COVID (Coronavirus) Guidance for Leagues

As the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to affect communities across the country, LWVUS offers these guidelines and resources for League work

Voter Service

• 2020 General Election Topline Guidance

• Hosting Virtual and Hybrid Candidate Forums and Debates During COVID

• Voter Registration Activities During COVID-19

• Virtual High School Voter Registration Lesson

  • This virtual lesson can be shared with the educators and/or presented virtually by League leaders to students they work with.

• FAQ'S: League Candidate Forums and Debates

Communications

• Election Messaging Calendar

• National Association of Broadcasters Voter Education PSAs

• Talking points

  • Talking Points for Leagues to Use with Voters During COVID-19

  • Talking Points: Curbing Public Expectations for Immediate Election Results

  • Talking Points: Countering Attacks Related to Vote-by-Mail

• Messaging guidance: How to Share Our Work During COVID-19

  • Outline of several messaging activities Leagues can consider to keep their audiences engaged during COVID isolation. Includes guidance for op-eds and letters to the editor.

Governance/Operations

• LWV Governance and Virtual Meetings

  • Page addressing the particular considerations of conducting board, member, or other meetings that include bylaws-prescribed activities during COVID isolation.

• Virtually Conducting League Work

  •  Curated list of best practices and guidance on virtual working platforms specific to League work.

• Virtual Meeting Support Reimbursement Form

  • To help assist Leagues with moving important meeting or events to a virtual platform, we are offering up to $20 a month for three months for up to 250 Leagues.

• Program Planning Guidance for Virtual Meetings

  • This guidance is intended for those Leagues who will be conducting their member meeting as a virtual event. This guide covers overall guidance for program, setting up pre-meetings, tips for planning a virtual meeting and event.

Advocacy

• How to Use LWVUS Positions for Advocacy in Light of COVID-19
  • The League  supports these voting rights principles to ensure voters can safely participate in elections in 2020.
• League Joins Efforts to Support Funding in 4th COVID-19 Stimulus
  • LWVUS has actively been supporting additional measures for inclusion in the next emergency funding stimulus bills related to the coronavirus. Read summaries of our letters to Congress.

Coronavirus prevention among League volunteers

• The health and safety of our members is paramount. LWVUS will follow the guidance from the CDC, and we encourage you to follow their guidance as well as that of your state and local public health agency regarding the appropriate course of action in your state.
• Many of our members fall in the 60+ age range, which the CDC notes are at high risk for serious illness from the virus. Even if you are not a member of a high-risk population, you can still risk exposing high-risk folks to the virus. It is important that we all work together to curb the spread of this virus as much as possible by not taking unnecessary risks.
• If you are serving as an election worker or poll monitor, we recommend that you mitigate your risk by following recommendations from CDC for polling locations.
• Consider adapting your events and meetings to web-based presentations where possible. Check out our guide for Virtually Conducting League Business.

Coronavirus prevention around elections

• We want people to vote! Check out our blog post outlining ways that the public can mitigate their risk when voting. Considering sharing this with voters in your area. Also check out our Talking Points for Leagues to Use with Voters During COVID-19.

• Encourage people in high-risk categories to take advantage of early and absentee voting where possible, and to vote during non-peak hours when fewer people are at the polls.

• Direct voters to VOTE411 to find updated information about polling locations and other voting options during an emergency. VOTE411 will have special alerts for any changes to normal voting procedures (such as last minute changes to polling locations).

• Direct voters who encounter problems to the election protection hotline. 

• If voters have missed their absentee ballot deadlines, direct them to their local board of elections. They may still be able to vote in person at the local board of elections' office, where they would be exposed to fewer people.

• Check out the CDC's guidance around election polling locations.