-Stephanie Stephens, Water Quality Specialist
Get Out the Vote!
In addition to developing the 2024 YRK Advocacy Priorities, the YRK Advocacy Committee met during the past few months to brainstorm ideas for Get Out the Vote (GOTV) activities before the November 5th election. As a non-profit organization,these activities must be nonpartisan. The Committee considered many different activities including targeted mailings, traditional media advertising and social media outreach and presented several options to the YRK Board in August, which signed off on the plan
The Advocacy Committee with staff and Board input, decided to focus our efforts on voter registration. The committee members felt it is important to reach people who may have difficulty getting to a Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to register, recently moved to the area or who may not realize they are not registered to vote. Yadkin Riverkeeper designed a Voter Empowerment Registration Tool card, with a QR code on the back linking anyone who scans the code to a quick voter registration page connected to the DMV of most American states. This tool, powered by Vote America+ software, allows anyone with a state I.D or driver's license to register to vote in minutes from their smartphone. YRK’s goal is to distribute this card to as many people as possible before the final date of registration to vote in this election, on October 11. If you know anyone or any group who can benefit from our Voter Empowerment Registration Tool, please contact us and we will happily bring you a few! This tool also works through photographs and can be circulated on social media and email. Data shows that people from 18-29 are the least likely to be registered to vote.
Yadkin Riverkeeper also will be hosting our first ever parking lot event, a Rock the Vote, Last Chance to Register Social on October 8, 2024 from 5-8 pm. This is an 80’s music party, with entertainment by Craig Vaughn and will include complimentary beverages and drinks, as well as a host of local groups sharing their work and information to the public! Along with our Voter Empowerment Registration Tool, we plan to have mail-in registration forms for anyone who may not have a DMV connection. Our goal is to register as many people to vote as possible while having a blast!
Our final GOTV contribution is to share helpful information on important dates, voting locations, ID requirements and websites pertaining to candidate backgrounds and platforms on our social media pages, so keep a lookout for our posts in the next few weeks! If you have any questions or would like to tent or table our 10/8/24 event at no booth cost, please feel free to contact Water Quality Specialist Stephanie Stephens at stephanie@yadkinriverkeeper.org.