The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us to adapt the ways we do everything, whether it be going to a restaurant or attending school, and political advocacy is no exception. While getting politically involved may look a little different this election year, there are still so many ways for you to volunteer from home. Here are some of my favorite ways that you can be politically active remotely!
- Volunteer to phone bank
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Phone Banking is so easy you can do it from your bed! After reading through a guide and/or watching an instructional video, candidates allow you to sign up for an allotted time and begin to make calls. If phone calls aren’t your thing, candidates even give you the option to text-bank. To help make an even greater impact, Vote Save America allows you “adopt” a swing state and reach out to constituents in that state.
- Write letters to voters
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Vote Forward, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping voters register in under-represented demographics, makes it easy to write impactful letters to voters. All you need are envelopes, paper, a printer, stamps, and a little bit of time to get started! Once you create an account on their website, you will be able to access the information necessary to write and send letters.
- Host a virtual letter writing party
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Take letter writing a step further and get your friends and family involved by hosting a virtual letter writing party! Swing Left has partnered with Vote Forward to help volunteers host their own letter writing parties by providing training resources such as live and recorded video training sessions as well as comprehensive written guides. They even have a guide specifically for college students!
- Reach out to out-of-state friends
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Out-of-state college students are often unaware that they can vote in their school’s state. Send a quick text to your friends who attend school out-of-state, particularly those who are in swing states, and encourage them to vote where their vote makes the greatest difference.
- Become a better fact-checker
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Fact-checking is becoming an increasingly important skill for navigating the media, especially during election season. The Poynter Institute, a non-profit journalism school, has a number of free online courses available for anyone to take to better their fact-checking skills. You can learn general fact-checking skills in “Hands-on Fact-checking”, a course created by the American Press Institute. Or take a specific course like “MediaWise Voter Project Fact-Checking Certificate”, a course aimed at first-time voters.
Staying politically active during a pandemic is not easy, but hopefully these ideas and resources encourage you to get involved! COVID-19 has shown that being politically active is not just the typical door-to-door canvassing. It can also be different, creative, and still make an impact. Remember: stay aware and involved, and do not forget to register to vote (and then vote)!