets of information about voting, the election, and VOTE411 were distributed through partnerships with community agencies, such as food pantries, public schools, health agencies, Council on Aging, Housing Assistance Corporation, libraries, nursing homes and assisted living staff, Hola Carolina, El Centro, and other nonprofits
- The Voter Services section of the LWVHCNC website was completely revised to include information in sections titled What We Do, Registering to Vote, VOTE411, Voting in Elections, and Voting Resources
- A 2-class series was developed with the Blue Ridge Literacy Council to educate new citizens about why voting is important, their options for voting, registering to vote, accessing nonpartisan information about candidates, and considering sample ballots. These classes were offered four times
- The League assisted El Centro with its BluePrint grant by preparing 600 postcards in Spanish
VOTE411:
- Candidate information was available for candidates in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties
- A static billboard was displayed on Four Seasons Blvd. for one month
- A second billboard (electronic) displayed PSAs
- Approximately 100 yard signs were distributed throughout the county
- Radio ads were recorded, and the station also provided PSAs
- Newspaper coverage included press releases and ads
- Window flyers were posted throughout the county in store fronts
- 1250 postcards publicizing VOTE411 were donated by the Mt. Baldy League in California and mailed to voters in the NC Senate District 48
Work with the Board of Elections:
- The need for election workers was publicized through the League's website and handouts at all events
- The League assisted with the MAT teams
- BOE press releases were available on the League website
- Observers were present at regularly scheduled BOE meetings, all meetings to assess absentee ballots, and the canvass meetings
Fair Districts:
- The LWVHC has worked with Fair Districts Western North Carolina
- The LWVHC has worked with Fair Districts North Carolina
LWVUS Grant for High School and Community College Students:
- The League received a $700 grant to provide voter information and registration to county high school and community college students
- In-person registration events were held at the Innovative High School early in March and BRCC in the fall
- Packets of information and a PowerPoint program were sent to the contacts at the high school
- The grant was also used to support the prizes awarded for the winners in the Student Video Contest. Voter Services collaborated with the Student Engagement Team in the development of this activity.
Voter Services Guidebook:
- Voter Services wrote a Voter Services Guidebook
- The four folders in this Guidebook are General Information, Voter Registrations, Candidate Events, and VOTE411
- Each folder has materials explaining how to approach the tasks involved in each section as well as sample materials
- The Guidebook is stored on GoogleDocs
