This year’s election presents the most challenging campaigning and voting circumstances we’ve ever seen: on-the-ground field operations are mostly suspended, and we still are not sure whether voting in-person will be safe by November. Throughout this pandemic, we have been seeking out ways to make voting more accessible, consistent, and safe for all Americans. Today, we are proud to announce that our users can now register to vote, apply for mail-in or absentee ballots, and make sure their friends have done the same, all within Outvote.
In the two years since we launched Outvote, we have worked to build digital tools that we believe make progressive advocacy and political engagement easy, fun, and inclusive. Our once-small community now includes hundreds of organizations, from vital grassroots groups to the country’s largest national nonprofits and local campaigns to Democratic state, federal, and Presidential candidates. Our work expanded into voter registration with When We All Vote, Community Change Action, and Planned Parenthood, and in our newest release, we are taking it one step further.
Through Outvote’s friend-to-friend and peer-to-peer texting features, campaigns can now prompt volunteers to make sure their contacts have everything they need to start, update, and complete their voter registration, regardless of state. Volunteers in Outvote already have the ability to see if their friends match to the national voter file, but this feature is an added way for campaigns and causes to scale rapid registration among known supporters and maximize opportunities to expand the electorate.
Once registration is confirmed, volunteers can continue to follow up with resources to apply for an absentee ballot, or early mail-in ballot. If the voter’s state requires a physical vote-by-mail form to be signed and returned to the elections office, volunteers can easily notify the campaign that a voter needs to have the registration form mailed to them. Campaign administrators can send mail in batches through Outvote, allowing them to help register thousands of voters for absentee ballots in a few clicks.
We are fired up and ready to go with voter mobilization in 2020 and beyond. When we increase civic participation with a few clicks, we all take a critical step forward in building a democracy that works for everyone.
Outvote is free to download and join on iOS, Android, and web.
