Help! Need advice from voter registration veterans

[Patiod]

was asked to do voter registration tomorrow at a supermarket that has big "no soliciting" signs out front, so the kid running the Obama HQ said "don't bring a table".

I asked "so how am I supposed to have a sign without a table? How will people know what I'm doing?"

He said "here, make a sign", and handed me some of the posterboard I had just purchased and donated.

So I've canvassed for years, but never worked a voter registration drive that wasn't door-to-door. I saw folks doing it today at Trader Joe's, but they had a TABLE.

Two questions for those of you who have done this before:
- What do I say on the sign other than "Voter Registration" and "Pennsylvania Deadline Sept 30"?
- If I can't have a table - how do I display the sign?
- Do I wear my Obama button, or just be party-neutral (the kid did say to accept registrations for Rs Ds and Is and we will submit them all)

I'm confused.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Patiod...

Signing up people to vote is hardly "solicitation!"

I think your ideas for the sign are good...

I'd just lean it up against something handy, like part of the building not too close to the door...

And then just use a clipboard with the forms already attached to it.

Good luck!

I hope someone with better ideas will come along for you!

:kick:

:yourock:

[Patiod]

8. My Dear Peggy!

It seems like it was just recently it was the mid-term elections, and I was in California, staying by the airport.

This year we might head up to Maine - alas, no In-N-Outs up there!

[SeattleGirl]

2. Have you contacted the store manager?

I would think that would be the best thing to do.

I know that while there is no soliciting allowed at the grocery store near me, they do allow people do to political activities there, such as gather signatures to put initiatives on the ballot, etc.

Just ask.

And have fun. I love registering people to vote.

[crispini]

3. Sign, schmine.

Just ask everyone who goes in the door if they need to register to vote, that's how I do it. :D

[Radical Activist]

4. Right, No sign needed if you speak up.

I'd suggest not asking people if they're registered to vote. Its too easy for people to lie that way to get rid of you. Ask something like, "are you registered to vote where you live now?" That makes people think for a second and lot of people forget to change registration when they move.

[Patiod]

6. Oo! That's a good one

More face-saving, too. Much easier to admit "I'm not registered here vs. not registered at all

[Patiod]

10. thanks for the advice "from the front"

Again, have logged many, many miles door-to-door, in my own area and far afield. But never stood outside somewhere, getting registrations. Thanks crispini!

[Fran Kubelik]

5. I just have a clipboard with "register to vote here" in big letters on the back

If you want to attract Dems, go ahead and wear your Obama pin. :D

[Patiod]

7. I have a clipboard here somewhere

came in a pack from my Area Leader from a previous campaign.

One good thing - I called HQ, and said "which XX supermarket did you want me to go to - there's 2 in the same town"

They said they got thrown off the property at one, but didn't have problems at the other.

If I get thrown off the property of the other, I can walk a few stores down to a big hiking-and-camping store - they're VERY pro-environment, and the staff/management wouldn't be adverse to voter registrations

[Patiod]

11. Thanks Fran - that's what I ended up doing

and it worked great

Only got 2 voters, but 99% of people responded positively (also gave away 3 registration forms for people's kids at college, but who knows if they will ever get filled out)

[GOPisEvil]

9. Most times, voter registration is neutral.

Only when the particular business allows partisan registration would I wear anything from a campaign.

I think if you approach the manager of the store, indicate that you will be non-partisan, they might let you set up a small table.

The kid running the campaign obviously has no clue how to run a voter registration drive. He should place a call to the local Democrats here. We're very good at it.