Guidance /
To view a PDF of this page, click here
Utilize these tips to plan effective and well-organized voter registration drives in your community!
1. Set Your Goals
Set achievable, concrete goals to inspire volunteers and serve as a guide for evaluation. Identify:
Your timeframe and target number of events/new registrants
Sites/venues that will reach the most unregistered/first time voters
Potential partners
Your key team members
Easy online registration and tracking options, like VOTE411.org
2. Select a Venue
Meet voters where they are; places with the highest potential to reach new voters include:
Transit hubs
Schools (high schools, community colleges, technical schools, vocational/alternative schools)
Naturalization ceremonies
Community/sporting events
Anywhere frequented by recent movers
3. Know the Law and Take the Time to Engage in Training
Make sure your entire volunteer force is familiar with the federal, state, and local laws that govern voter registration in your community. Voter registration practices differ from place to place. For more information, contact your local elections official or check out the Fair Elections Legal Network's state-specific resources and the Alliance for Justice’s Rules of the Game: Mobilizing Communities Through Nonpartisan Voter Engagement.
Contact LWVUS immediately if you believe that state or local registration practices violate citizens’ voting rights or threaten the League’s ability to register voters.
Know Your State's Registration Requirements
Most information can be found on your state or local election website. For additional resources:
Start with The Civics Center's Pre-Registration Map
For general rules and dates, reference VOTE411.org
To connect with your local election officials, use VOTE411’s election official directory to find contact information
Know Your State's Drive Requirements
There are also laws for the drive itself. For example, federal law prohibits knowingly paying, offering to pay, or accepting payment for registering to vote or voting in elections where a federal candidate appears on the ballot. "Payment" can include cash, gift cards, raffles, prizes, discounts, food, or other items of value.
For requirements and guidance on conducting a voter registration drive, check the Secretary of State’s website or use Fair Elections Center’s state-specific voter registration drive guides.
4. Keep Drives Nonpartisan
Registration assistance is not conditioned on political preference, and materials and communications should not endorse or favor specific candidates or political parties.
Helping people navigate the voter registration process does not tell them what political choices to make. It helps ensure they have the opportunity to make those choices for themselves.
5. Follow Up
Help get new registrants out to actually vote by directing them to polling places or other critical election information online, such as on VOTE411. Alert them to candidate debates and remind them about Election Day.
New voters should only be contacted about election information unless they have expressly signed up to receive other kinds of information from you (such as fundraising emails or action alerts).