Voter Turnout Volunteer
CARDINAL INTERNSHIP: Remote opportunity. Founded by a Wesleyan alum, Turnout Nation is a non-profit initiative dedicated to increasing voter turnout. The non-partisan Turnout Nation model relies on relational organizing and was found to be 13% more effective than traditional methods in a recent randomized control trial across 4 states. Turnout Nation needs volunteers immediately and during the summer for organizing, research, content creation, and operations. This opportunity is open to all majors and class years.
Volunteer With Turnout Nation!
While the pandemic may prevent us from being politically active in real life, it won’t stop us from mobilizing online. As states delay primaries and switch to vote-by-mail systems, giving voters a virtual support network is vital. By becoming a Captain or Voter Turnout Volunteer, you can work with us remotely to get more people to the polls in November 2020 and beyond. Turnout Nation is a start-up and evolving quickly. We're excited for volunteers to contribute big picture ideas and be creatively involved with the growth of our organization.
Our movement is carried by dedicated volunteers called "Captains," who recruit 10 people in their social network to vote and potentially become Captains. They use our resources to provide up-to-date information on registration and voting to their contacts. Our app helps Captains track the registration and voting status of their 10 voters and how many people they recruited became Captains.
Turnout Nation has two flexible and remote volunteer positions for Wesleyan students. Depending on how much you would like to contribute, you may sign up for both positions.
Become a Voter Turnout Volunteer:
Turnout Nation is looking for volunteers to help us with the following projects:
· Research potential community organizations in key states for partnerships
· Research voting trends and coronavirus impact on voters
· Scripting, filming, and editing short instructional videos on voting and registration procedures
· Social media content creation
· Graphic and website design
· App development
· Supporting captains with up-to-date-information and troubleshooting registration issues
Voter Turnout Volunteers can choose the amount of time they would like to commit and work on their own schedule.
Become a Captain:
We are rolling out support first for Captains in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, and Minnesota but anyone is welcome to become a Captain in their state.
Captains have three main responsibilities:
- Input 10 names of people you know into our App: These connections will ideally all be from one state as Captains guide them through the specific registration and voting procedures.
- Contact all eligible voters as soon as you become a Captain: Reach out to eligible voters as quickly as possible to help resolve any issues with registration and to identify who might be interested in becoming Captains themselves. Our goal is for your voters to vote, regardless of who they vote for, so be sure not to mention a candidate or party. If voters ask who you are voting for, you can tell them, but emphasize that Turnout Nation is a non-partisan organization.
- Send reminders before early voting starts: Creating a plan with your voter will ensure you’re working through any questions or identify difficulties ahead of election day. Encourage your voters to vote early if your voters’ state allows it.
If you're interested in either opportunity (or both!), please apply on Handshake with your approved resume.
In the meantime, please check out our website.
We're excited to work with you,
Sienna Currie
Volunteer Coordinator
slcurrie@wesleyan.edu