BIG Voter Education and Mobilization
Elijah Drew, Chair, National BIG Project Vote Committee

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Let’s Get Out the Vote – Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012! The BIG Project Vote Committee encourages BIG members to act through (1) Voter Registration, (2) Voter Education, and (3) Voter Mobilization.

Voter Registration: Voting is our civic duty. In order to vote and voice your opinion, you must register to vote within the state where you live. Normally, registration is required at least 30 days before the election. You must know your state’s laws for voting – the requirements vary from state to state. Voter information and voter forms can be found on-line.

Voter Education: You can have a great impact on elections by informing your chapter members, friends, neighbors, co-workers and others, on where the candidate stands on issues that matter to our community. Voter Education is sharing information about our democratic rights, election procedures, candidates and the issues.

Voter Mobilization: BIG members across the country are encouraged to converge on shopping malls, grocery stores, nursing homes, colleges, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to make sure that neighbors, family members, friends, and even complete strangers are encouraged to vote. As a nonpartisan organization, we don't support any
political party but we want everyone to exercise this important right to vote.

BIG ROCKS THE VOTE
National Voter Empowerment Hotline

Blacks In Government (BIG) supports the NAACP and National Urban League in their sponsorship of the National Voter Empowerment Hotline at 1-866-MyVote1 (1-866-698-6831).

This hotline allows callers to:
  • Register to vote
  • Find polling stations, or
  • Answer voting questions or address problems related to voting.

The hotline number, 1-866-MyVote1, can be used anywhere in the country. Your help is needed to spread the word to your family, friends, and neighbors about this voter hotline. To check if you're already registered to vote or to update your voter information go to www.canivote.org. A drop down menu will allow you to select your state in order to start the process to get or update your information. This nonpartisan website was created by state election officials to help eligible voters figure out how and where to go vote.

Resources

The National Voter Empowerment Hotline at 1-866-MyVote1 or Elections Protections Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE can help you with any voting concerns or questions. Please use this resource if you need it.


Vote Early - Election 2012

Use the early voting option if permitted in your state. If you have problems with your voting eligibility, a provisional ballot is an option; however, voting provisionally should be a last resort. A provisional ballot is used to record a vote if a voter's eligibility is in question and the voter would not be permitted to vote at his or her polling place. The vote is cast "provisionally" until election officials can verify the voter's eligibility. Please call the Election Protection Hotline to discuss the problem before casting a provisional ballot.


Beware of Fraudulent Registration Websites on the Internet

These websites collect more information than may be required by states and its privacy policies allow it to distribute voter information to third parties for marketing and advertising purposes.


Voters are strongly recommended to obtain registration materials only through their state or local election officials or other reliable sources with strong privacy policies.

 

Vote Early, by Absentee Ballot or in-person

on Tuesday, November 6, 2012


Things you can do and need for know - Vote in 2012

  • Register to Vote
  • Verify your registration status BEFORE Election Day
  • Check to see if you need a State Voter I.D. card before Election Day.
  • Out-of-town on Election Day, Nov 6 -- vote by absentee ballot.
  • Don't be afraid to request help from poll workers.
  • You have a right to file a complaint if your rights have been violated
  • Stand your ground if you have a problem at the polls. You have a right to cast a provisional ballot -- make this a last resort. Contact the Voter Hotlines before casting a provisional ballot.
  • Volunteer to be a poll worker or poll monitor in your community.

Additional information can be found at www.bignet.org "Get Out the Vote" or check out the 2012 Fall Edition of the Bulletin.

Help BIG make a difference -"Let's Get Out and Register the Vote."