NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
This Form is for Local Organizers and Lead Volunteers to Report Key Components from the
This Is My Vote! Campaign
CINCINNATI NAACP YOUTH COUNCIL – Unit 3880 only
Basic Information
Name: * Theresa Harper – Youth Advisor
Keiondre Goodwin- President
State: * Ohio
City/Campus: * Cincinnati, Forest Park, Fairfield, Avondale, Roselawn, Bond Hill
Phone Number: * 513-702-1950
Email:[email protected]
Time Period You Worked on the Campaign: *
May 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
Voter Registration & Capacity Building
Total Number of Registrants (Databased in VAN and Non-Databased): *
Total Registrants = 350
Total in Van
= 220
Voter Registration Stories: *
AmajorvictorywastheYouthCouncilworkinginconjunctionwiththeAMEchurchesontheirvoter
registrationtransportationandeducationplanthroughoutmanyoftheAMEchurchesinOhioandother
neighboringstates.WemetwithBishopWiltonBlakeandReverendDr.FrederickWrightofQuinnChapelAME
church.WeworkeddirectlywithPastorWrightatQuinnChapel.TheYouthCouncilonlyhadVANaccessfor
OhiosoJocelynTravisofferedtoconnectwiththeBishopandconnectalloftheotherAMEchurcheslocated
outsideofOhiotoanNAACPvoterregistrationcoordinatewithintheirrespectiveareas.
Theresaformedacommitteeof4withintheAMEchurchandorganizedaformalRegistrationEducationand
TransportationplanforAugust2012throughNovember6,2012andbeyond.Theplanincludedapresentation
anddistributionofvoterregistrationandinformationalpacketsto22churchministrieswithinQuinnChapel.
Wechallengedeachministrytosharethepacketsduringtheirregularmeetingsandencourageeachchurch
membertoregister10voters.Thechallengewasgettingthemtobringthecompletedvoterregistrationforms
backtothechurch.AnotherchallengewasgettingtheBishoptorespondtoJocelyn’semailsandletters.I
believethispartnershipcanbestrengthenedoncetheNationalofficesformalizetheMOUbetweentheAME
andtheNAACP.
AnothervictorywasworkingwithRichardson&AssociatesAccountingfirm(R&A).R&Ahas10employeesand
eachcommittedtovoterregistration.Manyofthemcompletedanywherefrom1to25voterregistrations.
Thesenumbersarenotreflectedinthe330listedabove.
OnElectionDayTheresaandtheYouthCouncilpresidenthadtorushbythebankbeforeitclosed.Ithappened
tobeChaseBank,justnextdoortotheNAACPelectionheadquarters.Whentheygottothebankteller,
Theresaaskedifshehadalreadyvoted.Thetellerrepliedthatshehadn’tanddoesn’tbelieveinvoting.
Everyoneinthiscrowdedbanknowhadtheireyesonthetwoofthemeventhetwomanagers.Seizingan
opportunitytogivealessontoanunenlightenedyoungwhitewoman,TheresaandKeiondresharedwithher
thatvotingisnotonlyarightthatmanyhavefoughtanddiedforbutitisalsoanobligation.Everyonenodded
inagreement.Theyoungladyrespondedthatshedidn’tthinkhervotemattered,plusshedidn’tknowwhoto
votefor.KeiondresharedwithherhoweasyitistoresearchanythingsheneededtoknowonourGottoVote
websiteandotherresearchtoolsavailabletoher,soknowingwhatandhowtodoitisalwaysatherfinger
tips.Plusshecanleantoorganizationswhohaveviewsthatsheshares.Addressingthathervotedoesn’t
countwaseasier.Wementionedthecountlessraceswheretheelectioncamedowntojustafewvotesandin
somecasesjust1vote.Everyoneinthebankisnowintheconversation.Beingconvincedbytheoverwhelming
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
supportandrandombankcustomers’comments,sheagreedtoregistertovoteandKeiondreranouttothe
carandgettheformforhertocomplete.Weinstructtheyouthcounciltoalwayskeepvoterregistration
formsandNAACPmembershipapplicationswiththematalltimes,sotheformwashandy.Shecompletedand
everyoneapplauded.Iaskedtheyoungblackmanagerifheintendedtovoteandhementionedthathedidn’t
knowifhewasstillregistered.SowelookedhimupintheVAN,gavehimhispollinglocationandtoldhimhe
hadtogettherebefore7thatnight.Hedidn’trealizetodaywasthefinaldaytovote!Hecalledtheofficeat
9:00pmtothankusandtoletusknowthatafterwaitinginlineforabout2hrs,hedidvote.
OurgreatestvictorywashowthevoterregistrationimpactedtheYouthCouncil.Manyofthemwereunableto
votebecauseoftheirage.Buttheyresearchedtheissuesandcandidatesandknewwhatwasatstakeforthis
electionandwereabletopassionatelyconvincetheirfamiliesandstrangersnottowastetheirvotebynot
usingit.TheyreadeverypieceofliteratureavailablethroughtheBoardofElectionandcouldexplaintherights
andrulesaswellasanyadult.Insomecases,theyweremoreknowledgeablethentheElectionProtection
LawyergroupwithinCincinnati.TwiceaweektheYouthwouldattendavoterregistrationeventatalocal
grocerystore,libraryandhostedvoterregistrationeventswithintheirrespectivechurches.Thenumbers
abovereflectalloftheireffortsexceptfortheirindividualchurches.EachoftheYouthchurchesPastorsdid
notpermitthemtomakecopiesoftheformsbeforetheyweremailed.Wecouldusesomesuggestionson
howtocapturethisdatainthefuture.
Total Number of Members Trained in Civic Engagement Program & Tactics: *
About 125 in total (25 Youth ranging in age from 14 to 25 were trained on voter registration, voter
education, and voter outreach. 75 at various churches and 25 from partner organizations
Total Number of Members Trained on VAN: 6
2 Youth were trained on how to use the VAN – instructions given by the Youth Advisor
2 Adults (Youth Advisor and Co-Advisor) were trained to use the VAN at the Regional and/or webinar
2 Quinn AME adults were trained by the Youth Advisor
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
Total Number of Volunteers Engaged through Voter Registration, Training, and Capacity
Building: * 64 in total
# of Volunteers
22
7
3
10
22
Affiliation
Quinn Chapel AME Church
Quinn Chapel AME Church
Quinn Chapel AME Church
Richardson & Associates
NAACP Youth Council
Relationship
Various Ministries
Ministers
Voter Registration committee
Employer
Major participants
64 total
VAN Training Stories: *
The training was excellent! The Van has the potential of helping us helping us target the right
individuals for registration or getting out the vote. For the most part, the Van is user friendly. There
are many fields we haven’t used so I think I could have produced reports that could have made
putting this report together easier. Cutting the turf gave us the biggest problems. I forgot how to do it.
When you don’t use it as soon as you learned it, it gets a little overwhelming trying to find turfs that
you cut or cutting a short enough turf. When I got someone to walk me through how to do it again,
they forgot to tell me to drop the first mark where at the original point.
The training on the webinar was not as helpful as the training at the regional convention. At the
regional, those that had a computer could cut a turf at the same time. It is easier to learn, if you can
practice it at the same time.
I would like to see more youth offered an opportunity to train on the VAN at the Regional training. Our
youth are very computer savvy and could easily help the adult branch complete their entries as well.
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
Voter Education & Get Out the Vote (GOTV)
Total Number of Voter Education/GOTV Doors Knocked and calls made: * 3670
Task
calls
Doors knocked on
calls
Event
Souls to the Polls
Weekend before the election
Election Day – various precinct
Quantity
220
1700
1200 (15 people – 12 hrs.)
calls
Total
Partner calls
550
3670
Total Number of GOTV Doorhangers Distributed: *
Doors Knock on
At various Poll locations election day
Weekend before the election- door hangers
Distributed voter education material, left voter
registration forms (if unregistered and not at
home when applicable) and election day id
requirements 2 weekends in October
Quantity
400
1700
2500
Total Number of Voter Education/GOTV Materials Distributed (Outside of Doorhangers): * 2100
Distributed issue flier and door hangers
various polling locations 400
door to door the weekend before the election 1700
Voter Education/GOTV Materials Distribution Stories: *
We distributed material in every church service, in Kroegers grocery stores and through many other
sources . The Church couldn’t thank us enough and decided to continue their voter registration
program by forming a community outreach ministry headed by the Youth Advisor, Theresa Harper.
This is a major success story. The Church will allow the Youth Council to plan a voter education event
every 5th Sunday. They will also permit partnerships with the League of Womens Voters and other
like minded organizations. We believe we can develop a model Voter registration that can be used
through out the AME churches.
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
Election Day Command Center:
Note: same as adult branch, since Youth Advisor coordinated and provided all
volunteers and training
A)Charles Harris (Branch TIMV coordinator) and Theresa Harper (Youth Council Advisor/TIMV
coordinator) provided oversight of the Branch November 6th Election Day Command Center
arriving at 6:15AM and departing around 9:15 PM.
B)The primary objectives of the Election Day command center were:
a)Receive, document and Coordinate fulfilling requests for transportation to the polls
b)Receive, document and Coordinate assistance in identifying correct polling location and address
c)Receive, document and Coordinate assistance to people with issues they may have in
understanding and exercising their right to vote
d)Receive, document and coordinate a response to reported issues at voting locations
e)Make phone calls to proactively Get Out the Vote for eligible voters with a focus on potential at risk
voters (least likely to vote)
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
C)The following are some preliminary outcomes/results from the Election Day Command
Center Effort:
Volunteers:
--1)There were13 volunteers (including 3 youth) that were located in the branch office! There were several
people who called into the branch office their observations at the polls and what others had shared with them.
--2)Volunteer services included:
-----a)Transportation to polls
-----b)Computer support for: polling location look-up, phone call list development, registration verification
-----c)phone calls to voters
-----d)Answering phones and documenting requests
-----b)Processing, resolving and responding to various requests/issues
Election Day Command Center Key Summary Highlights:
1)Some key Issues reported by voters at the polls included:
---a)People having to vote Provisional ballots for questionable reasons (#1 issue most frequently reported)
---b)Polls opening late (facility owner not available to open facility to poll workers)
---c)A few people in the same neighborhood precinct told they had already voted via absentee ballot
and they had not voted
---d)Poll location difficult to find once at poll address due to Poor signage
2)Some special issues that were called in and successfully resolved by command center
volunteers:
---a)Person hospitalized and wanted to vote called in from her hospital room wanting to vote but did
not know what to do: Through extensive contacts with hospital, board of elections and election
protection resources, a resolution was found to enable the person to vote
---b)A senior citizen confined to a powered wheel chair and fairly new to the city wanted to vote but could not get to
the polls. Volunteers at the command center called to their churches and other churches seeking to identify a van with a
lift or a portable collapsible wheel chair that would permit her to be picked up in a car by one of the command center
volunteers. A portable collapsible wheel chair was located, borrowed and picked up from a church close to the branch
which allowed a command center volunteer to pick up the elderly lady and get her to the polls to vote!
---c)A Mother called in from a polling location upset that her son was told he could not vote. A
command center volunteer worked with her and her son contacting the board of elections and other
resources until the young man got to vote!
3)Several hundred Phone Calls were made by command center volunteers to target voting precincts
to encourage and check if people had voted and if they needed any assistance to do so if they had not.
4)All transportation requests were met by the command center volunteers
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
Pre Election Day Activities – 235 turned in and copied, but some of the copies were not clear
so we were unable to enter them into the VAN.
•
Attended the Election Protection training
Kroegers was a great place to have voter registration events. The customers would thank us for
making it convenient for them. Many times a parent would come and stop by our table to register, but
would have one of our youth take a voter registration form out to the car for their college age student
to register.
Team Leaders are one of the church ministries. Although they only turned in 2 voter registration
form, they registered over 50 families and friends. Each was turned in independently and no copies
were made.
Church Service – we provided voter registration every Sunday at Quinn and at 6 Youth Council
home churches. We were not able to get copies every time. The numbers below reflect what we
actually copies and recorded in the VAN.
Youth Council- these numbers represent what was turned into the VAN. The actual number was
greater. Each youth council member committed to doing a voter registration drive at their respective
churches and within their own families. Many reported family reunion events where they had from 1025 family members register to vote. Not all forms were able to be copied.
College students thanked us for letting them know their options for voting. Many of them didn’t know
that needed to request a ballot by mail. They didn’t think it about it until we brought it to their attention.
DATE
7/17/2012
7/22/2012
8/4/2012
8/4/2012
8/5/2012
8/9/2012
8/11/2012
8/12/2012
8/12/2012
8/12/2012
8/18/2012
8/28/2012
8/29/2012
8/31/2012
9/2/2012
9/9/2012
9/9/2012
9/11/2012
9/12/2012
9/12/2012
9/15/2012
9/16/2012
SOURCE
TEAM LEADERS
CHURCH SERVICE
YOUTH COUNCIL
SCHOLARSHIP
CHURCH SERVICE
TEAM LEADERS
KROEGERS
KROEGERS
CHURCH SERVICE
KROEGERS
CHURCH PICNIC
CHURCH-WALK IN
CHURCH-WALK IN
CHURCH-WALK IN
CHURCH SERVICE
WOMENS
ANN RIVERS
CHURCH-WALK IN
BRANDON
CHURCH-WALK IN
CHURCH SERVICE
CHURCH SERVICE
AMOUNT
1
1
45
4
4
1
35
24
4
24
1
3
1
1
3
5
18
3
1
4
2
6
NAACP This Is My Vote! Campaign Organizer Debrief Form
9/16/2012
9/16/2012
KROEGERS
KROEGERS
25
16
232