Did you know that as a museum professional you can help #GetOutTheVote (GOTV) and increase voter turnout across the country, right from your home?

Well, you totally can!

When it comes to sending GOTV texts, mailing letters/postcards, or making personal phone calls, GOTV efforts have the greatest impact in the final weeks and days leading up to the election when voters who are less likely to turn out, pay more attention (Nonprofit Vote).

It's already October and Election Day is November 3, 2020. That means, we have less than a month to GOTV! Every day from here on out counts! To help us GOTV, we are providing a list of nonpartisan GOTV resources for your use and welcome you to participate in any way, shape, or form that you can.

Spread the value of the vote with WMA! 

In just three easy steps, you can help us to GOTV within the museum community.

1. Print out our Get Out the Vote postcard

2. Write a positive, encouraging, and nonpartisan message to voters. Share why voting in the upcoming 2020 General Election matters to museums and cultural institutions, and the people that work there.

3. Send your postcard to us and we’ll share your message with the museum community!

a.) Mail your postcard to WMA P.O. Box 4738 Tulsa, OK 74159 and we’ll share it out for you (or)

b.) Capture a photo of your postcard and share it with us on social media using #WestMuseMail

Other GOTV Postcard Initiatives

Postcards have been gaining popularity as a form of activism. According to Women’s March Action, studies have shown that voters who receive a personal postcard or letter in the mail are more likely to vote. Take action by signing up today with Women’s March Action Postcards to Voters initiative where you will mail out postcards to voters encouraging them to GOTV and informing them about vital issues important to women!

The Sunrise Movement, a youth climate-change initiative, has already successfully sent out over one-million postcards to young voters in swing states. They are now welcoming you to make phone calls or join the Sunrise Volunteer Texting Team. 

Get involved with VoteFest!

Rock the Vote believes voting should be social, communal, and fun! Rock the Vote encourages you to GOTV by grabbing everyone you know – friends, families, coworkers, classmates, and community members – and attend or host a VoteFest! Learn more here or sign up to receive a VoteFest toolkit on how to get out the vote in your community.

Effective GOTV Messaging

To make sure your GOTV messages are as effective as possible, please download the Driving Voter Turnout in 2020: Research on Effective Messaging Strategies for Each Generation report from Ad Council and Democracy Works. Focusing on four generations ­­– baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z – this report shines a light on how people in the U.S. view voting and identifies what effective messaging strategies work to GOTV. Request the final report here.

Also, please see Nonprofit Vote’s 6 strategies you can use to promote voting.

Of course, beyond getting out the vote, it’s essential that you check your own registration status and vote EARLY, either by mail or in-person at your local polling place. For specific information on voting in your state, check out Nonprofit Vote’s Voting in Your State online resource.

If you’re unsure of what you can or cannot do as a nonprofit staff member outside of work, please read through What Nonprofit Staff Can Do: At and Outside of Work from Nonprofit Vote.

For additional voter registration resources, please check out our Voter Registration & Civic Engagement page.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service explicitly states that private 501(c)(3) nonprofits can advocate and participate in certain voter education or registration activities and expenditures if conducted in a non-partisan manner. For more details on what is allowed, please see the American Alliance of Museum's Guide to Election Year Advocacy.

Written by Jessica Noyes, Communications Coordinator, WMA