Tool Kit

What you’ll find in this tool kit

Planning Tips
Suggested Organizing Schedule
Election Protection
Resources

Planning Tips

  • Set a goal. How many new voters do you want to register? How many people do you want to turn out to vote? Set a realistic goal to plan for the appropriate scale for the size of your community. It gives you a benchmark for understanding when you may need to pivot or consider new strategies to meet your goal.
  • Think backwards. Start your planning at Election Day and work backwards. Map out what you need to do between now and then to meet your goals.
  • Build on what’s already in motion. Rather than trying to build lots of events from scratch, find a Tribal community calendar that details activities from now until Election Day. Look for opportunities that you can plug into and get community members registered to vote or help them build a plan to vote.

Suggested Organizing Schedule

  • Set your goals for Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts.
  • Identify the potential voter contact region. Include both addresses and phone numbers, if you can.
  • Identify how you’ll contact voters (Phone, text, or in person).
  • Create a list of capable volunteer prospects.
  • Determine whether any formal permission from the Tribe is necessary for GOTV activities.
  • Start your events calendar for attendance throughout GOTV season.
  • Reach out to Tribal leaders for support for GOTV.
  • Complete a draft of your GOTV script for canvassing and phone calls.
  • Review upcoming voting deadlines (registration, mail-in).
  • Attend tabling events in your community.
  • Begin planning your voting or ballot party, confirm a date, time, location and with whom you will collaborate.
  • Attend tabling events in your community.
  • Print GOTV scripts and voter outreach handouts.
  • Begin creating packets for GOTV volunteers.
  • Confirm locations for GOTV launch and phone banks locations.
  • Send social media contact to account holders.
  • Begin recruiting volunteers.
  • Complete voter outreach handout sheet.
  • Complete and schedule GOTV social media content.
  • Identify influential social media account owners asking about posting content.

*Note: Ballots are mailed out in Washington state. This is the start of the 18-day voting period.

  • Continue to create packets for GOTV volunteer runners.
  • Train volunteers on how to conduct GOTV phone calls, door knocking, and friend to friend texting.
  • Launch GOTV!
  • Review target lists to see who has voted. Do outreach to those who have not voted.
  • Post social media content.
  • Conduct GOTV efforts.
  • Debrief volunteers to learn about adjustments that need to be made.
  • Host a voting or ballot party. Ideally this would be in coordination with a community-sponsored event.
  • Monitor social media posts for GOTV content.
  • Post social media content.
  • Conduct GOTV efforts (phone calls, door knocking, and friend-to-friend texting about voter information).
  • Debrief volunteers. Learn about adjustments that need to be made on GOTV efforts.
  • Review target lists to see who has voted and do outreach to those who have not voted.
  • Monitor social media posts for GOTV content.
  • Monitor social media posts for GOTV content.
  • Review target lists to see who has voted. Do outreach to those who have not voted.
  • Conduct your final tabling event(s).
  • Send out a reminder to vote at key community locations.

Election Protection: Know Your Rights

Native peoples face frequent obstacles when seeking to vote. According to a 2020 Native Right Fund report, Native voters face more than 35 unique barriers, including registration and the act of voting itself.

1. Know the key rules for registering voters in your state and county.

2. Request voter registration data from county election officer. Use the list of registered voters to determine who is currently registered in your Tribe. Develop an outreach strategy for those who are not yet registered.

3. Get voter registration cards at your county election office.

Exercise YOUR Rights
as a Voter

Not registered? Register to vote.
Register here or find more information on RockTheVote.org.

Already registered? Confirm your current address.
Check your information here and find your nearest polling location.

If you encounter problems during voting, report them.
Contact the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law non-partisan toll-free hotline (866-OUR-VOTE). Report the problems to the Native American Voting Rights Fund at vote@narf.org.

Help your Community Exercise THEIR Rights

Contact your Tribal council.
Request for the council to create Tribal voter guides.

Hold an Election Day party near polling locations.
Make sure to invite voters and non-voters — it is illegal to pay people to vote!

Help get people to the ballot box.
If you have the resources, provide rides/shuttles to the polls.

Educate yourself so you can help spread trustworthy information.
Check out the resources available from Native Vote.

Resources

Printable Toolkit

Download and print this toolkit of resources and planning and organizing tips.

Download

Voter Registration Script

Guide your conversation about voter registration using the National Congress of American Indian’s (NCAI) sample script. Make sure to tailor the text to your community.

Download

Pledge to Vote

People who pledge to vote and make a plan are more likely to show up and cast their votes on Election Day! Download the Pledge to Vote cards below to distribute during your voter registration drive efforts. Print and digital versions are available.

Printable Cards
Digital Card

Donate to Native Vote Washington PAC.

Your gift to Native Vote WA PAC increases the political empowerment, education, and engagement of Native Peoples in Washington State.
Donate

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