By Isabel Engel
Election season is right around the corner! What does that mean, the politically-active friend might wonder? It’s time to get your friends to the polls.
When politicians say ‘get out the vote,’ they mean it. Voter turnout is an essential and deciding factor in any democratic election – midterm, presidential, or otherwise.
The politically-active friend knows that voting is important. “How can I get my friends to the polls?” they might ask. The answer is simple: you drag them!
Today, the #VoteThatJawn project presents the top five ways to bring … scratch that, drag! … your friends to the polls:
Strap the friend in a toddler-friendly backpack safety harness! Bonus points if the backpack has a fun pattern or animal theme.
Run to your local pharmacy and grab a pack of zipties. Works like a charm when you need to link yourself to a friend in a jiffy!
Head to the polls three-legged-race style! You know what they say: friends who have a three-legged race together, stay together … or something like that.
Pull a classic mom trick and tell your friend to hop in the car for a trip to the ice cream parlor. A few minutes into the drive and it’s time for the big surprise … we’re going to the polls, instead! Almost like a surprise trip to the dentist, but democratic.
Horse tranquilizer.
Alternatively, you always could try educating -- guilt tripping -- your friends about the importance of voting. It is their civic duty, after all.
Ultimately, if all else fails, entice them with the free sticker they’ll get at the end! No one, and we mean no one, can turn down a freebie.
Oh! And make sure your friends are registered to vote. If they aren’t registered, all of your labor will have been for nothing.
Isabel is a student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Communications and Political Science. Born and raised outside Washington D.C., she has always been passionate about politics, media, and voting. Through #VoteThatJawn, Isabel plans voter events and digital content.
ABOUT Committee of Seventy
The Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has promoted, supported, and facilitated government ethics and election integrity for more than a century. We believe that elections should be more free, more fair, more safe and more secure. We want every eligible voter to vote, to be informed when they vote, and to vote with confidence.
For more information, visit www.seventy.org
ABOUT Vote That Jawn
Using the power of youth voice and connection, #VoteThatJawn aims to bring 18-year-olds and other first-time voters to the polls—beginning a process toward full civic engagement—not just for a charismatic candidate, but to advocate for youth safety, agency, and inclusion.
For more information, visit www.votethatjawn.com
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