Traditionally, GOTheVote has been defined as activity by campaigns to target their candidates, or their party voters, to get them to the polls. At best, GOTV consisted of personal phone calls and emails to select voters before the election to remind them to vote, and on election day party/candidate poll cross-checkers id their candidate's voters who have not yet voted and someone calls them. At worst, there has been resistance to or lack of enthusiasm for community-wide pre-election activity that reaches out to all voters. The exception has been efforts by the Secretary of State (Your Vote is Your Voice) and the League of Women Voters.
North End Voters InSpired has joined with all-wards' NPAs, the Center for Community and Neighborhood, and the League of Women Voters to inspire all voters in the City of Burlington to vote. Together we are organizing Burlington ward by ward, forming teams to register, inform, and inspire all voters to VOTE. Registration and information are wasted if people don't follow-through and vote in their ward -- early, absentee, or at the Polls by marking a ballot or by phone.
NEVIS will continue to focus on Wards 4 and 7. Our NPAs' CELEBRATE DEMOCRACY - VOTE banner was carried from Battery Park to City Hall in Burlington's first annual pre-election VOTE Parade on Aug.21. The banner was displayed on North Avenue at the Ward 4 polling place on election day. NPA sandwich boards went out at 6AM with VOTE TODAY signs on them.
The Get Out To VOTE campaign is aimed at one goal -- inspiring people to vote by creating a culture of confidence and celebraton that our votes count, our candidates are worthy, and democracy is worth voting for! Each ward will strive for a personal best.We praise candidates and supporters who create a colorful, personal campaign presence waving on the street and standing at the polls on election day. The signs however, do not tell people when/where to vote. Signs would have to be personalized by town, and in Burlington by ward, which seems like a good excuse for pizza parties!
