Power Vote

Written by our very own Aric Miller of Michigan.

"Our newly formed Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC" chapter at Wayne State University in Detroit began in full force this semester. Our top priority this fall is running Power Vote on campus. This week we had our first tabling event at the new student "I Start" day in which Freshmen and other new students come out to meet new friends and join various student organizations. Our table was one of the most popular. We got over 250 Power Vote pledges signed, while over 50 of them signed up to be volunteers!

We prepared for the tabling event by first making sure we had all our materials --pledges, t-shirts, pamphlets, pins, stickers, and more. We then made sure we had four or five volunteers to help us run the table. The next step was making sure we actually showed up on time to set the table. Once we got there we had two people stand behind the table while three of us were out in the crowed getting pledges and guiding folks toward our table. Remember, when talking to folks while canvassing or tabling, discipline in messaging can make all the difference. It might sound repetitive saying the same "rap" over and over again, but for most folks you're trying to reach this is the first time hearing it. We had a separate sign up sheet for SEAC than for Power Vote, but it's very likely that the folks who want to work on Power Vote will go on to join SEAC.

The final step in this table is not making the table itself the final step. The real final step is making sure we use all the information we got (names, phone numbers, emails, addresses, volunteer sign ups, etc) and invite people to help us out on the campaign (and doing this ASAP!!!). This will include scheduling folks to come help us table or do class raps and dorm storms. Or it might be something more intimate like scheduling one-on-one conversations where we can discuss organizing and politics or even every day life.

What I love so much about Power Vote is not only that we're getting over one million youth to vote for clean and just energy; but rather that we're getting over one million youth to take the next step --joining the movement and staying actively involved. When I'm talking to folks, part of the rap I use is "by pledging to hold your leaders accountable through your sustained involvement, we can create a power shift." I take the "sustained involvement" part very seriously, and thats why we're making sure we not only engage those 1,000,000 people once when we ask them to sign... but that we engage them over and over again, and that they develop into lifelong change agents for a better world."