Building a Get Out the Vote Campaign How-To Guide
A MESSAGE FROM WMC, WISCONSIN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE All too often, employers shy away from talking about policy matters with their employees. That s the wrong approach. Employees want to know what you think, and research has found that employers are one of the most trusted sources of information for employees when making decisions that affect their families futures. As a business owner, you have a First Amendment Right to discuss with your employees the important public policy issues that affect your company, your state and your nation. There are some restrictions under state law limiting your ability to tell workers for whom to vote, or which political party to support. And you cannot hint that the business will close or wages will be cut based on the outcome of an election. But you can provide basic, common sense information about how issues affect your business. You can also explain how those issues affect your company's bottom line and, in turn, your ability to provide better benefits to your employees. In other words, your workers need to know higher taxes, regulation and runaway lawsuits drive-up costs directly affect the company's profits and losses. WMC provides you with tools to have conversations about policy issues and how public officials voted on business issues. For example, our website contains a complete scorecard detailing how your lawmakers voted on business issues in the most recent legislative session. Feel free to print and share the scorecard with your workers at a staff meeting or email it to them with a note about how the issues affect your business and your community, including your employees and their families. Urge your employees to review how their own legislators voted. They will likely find there is a wide range of support for the business agenda at the State Capitol. Use WMC as a resource to learn more about issues and share the details with your employees. The best employee public policy program is a long, sustained educational program by your company. Let the resources from WMC help you educate your co-workers. 2 www.wmc.org/policycenter
WHY BUILD A GOTV PROGRAM? We must elect public officials who understand the importance of a strong business sector and will vote to support the jobs of hardworking Wisconsinites. Voters want to hear from their employers. Studies show that employers are regarded as a reliable and trusted source of information about elections. 3 www.wmc.org/policycenter
4 www.wmc.org/policycenter
LEADERSHIP Involvement sets an example for the rest of the organization and will demonstrate how serious your company or association is about voting. Make the point that GOTV is legal and can be done in a nonpartisan way; WMC materials are all legally cleared. Share current legislators voting records with your leadership. Share examples of other WMC member companies who have built successful GOTV programs. See the WMC Policy Center for a task force of helpful members and their program ideas. Inform your union leaders and reassure them that this is a nonpartisan effort. 5 www.wmc.org/policycenter
GETTING STARTED Decide what activities and elements will fit your corporate culture. There is no onesizefits-all way to build a GOTV program. Available WMC resources include the following: Link to incumbent voting records Voter registration information Sample language for flyers that can be distributed reminding employees to vote Pre-crafted, customizable language for e-mails, newsletters, Facebook and Twitter Set up a GOTV resource center on your internal website that can include: Voting dates and deadlines Information on your local elected officials, including links to their websites (official and campaign) Link to the WMC Policy Center GOTV videos (WMC videos or ones produced in-house) 6 www.wmc.org/policycenter
77 www.wmc.org/policycenter
VOT 8 www.wmc.org/policycenter
LAUNCHING YOUR PROGRAM Have the launch message come from a name that is universally recognizable in the company (your CEO or unit presidents, if possible). See the WMC Policy Center for sample launch messages. E Consider sending a personal letter to employee homes, or decide which platform is most effective to launch program (e-mail, weekly publication, monthly newsletter, video message, etc.). Have a standard response ready for any employees who respond with negative feedback (e.g., I don t want you telling me how to vote ). **Tip** Make sure not to send any materials about your GOTV program to employees outside the United States; segment your list carefully! 9 www.wmc.org/policycenter
EASY WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUR EMPLOYEES 10 www.wmc.org/policycenter
Voter Registration in House or in Your Community Incorporate voter registration into internal events, such as the company picnic, or training sessions. Also, add voter registration forms to new employee orientation materials. Work with volunteers from your current workforce or your retiree network to host a voter registration drive during lunch hours at your facilities. Make sure to contact your local Board of Elections for the rules and regulations specific to your community. Partner with civic groups in your community (your local Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, League of Women Voters, etc.) to host a voter registration drive during a community event (e.g., a high school football game) or outside a community gathering place (e.g., a library, for example) Employee Education Co-brand and distribute WMC Voting Records to employees before Election Day. Consider displaying WMC Voting Records in employee lounges or public working areas. Consider sending education materials to employees homes, where other family members may see the information as well. Invite candidates to visit the company for town hall style meetings and a tour. Nothing is as effective in swaying a public official s opinion as putting him or her on the shop floor! Conduct them separately or hold a candidate forum type event. Turning Out the Vote Make yourself aware of applicable dates and deadlines for voter registration, absentee ballot requests, early voting, etc., in your locality (or the localities where you do business). Send a note to employees reminding them to request absentee ballots or make time to vote early if they know they will be traveling on Election Day. Hang GOTV posters in break rooms and other public areas in your facilities. Distribute talking points asking employees to vote to department heads for their daily or weekly meetings. Samples are available on the WMC Policy Center. Have staff volunteers, or site captains, distribute flyers or visit desks to remind employees to vote. Post a reminder on the front page of your company s intranet or employee-only website. Put a message on your closed-circuit television system, if you have one, or check with your IT department to see if it can create a GOTV screensaver that can be pushed out to all machines. Post the WMC videos on your intranet site. 11 www.wmc.org/policycenter
Taking Your Program to the Next Level Site Captains Designate a site captain to post GOTV materials and serve as the resource for information on voter registration, absentee ballots, etc. (ideally, a community relations or communications specialist) at worksites around the country. Hold a training session in person, or via webinar, to train captains on expectations, legality, timeline for the program, etc. Reach Out to Your Supplier and/or Client Network Ask your president or main interface with suppliers and/ or clients to reach out to his/her colleagues at those companies and encourage them to make getting their employees to the polls a priority. Social Media If you have a following on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, put your advocates to work! Make sure to remind them to register to vote and go to the polls. 12 www.wmc.org/policycenter
13 www.wmc.org/policycenter 13 www.wmc.org/policycenter
www.wmc.org Connect With Us 501 East Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703 608.258.3400 www.wmc.org WisconsinMC WMC501 @WisconsinMC