Peregrine kate recently Wrote about an easy GOTV activity suitable for introverts, the housebound, or anyone, really — and it is something Daily Kos is supporting. She wrote:
Wondering how you can help promote voting without leaving the comfort of your house? Awkward about texting, uncomfortable with virtual phone banking, unable to get out to make calls or knock doors? Then Vote Forward is the GOTV Support Activity tailor-made for you.
Vote Forward is based on a two-part strategy to promote voting by people who tend not to participate in mid-term elections. First, that people will respond positively to being encouraged to vote; second, that personal, hand-addressed letters will get people’s attention because they’re different from the usual campaign literature.
It really is easy. The only hard part is waiting while your application is reviewed and an assignment given. I have finished my first batch of 25 letters and have begun work on my second batch. I intend to go for a third and batch (or more) while there is time. The idea is to prepare all your letters, afix stamps (pretty, commemorative ones if possible) and drop them in the mail ten days before the election. Vote Forward will remind you by email on the day.
Sign up as soon as possible because it might be a couple days before your application is approved. You can do as few as five letters — or start with a batch of twenty-five as I did. This really does work. From the Vote Forward website:
Proven in Alabama
In a randomized controlled trial in the special election for U.S. Senate in Alabama in 2017, turnout among letter recipients was 3.9 percentage points higher than turnout in the control group. (3.4 percentage points after controlling for gender, age, and other factors). This is big! It appears to be one of the most effective known tactics to boost turnout.
By the numbers, voters still available for adoption at these Congressional Districts at 3:10pm pacific (updated at 12:40am):
CA-25: 1,249 424 Done!
CA-49: 5,265 5,130 4,855 4,480 3,605 3,270
FL-16: 8,641 8,561 8,311 7,986 7,516 7,371
GA-07: 9,055 8,710 8,330 8,015 7,200 7,025
KS-02: 1,494 1,389 949 804 614 589
NC-02: 15,091 15,006 14,856 14,741 14,536 14,516
NC-09: 6,192 6,042 5,942 5,892 5,817
OH-01: 4,235 4,100 3,840 3,340 3,000 2,900
TX-02: 12,834 12,469 11,964 11,609 10,839 10,604 NOTE: This one will help Beto!
(I will update these numbers periodically) — I love watching the numbers come down!)
So go for it! There is nothing as crucial as turning out the vote for this election because our democracy is in deep, deep trouble — and these letters will help get people to the polls.