& Get Out the Vote Campaigns

Elections Wednesday Group Our Gallery Project

For our gallery project, we created a Voter Registration Campaign and a Get Out the Vote Campaign for the student body of Purdue. We wanted to create something that was COVID-friendly and information-oriented. We knew this would need to be a multi-part campaign, so we worked with physical and technological elements to make sharing this information successful and captivating. The physical portion of our campaign would be done through booths and flyers placed at busy locations around campus like dining halls and libraries. The technological portions dealt more with how to register in that certain voter’s location (with a central focus of Indiana) and where voters could find out more information if needed. We hoped that through our physical portion we would supply enough information that students would not struggle independently to find information online; however, we wanted to provide options that made their private searches simpler. Within this assignment, we wanted to create something that was very feasible in modern times. We hoped through our dedication to reality that some of these ideas would become such at a later time. Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote Campaign booths and posters are already a common occurrence, so leaning into something familiar while adding a technological element created a healthy mix of new and old tactics that would hopefully not scare away students and make them curious enough to learn more. There is no element of the voting process we did not research and/or touch on in this project, and we hope that this work has paid off and made a well-rounded Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote Campaign compilation. Voter Registration Drive

● We will set up physical booths and a website with videos, informative articles, links to registration websites, and information about voting absentee ● The booths will be set up outside of WALC, the engineering fountain, residence halls, and the dining halls so students are not on their way to class and have time to talk ● At the booths we will talk to students about the importance of voting and hand out cards with a QR code to take people to the website to get more information ● The people at the booths will follow all social distancing procedures and wear gloves if giving a student something Resources and Support Needed

In order to achieve this project, we would need some specific resources . . .

- Volunteers to run the booths across campus - Tables, chairs, and other physical resources for the booth - Gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in order to facilitate a safe experience for everyone involved and to Protect Purdue - Paper resources such as cards with QR code, flyers, poster, etc. Why Students Should Vote

Students should vote because their voice matters. Purdue is filled with voices that want action and the best way to enact change is through voting. Voting is the cornerstone of democracy and as adult US citizens we have the obligation to vote. Many people don’t vote and are unhappy with our politicians, which makes voting even more imperative. The US struggles with low voter efficacy, which often results in resentment towards the elected officials we have now, which is why voting is so important: young people have a strong voice, they just need to make sure they are utilizing it. Students have a deep impact on the political world and should inform themselves about different candidates for local and national elections. In doing so they are furthering the nation and themselves. Challenges

● Some people are concerned about voting in person because of the coronavirus pandemic ● Students living on-campus may not know how to vote other than their assigned polling place ● Many young people are first time voters and are not registered and do not know how to register ● Our registration drive will address these challenges by informing people about how to register to vote and how to vote absentee Visual Artifact

These posters would be used at each booth to attract passerby. It will have basic details about deadlines for voting. We will also display these online via social media and/or our website. If possible, we would also hand them out around school. To-Go Card

Especially at outdoor Voter Registration booths, passing students might not have time to register right away. This business card-like info Step 1: Scan the QR code/use link card is a great solution! Step 2: Click “Register to Vote: Apply Now” We can hand them out to passing students who are Step 3: Review eligibility on their way to class, or Step 4: Enter voter information who just don’t have time to register on the spot. Step 5: Review and acknowledge Step 6: Secure information https://indianavoters.in.gov/ Sample Website Get Out the Vote

After the deadline for voter registration passes and voting day draws near, our booths will transition to focus on the actual vote rather than registration. This will include:

● Instructions on ● Instructions on how to correctly use an ● Instructions on how to vote in-person ● Links to relevant government resources Early Voting

● In Indiana, in-person early voting begins on October 6, 2020 and ends on November 2, 2020, the day before Election Day ● Registered voters can go to any of the early voting locations for their county ● If voting at one of the Purdue locations (or elsewhere), make sure to bring some form of identification with an expiration date such as your PUID, however you will need the new one if you choose this route ○ If you have an old Purdue ID that does not have an expiration date, you can trade it in for a new one for only $5 and five minutes! (If you want more info on that, email [email protected]) ● The early voting schedule for Tippecanoe county is listed on the next slide

Absentee Ballot Instructions

According to NPR, more than 550,000 absentee ballots were disregarded in the 2020 primary elections because they Absentee Voting were either filled out Step 1: Use the following QR code or link: https://www.vote.org/absentee-voting-rules/ incorrectly or arrived late (Fessler 1). The same article Step 2: Select your home state says that first-time voters are the most likely to make these Step 3: Review your eligibility and rules specific to your state mistakes, which many of our Step 4: Request your ballot Purdue voters are (Fessler 1). In order to prevent this, our Step 5: Fill out your ballot campaign will provide Step 6: Use two stamps on your envelope instructional resources on how to correctly fill out an absentee Step 7: Send your ballot before your postage deadline ballot: What to Bring on Election Day ● When voting in person, either early or on Election Day, bring a government-issued photo ID ● The ID must: ○ Display the voter’s name ■ The name must match the voter’s registration ○ Display the voter’s photo ○ Display an expiration date ■ The ID can be expired as long as the expiration date is after November 6, 2018 ● Examples of valid photo ID: drivers license, passport, Military ID, Veteran ID, and ID issued by a state school ○ Purdue ID is acceptable as long as it displays an expiration date Voting In-Person on Election Day

● If voters plan to vote in-person on Election Day, they must do so at their assigned polling place ● Voters can find their polling place by going to vote.org/polling-place-locator/ and entering their state and address ● All voters should check the hours and polling place location because these may have changed due to the coronavirus Relevant Sources for Voters

- https://www.usa.gov/voting - Your one-stop-shop to all things voting… how to register, registration status, candidate information, and more! - https://www.eac.gov/voters/resourcesforvoters - A to-do list of all things voting related, including facts and tips helpful to voters. - https://www.vote.org/ - Non-government site for voting information and resources What We Learned

Throughout this assignment, we learned a lot about the voting process. Initially, the focus of our project was a Voter Registration Campaign; however, it evolved into a Get Out the Vote Campaign as well. This year has been unique in its various challenges and issues, and as a result, this election has been like none other. Over this project, we covered the many ways of voting: absentee, mail-in, and early/in-person. But before we could tell students to get out and vote, we informed them on ways to register. We proposed this be done through the setting up of tables at various locations, with visuals and informational documents. Through these modes, students could learn about the registration process and could register to vote. At these booths, business cards with QR codes would be available along with instructions. Through this we had to learn about important deadlines and details on the voting process. The registration deadline seems to vary by state, in Indiana it is October 5th. For other methods of voting, such as Absentee voting, all ballots must be received by October 22. We also learned about the various ways voters can vote in person, through early voting and on Election Day, November 3rd. Early voting varies state-by-state with most states providing the option for people to vote ahead of Election Day. We learned that in Indiana, early voting starts 28 days before Election Day, October 6th, and ends the day before Election Day. What We Learned (Cont.)

As we researched, we discovered some of the big challenges we would need to overcome when working with college students were voter apathy and lack of information. Many students are either uninspired to vote or feel as though they should not vote due to lack of information. To counter this, we wanted to have a variety of locations and posters that encouraged voting and provided information about registration and voting. We provided links to different levels (state and federal) of information where voters could find what they needed to feel secure in themselves and their votes during this election and coming ones. We wanted our peers at Purdue to feel informed and ready to vote!

We learned so much about the voting process and our campus through this project, but the greatest asset we gained from this project was how we coalesced as a team. This project had many elements to it from learning about voting to creating graphics to figuring out our student body. This project allowed us to truly understand each other as a team. What are our strengths? Our weaknesses? How can we help each other succeed? We learned together, and it was a unifying feeling that made this project the one we were proudest to present in this gallery. Bibliography

- Fessler, P., & Moore, E. (2020, August 22). More Than 550,000 Primary Absentee Ballots Rejected In 2020, Far Outpacing 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2020/08/22/904693468/more-than-550-000-primary-absentee-ballots-rejected-in-2020-far-outpacing-2016 - “General Early Voting Schedule: Tippecanoe County, IN.” General Early Voting Schedule | Tippecanoe County, IN, www.tippecanoe.in.gov/449/Early-Voting-Schedule. - Indiana Voters, indianavoters.in.gov/. - Number Of Registered Voters by State 2020, worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/number-of-registered-voters-by-state. - Register to Vote: Absentee Ballot Request & Voter Registration Services, www.usvotefoundation.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3crL_p_u6wIVEb7ACh2KpQqlEAAYASAAEgKJb_D_BwE.