Congregational Stories

• As Featured in the New York Times , Go Vote Coalition volunteers at First Unitarian Society of Madison (Wisconsin) are in the final stretch of a year-long voter registration effort. The Coalition which First Unitarian helped found, along with James Reeb UU Congregation and Prairie UU Fellowship , has more than 19 organizational members, and many individual members. As of the beginning of October, the Go Vote Coalition has registered more than 24,000 new voters in Dane County, Wisconsin. The emphasis has been on young people age 18-24, and on eligible voters in low-income areas of the county.

  The big push now is to mobilize all those new voters and get them to the polls. First Unitarian Society is playing a key role in coordinating a ride to the polls program with a local cab company. The cab company will provide five cabs for the full voting day on November 2nd. There will be some costs covered for the company, and cab drivers will be paid minimum wage to ensure their coverage by the company's insurance. First Unitarian Society also pledged to work on 100% voter participation within the congregation and has kicked off its effort to call all of the 1,300+ members in the congregation to remind them of Election Day, confirm their polling places, and offer rides to those who need them. FUS members will also be serving as trained poll monitors in Madison, Racine, and Milwaukee Wisconsin. Contact: Wendy Cooper
   
• The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston mounted a broad registration campaign that covered the Reston and Herndon areas in Northern Virginia. They included shopping centers, social service agencies, assisted and independent living facilities, community centers, health clubs, and all of the "Back to School" nights being held at area schools. In all they conducted 70 registration events with two trained volunteers per registration table. Volunteer coordination was done through and updated “Task Assignment Website,” created by one of the church members. Many volunteers were trained by the county registrar's office partners from an interfaith organization and several public interest affinity groups joined in the effort. The Church reported registering about 700 voters, covering a broad variety of target types, with great successes in low-income, minority and other electorally under-represented populations. Contact: Hank Blakely
  
   
• The BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship’s Faithful Democracy Task Force has been doing voter registration at train stations, the Walmart and most recently at the BuxMont Annual Chocolate Festival.  (The picture shows volunteers registering the Chocolate mouse, an 18 year-old new voter!) They also teamed with the League of Women Voter's and registered at the Mall every Saturday in September.  “This was an interesting experience as people asked ‘how much it cost?’ or if we were only registering women or ‘what's a primary?’  It made us aware of how much education is necessary about the whole political process.” Some members are being trained as poll monitors and others are working to drive people to the polls. Contact: Yvonne Marlier
   
• On a Saturday in early September, amid torrential downpours, more than 54 UU volunteers walked the streets of Philadelphia and its surrounding counties to successfully register 277 voters. Unitarian Society of Germantown hosted the event, which included 27 guests from UU congregations in the Washington, D.C. area and from two sister UU congregations in Philadelphia. Aside from registering voters, many people asked for help in identifying their polling places and for information about absentee ballots. Some volunteers wore "Your Vote Counts" tee shirts and distributed "I Just Registered To Vote" stickers. A member of USG reports, “The canvassing was not just about the number of people registered. It was about making connections with people and creating a ripple effect in our community. People on the street constantly thanked us for the work we were doing and expressed appreciation for our willingness to get them information and to follow-up with them.”
  
  Members of USG also registered voters at grocery stores, strip malls, and transportation hubs. They plan to research polling places and make follow-up phone calls, using a database the created with copies of their registration forms. Contact: Joan Mayer
   
• Since its formation in the Fall of 2003 at All Souls Church, Unitarian in DC , All Souls! All Vote! has been actively working in the congregation’s neighborhood, in the DC-metropolitan area, and nationally on the non-partisan mission of strengthening voter education, registration, and turnout for the Nov 2004 elections. Since March, they have held about 15 local registration events – at the Metro, grocery stores, community fairs, mayoral events, and even nightclubs – registering about 400 people locally. The congregation presented an inspiring and thought-provoking Video Seminar Series where members of the community and speakers came together to share ideas and concerns. The videos were Eyes on the Prize, about the voting rights struggle in the 60s, Unprecedented, and Invisible Ballots. Members also collaborated with community groups on a DC council candidates' forum, sponsored the DC Voter Empowerment Project, created a website (www.all-souls.org/socialjustice/allvote ), held workshops, produced a voter information guide, emailed education alerts, hosted speakers, and traveled to Philadelphia where they helped register 277 people in one day.
  
  In order to help Get-Out-The-Vote, volunteers are calling to follow up with people whom we have registered here in DC. They will also "adopt" the precinct closest to the church and will call registered voters, remind them of Election Day, encourage them to vote, and assist them in any way we can to get to the polls. Nationally, members will head to Tampa, Florida on Election Day weekend to conduct GOTV work and poll monitoring in historically low turnout areas. Others will remain in Washington to hold a party to celebrate civic involvement. “Our activities have helped create an ongoing culture of voting as important to the church and surrounding community. And, with all these foundations, we look forward to continue working after November 2nd to build a stronger participatory democracy in our community.” Contact: Lina Parikh
   
• Nearly 100 members and friends of Birmingham Unitarian Church  have been busy working on voter registration in partnership with a Detroit based interfaith organization called MOSES, an acronym for Metropolitan Organizing Strategies Enabling Strength .  The first effort was working at 3 Summer Festivals in Detroit:  Memorial Day at the Movement Techno Festival, the Detroit Festival of the Arts, and the International Freedom Festival Fireworks celebrating the July 4th holiday.  Efforts totaled over 1000 registrations at these festivals.
  
  On July 18th volunteers witnessed 1400 immigrants as they were naturalized as United States citizens at a ceremony at Cobo Hall in Detroit.  They then assisted in registering nearly 1100 new citizens who are now eligible to vote. On Labor Day weekend BUC members worked the very popular Arts, Beats and Eats Festival in Pontiac, MI, where 500 more voters were registered. Their final effort will be to recruit and train Voter Protection volunteers who will work in precincts in Pontiac on Election Day. Contact: Patricia Schwing or Diane Lake
   
• Faithful Democracy volunteers at Unitarian Universalists of Sterling (Virginia) have provided a range of voter services to approximately 100 residents of Northern Virginia. The group's activities kicked off in August with voter registration training provided by the president of the League of Women Voters. Venues were chosen for the voter registration drives that would target Latino, seniors, and students. Each of these groups has been historically under-registered, and they got an appreciative response at all events.
  
  UU Sterling also launched the "Friends Don't Let Friends Not Vote" campaign. The goal was to have 100 percent of the congregation registered to vote, and for each member to register at least one other person. Registration forms and absentee ballot applications have been available at church. Lastly, volunteers will provide rides to the polls on Election Day and advertise this in the community. A special voice mailbox has been set up at the main church phone number for people to request rides.
   
• It is uncomfortable standing outdoors in Florida in July and August just to get about three registrations per hour, but 36 volunteers from Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater did it. The advent of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and then Ivan added suspense to the task, but they spared a direct hit, and actually provided welcome overcast skies. It all began on June 19th with a workshop in Clearwater led by Phil Compton of Florida Consumer Action Network (and member of Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa ). By the time UU Clearwater ended their registration drive on September 17^th, they had met our goal of 537, a number picked by the Social Justice Committee to match the Florida vote margin that decided the 2000 U.S. election.
  

Volunteers decided to focus on libraries, assisted living facilities, flea markets and major retailers rather than going door to door. Their sign simply said "Register Here to Vote In Florida". They answered many questions about absentee ballots, early voting, etc. Interesting work: new arrivals who'd lost their homes to Charley, a veiled woman with a baby who wanted an absentee ballot in Saudi Arabia, civilian employee of company doing contract work in Iraq, woman whose soldier husband was heading to Iraq, many felons with stories to tell about being disenfranchised in Florida, even people interested in UUism. Contact: John Chase
 
• The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth , Massachusetts, developed a simple action to encourage voter registration and voter involvement in the November elections. On the last day that Massachusetts voters can register for the November election, the Falmouth church will ring its bells in the morning and at noon.  Other churches on Cape Cod are also being encouraged to ring their bells "for the last call for voter registration."   

Church bell ringing will be explained in local newspapers and on local radio stations.  Churches that lack traditional church bells are encouraged to use hand bells, sleigh bells, dinner bells, or "anything that will ring."   The church bells will ring, again, on Election Day, to encourage voters to go to the polls. Contact: Rev. Robert F. Murphy
 
• Several members of Unitarian Universalist Church West located in Brookfield, Wisconsin, have been registering voters. For the past month, volunteers have been setting up registration tables at several of the farmers' markets in Milwaukee. While voters in Wisconsin can register at the polls on Election Day, advance registration is one way to reach people who don't know they are eligible to vote or may need extra encouragement to participate in the electoral process.
  
  Here Bee J Ermenc registers a voter at the Fondy Farmers Market in Milwaukee—not only a good place for encouraging voters but a great place for filling your table with fresh grown affordable produce. Contact: Becky Steffes
   
• The Unitarian Universalist Church in Bartlesville , Oaklahoma completed its voter registrations drives before the 8th of October with 155 voters registered, the vast majority being first time voters. Volunteers held 3 drives, 2 at the downtown Homeland Grocery Store, and the last one at United Grocery Store. Approximately 50 of the folks that registered also signed up for reminder calls, and a handful will need rides to the polls. So there will be a small Get-out-the-vote effort on Nov. 2nd to follow up for these people.  “It has been a fun and educational process. And it has provided a positive outlet for the UU members that participated this election year.” Contact Lashawn Bollenbach
   
• From Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington : "We have registered about 300 voters and are helping with Absentee Voting with the Arlington Voter Registration Office.  We are also assisting Earth Day Network with GOTV phone banking. We partnered with The Arlington Presbyterian Church and Our Lady Queen of Peace Church as well as Southwest Voter Registration Education Project in our Voter Mobilization Project.. Many volunteered to register voters in conjunction with the Arlington County Voter Registration Office since August; events covered include The Arlington County Fair, assisted living facilities in Arlington and special events in the community." Contact Louise Volintine or Robert Patrician
   
• The Let's Vote Team of the East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Kirtland, Ohio planned activities for both voter registration and education. In addition, it formed cooperative alliances with Old South Church (UCC) in Kirtland, Lakeland Community College, American Association of University Women, and Lake County League of Women Voters. Non partisan efforts registered 660 new voters at the church, apartment complexes, the local community college, and community festivals.
  
  East Shore UU also hosted two Salons, one an issue forum discussing health care, the environment, civil rights and security, and the economy, the other with the movie "Unprecedented" and a presentation of the Election Protection program. They also took part in the Painesville Branch of AAUW program, The Power of One Vote, which focused on getting more groups registered and out to vote this year and bring together the various groups who are actively working to this end. Contact: Bill Butler, wbutler@ncweb.com
   
• About 24 members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Highlands in Meadowview, Virginia delivered 350 completed voter registration forms to the local registrar. To facilitate the registration efforts, the put together five kits of registration material including posters, flags, pins, etc. They worked closely with registrar's office, who reported a high level of activity during the last week of registration. UUCH volunteers hit the local Food Pantry, the local county fair, three local colleges on their respective orientation days, all four of our high schools’ senior classes, Highlands Festival, the public libraries and two local grocery stores. Contact: Jane Hill, bandjhill@naxs.net
   
• The U.U. Voter Project of the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana has registered 201 new and inactive voters in Monroe County, Indiana. The Project targeted groups under-represented on the voter rolls—single parents, the poor, off campus university students, marginalized sub-cultures, etc. Registration sites included a rummage sale at a university campus ministry center, a community-wide "Simple Living" fair, a two day juried community art fair that annually draws several thousand visitors, Operation Headstart parents' groups, an ecumenically supported day-care center during "pick-up time," an assisted living retirement center, two community concerts, Sunday coffee hours at the UU Church, etc.
  
  Volunteers are now contacting those who have registered through our sites to offer sources of non-partisan information, encouragement to follow through and vote, and transportation to the polls. To a lucky few we'll offer a ride to the polls in a stretch limousine contributed by a local limousine service. Contact: Jack and Sylvia King, jdskking@aol.com
   
• The Unitarian Church of Westport, CT held voter registration drives targeting the City of Bridgeport, which historically has had less than 50% of those eligible registered to vote. Working with members of the Unitarian Church of Greater Bridgeport and others in the community, volunteers focused efforts on registering new Latino and African American voters in Bridgeport. All together, they registered 835 new voters. Contact: Linda Brewster, lbrewste@optonline.net
   
• Fifteen members of Atkinson Memorial Church in Oregon City have worked since last spring to register voters in Oregon City and surrounding communities just south of Portland. They provided voter registration packets for church members to take to work or to use in their neighborhoods. They also set up booths at local farmers markets, a spring garden event at the Clackamas County fairgrounds, and other events. All together, they registered 234 voters including a family from Laos who had never voted in Oregon. They are bringing visibility to the community on ballot measure issues and supported a "no" vote on Ballot Measure 36, which would change the definition of marriage in our state constitution to "one man, one woman." They also hosted a Clackamas County League of Women Voters ballot measure forum to educate the community on all sides of the issues. In addition, they hosted a statewide workshop for the Rural Organizing Project, a group building support for progressive issues and activism in rural Oregon.
   
• While almost all of the activities at Rolla Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Rolla, MO were done by individuals on a partisan basis, just about all of their 15 active members were in some way involved with the 2004 elections. They phone banked, canvassed town and rural areas, addressed brochures, registered 2 voters, wrote letters to the editor, provided housing for out-of-state volunteers, hosted a picnic for people of faith for one of the candidates, organized poll-watchers for the primary, and participated in poll watching and election judging for the primary and general elections.
   
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