VoteBackHome.com
2008
a resource for running on-the-ground voter registration and absentee ballot drives,
on college campuses in non-swing states,
reaching students from swing states
- Are you looking for the page about long lines at polling places - the new poll tax?
Many colleges have a large number of students from out of state, whose home states are expected to be close contests in the upcoming election. An on-the-ground person-to-person voter registration campaign is by far the most effective way to reach people, and can greatly increase the number who will vote back home in a swing state.
| New! | High impact voter registration (pdf file) - a detailed kit for organizing a ground campaign to reach swing state voters on non-swing-state campuses. State-by-state packets, a compact 3 pages each (Cover sheet/instructions, Registration, Absentee Ballot Request). See "Best college opportunities" below to look up your school's enrollment figures: number of students from each swing state. |
Some key 2008 swing states:
Pennsylvania --- 76632 Pennsylvanians are away at college in other states.
Ohio --- 62484 Ohioans are away at college in other states.
Florida --- 50452 Floridians are away at college in other states.
Virginia --- 49640 Virginians are away at college in other states.
Wisconsin --- 38708 Wisconsinites are away at college in other states.
Michigan --- 36560 Michiganders are away at college in other states.
Colorado --- 32108 Coloradans are away at college in other states.
Missouri --- 31884 Missourians are away at college in other states.
Indiana --- 29380 Hoosiers are away at college in other states.
It requires organizational skills and creativity to reach and motivate these key voters. Successful drives use registration tables in high-traffic areas or at events, and engage in active outreach to passersby. The other very successful method is assigning teams to work residence halls ("dormstorming").
Resources --
- High Impact Voter Registration- a complete kit for organizing an effective ground campaign to reach swing state voters on non-swing-state campuses.
- State-by-state packets for 14 key states, a compact 3 pages each (Cover sheet/instructions, Registration, Absentee Ballot Request)
- longdistancevoter.org has more detailed state-by-state info if you need it, and all the mailing addresses.
- votebackhome.com (the page you are reading now) allows you to check how many students from each state are at your school.
- Top
300 schools, ranked by number of students from swing states.
- It's easier to read as an Excel spreadsheet
- All
schools, listed by state (16MB
file!)
- It's easier to read as an Excel spreadsheet (3MB)
Results --
Final tally at Northwestern: 1362 students registered, about 400 as absentee voters in swing states. Over a dozen other colleges and universities also adopted this program, in California, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts.
For more information: Michael Peshkin peshkin@northwestern.edu 847 491 4630
Below: mob on the first day of registration tabling at Northwestern University; and a more typical day.
