WHY VOTE

Some mention civic responsibility, others talk about how the hard-won right to vote. You could also describe memories from childhood of going to the polls with your parents, or doing the same with your kids.
  • Best psychology-based tested message: ...many recent elections have been decided by just a few voters — especially local issues. It's URGENT voters like us show up to protect our future!
  • Tell the government what you want them to do with your tax money
  • Choose our leaders and change our laws
  • Be a doer, not a complainer
  • Our votes help amplify voices of those who are disenfranchised and marginalized
  • Elected officials pay attention to people who vote
  • If you don't vote for your interests, who will?
  • To ensure a liberal tradition of free and fair elections, civil rights, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and protection of private property.
  • Some elections in RI, ND, WI, UT and others have been decided by literally one vote!
  • If we don’t win in [recipient's state] this year, EVERYONE in the nation loses.
  • Bad politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote.
  • Life has become so busy and we have become so polarized as a nation. Sometimes we feel powerless to do anything about it. But we have the power to change the world when we make our voices heard by voting for those we feel will best represent our values.
  • When you vote you play a part in deciding what laws are going to affect you and your loved ones. If you don’t vote, someone else will be making those decisions for you.
  • You deserve to choose the leaders you believe will best represent your interests.

  • Quotes
  • Roald Dahl: “Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world.”
  • Anne Frank: "Nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
  • Benjamin Franklin: “A Republic, if you can keep it"
  • Thomas Jefferson: “We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”
  • Lyndon B. Johnson: “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”
  • Abraham Lincoln: “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
  • George Jean Nathan: “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.”
  • Plato: “Your silence gives consent.”
  • Loung Ung: “Voting is not only our right, it is our power.”
1 Vote Forward letter-writing consists of personalizing the pre-printed letter addressed to the voter (whose information appears in small font at the bottom of each letter). Avoid cursive; if ever in doubt about legibility, ask me. Please use a pen with non-black ink so your message stands out.
Click to make larger
2 On a separate sheet or index card, compose your own short, heartfelt message about why you think it's important to vote (save it so you can copy this message from one letter-writing session to another) or see options in the sidebar on the right. You can mention specific issues, just do not mention candidates by name or assume the recipient agrees with your policy preferences. Consider adding: Vote early, and if voting by mail, don't forget to sign your envelope!
3 Start the letter by filling in the first name provided on the bottom of each page; write your personalized message in the space provided, and sign with your first name and last initial. Address the envelope ("from" address is your first name & last initial, and Vote Forward; "to" address is on the bottom of each letter).
4 Make the letter "pop" with highlighters for important details, underlines or stars, stickers, drawings, smiley faces, etc. Some people draw or put stickers on the envelope itself as well. Being more formal is fine, too.
5If this is your first time writing postcards with us, email me the photo of your card for quality control.
6 Check that letter matches the address on the envelope (it should look like this), put the letter into the envelope, and seal.
7 If you can afford it, stamp the letters. DO NOT MAIL THE VOTE FORWARD LETTERS! They are to be stockpiled and sent later in the year. When you complete the letters you requested, please return everything you were provided to the host in exchange for more!
P.S.

Consider the following process to speed up your writing and increase accuracy. 1. Write the return address on all the envelopes (it's the same for all letters per state). 2. Copy your personalized message to all the letters. 3. Working on one letter at a time, write the "To" address on the envelope, put that letter in, and seal it.

Three most common errors letter writers make: a) putting the letter into an envelope addressed to a different person; b) mixing up "To" address and "From" address; c) not double-checking the spelling of people's names (there are many uniquely spelled names nowadays).

Thank you for being a volunteer!!!