Civic Sunday Voter Registration in Churches
Studies have shown that conservative faith-based voters are just as bad as everyone else when it comes to being registered to vote and actually voting on Election Day.
Civic Sunday’s are all about changing that.
It is a targeted voter registration effort conducted in churches all across our state. To make it a success, it is vital that your church participate and ensure that all of its members are registered to vote.
Here are some important tips on how to successfully promote and conduct a Civic Sunday voter registration drive in your church.
Get Permission
Be sure to get permission from the pastor or other leadership to conduct a voter registration drive. By making sure that they approve, you can clear the way to having them help you promote it ahead of time – or even participate!
Do Some Promotion
Place an announcement in the bulletin several weeks in advance. If there is an announcement board or a video screen, see if you can use these as well. If possible, get your pastor or other leadership to make an announcement from the pulpit and give directions to where the registration table is located.
Materials You Need
You should be able to get copies of the voter registration form from the local voter registration office, (or you can find a link to download it for your state and our website: https://faithwins.us/voter-registration-by-state/ and then make copies yourself). Make sure that you have enough copies for your place of worship. A good number would be enough for at least half of your membership. Don’t forget to have plenty of pens on hand to fill out the forms.
“Stand-up Sundays”
The most effective method of registering voters is to have the pastor or other leader ask everyone to “stand up” if they are registered to vote, then have ushers pass out voter registration forms to everyone who is still seated. Then ask them to fill those forms out before the service is over. Talk about accountability and civic responsibility to participate in self-government, and the policy changes that could occur if more people of faith participated in our political process.
For greater impact, be sure to make note of the names and contact information of everyone who has registered so that you can contact them before the election and remind them to vote.
Voter Registration Tables
Be sure to set up registration tables in areas that have heavy traffic, such as near the exits. Spread the registration forms and other materials out on the tables in such as way that everyone can easily access them. Make sure to have plenty of pens available.
Don’t sit down behind a table. Either stand behind or beside the table and engage people in conversation, and ask them if they are registered to vote. If you’re not pro-active, people will tend to pass you by. Encourage people to fill out their form immediately at the table – telling them that you will make sure that it gets sent in. This avoids the chance that they might forget.
Other Opportunities:
While places of worship offer the greatest opportunity for registering pro-faith conservatives, religious schools and bookstores are also excellent options to consider.
The Follow Up
Make sure to copy down the names and contact information of people who register, so that you can follow up with them prior to the election and remind them to vote.
In order to see more success for our conservative values we must begin focusing on the most basic act that a citizen can perform – voting. You can help make that happen!
