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5 Last-Minute Things You Can Do to Get Out the Vote for Biden
From phone banking to offering rides to polling stations, it’s not too late to make a final push….
With one day to go until the election, some might be left wondering what they can still do to get out the vote, especially given the historic surge in early voting. With more than 90 million ballots cast as of this Saturday, representing around 65% of the 2016 total, many are predicting the highest voter turnout in more than a century.
All the same, there’s still work to be done. Whether it’s undecided voters, those requiring transport to get to the polls, or simply people in need of a little support during the predicted lengthy wait times, there are a number of initiatives on hand to make tomorrow’s Election Day run even more smoothly.
For those who have already cast their vote and are looking for ways to give their representatives a final push over the next 24 hours, here find the various last-minute options available to get out the vote for Biden—and all your other chosen representatives.
Last-minute phone and text banking
The pandemic may have impacted this year’s election on almost every level, but one key shift has been the evolution of traditional methods used by grassroots movements to engage voters. While phone banking may be nothing new, it’s swiftly emerged as the most responsible way to get the word out to communities around the country in the age of COVID-19, with traveling across the country to canvass in swing states or door-knocking while adhering to social-distancing measures now impossible. If you’re looking to get out the vote tonight or tomorrow from the comfort of your own home, there are plenty of initiatives with slots still available, many of which come with a half-hour training session to get you started, including Swing Left, Sister District, or on Joe Biden’s official campaign site.
Same-day voter registration
It’s always a likely possibility that some voters will find themselves preparing to vote on Election Day and discovering that, whether through forgetfulness or a simple misunderstanding, they aren’t in fact registered to vote. Thankfully, in many cases, there is a solution. While it may only be a possibility in a select number of states, same-day voter registration is worth knowing about and passing on to friends and family in the relevant areas to spread the word—particularly given a number of said states are currently among the most hotly contested in this year’s presidential race, including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. A full list of states that allow registration on Election Day can be found here.
Offer rides to polling stations
For many, the difference between voting and not voting is simply a lack of easily accessible transport, particularly for disabled, elderly, and low-income voters. While this year, the usual volunteer transport schemes come with an extra set of challenges due to COVID-19 precautions, there are still plenty of initiatives around the country that you can sign up for in order to help get voters to their destination, whether through offering lifts on Nextdoor or signing up to ride-sharing schemes like Rideshare2Vote. If you’re already at capacity for tomorrow, it’s also worth pointing people toward the discounts and free rides being offered by apps including Uber and Lyft for those traveling to and from polling stations.
Support voters in polling station lines
With a record turnout this year all but inevitable, one way in which you can make a difference locally is to show up to your nearest polling station to offer support and sustenance to those waiting in tomorrow’s queues. To encourage voters to remain in line in the face of lengthy wait times, there are a number of initiatives on hand to help. Feed the Polls is planning to deliver more than 35,000 free meals to polling stations at food-insecure areas across the country and is still accepting volunteers across four major cities, while Pizza to the Polls will be offering an on-demand service around the country in which you can contact them with reports of long lines and then remain on hand to help delivery drivers distribute the food.
Ring your undecided friends and family
Of course, the final—and possibly most effective—means of securing an additional vote for your chosen candidate is to look around your friends and family, and channel your energies into convincing at least one undecided individual to cast their vote. As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez outlined so succinctly in her speech honoring the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: write down a list of five people you know who may be on the fence about voting, reach out to them, and “get through to that person that only you can get through to.”
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