Elections National Politics 

5 Ways YOU Can Get Involved in 2020

Mary Anna Mancuso , ,

With the general election less than five months away and the pandemic still part of American life, I have received a lot of questions from friends and family on how they can get involved in this year’s electoral process in addition to voting on November 3, 2020.

Due to the new normal of COVID-19, it has forced candidates to move their campaigns into the digital space. Standard grassroots efforts such as door knocking, sign waving, and putting up yard signs have been swapped for social media updates, emails, text messaging, and going live on Facebook, Instagram, and/or YouTube. Shuttering campaign headquarters and moving to a total virtual apparatus has created an opening for people to get involved without having to leave the comfort and safety of their homes.

For some, getting involved in the electoral process may seem daunting or a little intimidating, and many don’t know where to start. In an effort to make it easier and more attainable for anyone to get involved, here is a brief list of five things you can do today to get involved civically ahead of election day.

  1. Be a Virtual Volunteer — Campaigns rely heavily on volunteers to help them get the word out about their candidate. Reach out to your candidate of choice’s campaign and offer to be a virtual volunteer. You can offer to make calls to voters, also known as phone banking. Using an app on your cellphone it allows you to call voters and share information about your candidate and their views on key issues. If picking up the phone is not for you, fear not, there are other ways you can help. 
  2. Share ‘Your Why’ — Social media has seen a spike in users since the pandemic. With people spending more time on social media channels, there is an opportunity for you to share who your candidate or cause is and why they have your support in a social media post. Posting news articles or links to the candidate or cause’s website is a great way to share information and help others learn more about the cause or the candidate’s stance on issues. 
  3. Host a Virtual Event — Our social lives and friend circles are connected through FaceTime, MarcoPolo, and Zoom meet-ups. Before the days of COVID-19, people would host their friends and family in their home for a campaign event. A campaign supporter would host people and share more information about why they are supporting a specific candidate. For most of us, the extent of our social lives now exists in video conference form. Make your next Zoom Happy Hour a Talk Story and take a few minutes to share about a candidate or cause you are supporting this election year and why. Invite friends and family who want to learn more. 
  4. Rock the Vote — Ensure your friends and family are registered to vote. This election will be one for the history books, and the only way to get in on the action is registering to vote in advance. To learn more or to register to vote, click here. With the uncertainty of the pandemic, one thing to consider is to request your absentee or mail-in ballot to vote-by-mail. On election day, the last thing you should have to do is choose between your health and exercising your right to vote. 
  5. Donate — Campaigns and causes rely on donations to help keep the lights on and get a seat at the table in the legislative process. Many people shy away from donation because they think small dollar donations such as $5 or $20 won’t do much. The truth is, small dollar donations fueled Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008 with 90% of donors giving $100 or less while 41% gave $25 or less. In the fourth quarter of 2019, Bernie Sanders raised about $26 million with an average donation of $18. Small dollar donations play a big role in campaigns, so next time you skip the Starbucks line because it’s too long, think about donating that money to your favorite candidate or cause. 

It is important to note, even though 2020 is a presidential election year, there are still many races happening at the state and local level. From state house races to local mayoral elections, local politics is where change begins. The aforementioned five ways to get involved only scratches the surface of the impact you can make in 2020, and I hope you will consider doing one or all of them. While every election is important, this one will leave a mark for years to come. As Americans we have an opportunity to decide what we want the next four years to look like. Let us choose a bright future by getting involved today and not waiting for someone else to act. This is our moment, we shouldn’t let it go.