Common Cause launches Vote for America, voter registration program

Common Cause today launches a new non-partisan voter registration campaign, Vote for America, expected to register tens of thousands of new voters by November. Using a web site and grassroots outreach, Vote for America utilizes a proven method of person-to-person contact to encourage new and infrequent voters to go to the polls.

Research shows that people who promise to vote, and then express that commitment to someone they know, are far more likely to make it to the voting booth on Election Day. Vote for America is based on this principle. It was tried on a pilot basis in Rhode Island in 2000 and raised overall voter turnout by 6 percent and youth participation by 41 percent.

“The American people play the most important role in our democracy,” said Common Cause President Chellie Pingree. “Their power comes in their right to vote, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help citizens exercise that power in the voting booth.”

The national web-based campaign of Vote for America will work like this: Those who want to encourage people to vote can sign up to be a “voter volunteer” at www.commoncause.org/voteforamerica.

Each voter volunteer seeks commitments from 10 friends, family members and acquaintances to vote on Election Day. Those who promise to vote are provided with educational information leading up to Election Day on voting procedures and polling place locations, general information on how the government works, as well as guidance in researching the issues and candidates to appear on the ballot. All the information for pledged voters and tool kits to support volunteers can be found on the Vote for America web site, www.commoncause.org/voteforamerica.

In addition to the web campaign, Vote for America has on-the-ground campaigns in at least 13 states. These states are: Colorado, Arkansas, North Carolina, New York, Mississippi, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

For more information on Vote for America, go to www.commoncause.org/voteforamerica.