UUA News & Events: Election 2004 Registration

Election 2004

Midnight Madness - We have heard from some of our congregations that they have held "Midnight Madness" voter registration drives in the past with the League of Women Voters and are gearing up to do so again on the last day or last weekend of voter registration. They report interest from the media in covering these drives, often held at a local shopping center or public square, on the 6 pm, 10 pm, and 11 pm news. It's a great way to register more voters and generate news media. One fellowship reported that people who saw the notice on the 11 pm news were rushing down in their pajamas to register by midnight.

To assist your efforts the UUA has developed a sample press release for you to download and use: “(Local Congregation) Launches Last-Chance Voter Registration Drive”

Click here to find out the last day to register in your state .

Please send us news of your efforts, photos, and reports and copies of any news media you are able to generate.

Voter Registration

Click Here for a .pdf of our Faithful Democracy Resource

Registering voters is the first step in increasing civic participation. Followed by comprehensive Voter Education and Get Out The Vote efforts, registration drives have proven to be successful in increasing voter turnout in local and national elections.

There's no better place to start registering voters than within your congregation. Once all members are registered, use your skills to conduct registration outside your church. Encourage members to register others by putting 5 voter registration cards in each order of service.

The best way to get involved in voter registration and mobilization efforts this election year is through community partnerships. Community organizations have resources for training and staff support that will make your participation effective and often very easy. Plus, organizations know their communities and can help ensure that registration efforts are culturally relevant. For more information on interfaith partnerships visit Faithful Democracy . For community groups involved in various voter projects visit National Voice . If you have further questions, be sure to contact UUA Voting Project Coordinator, Sarah Craft, by email, voting@uua.org , or phone at 202-296-4672 x22.

If your congregation is not successful at entering into partnership with community or interfaith organizations, the following resources are available to aid in conducting your own congregation based, non-partisan voter registration guide.

The UUA Washington Office for Advocacy has created a resource: “Ten Easy Steps for Organizing a Congregation-Based, Non-partisan Voter Registration Drive” and a new specific resource campuses and young adults .

The Interfaith Alliance has created a 2004 Election Year Handbook . A hard copy was also send along with the congregational mailing in late January 2004.

Voter Registration Requirements and Deadlines vary by state. To learn about your state’s voter registration requirements see Project Vote-Smart and select your state.

PLEASE PUT THIS LANGUAGE ON YOUR MATERIALS:

Our voter registration services are available without regard to the voter’s political preference. Information and other assistance regarding registering or voting, including transportation and other serviced offered, shall not be withheld or refused on the basis of support for or opposition to particular candidates or a particular party.

A Federal Election Commission regulation requires that you post a sign or give written notice to people you are registering or helping to vote.

Contact Sarah Craft, UUA Voting Project Coordinator, voting@uua.org , with questions, resources, concerns, news, reports, and ideas about your congregation’s current or potential voting project.

Sign up for the UUA’s Voter-News E-mail List for weekly updates on voter resources and a chance to share your congregation’s activities and successes.

Unitarian Universalist Association
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