You’ve followed election coverage, you’ve advocated for accessible voting, and now, Election Day is just around the corner! Whether you’ve voted absentee, plan on participating in early voting, or are ready to get out the vote on November 8, it’s time to get excited about exercising your right to vote!
Voting is an important civic duty, but don’t forget that it can be a fun and patriotic way to celebrate our love of our country and community and our freedom to elect our leaders. Here are some fun ways for you and your organizations to take pride in exercising your right to vote.
Send out some positive messaging: At this point in the election cycle, a lot of people are overwhelmed by the constant media coverage and are ready for Election Day to come and go. Keep in mind that voting can be a fun and easy way to participate in our democracy, and send out some positive, upbeat messaging about participating in voting to your friends, family, and consumers. Remind people that their right to vote counts. Positive messaging will encourage them to be excited about exercising their right to vote, too!
The website #GoVote offers a bunch of voting-related artwork from artists for you to freely use. Take a look at the site to find some fun images to share with your family, friends, and consumers to encourage them to vote.
Here are a few examples of messages that you can send out via your emails and social media, courtesy of the League of Women Voters:
- “I am going to vote and I know that my vote will count.”
- “Voting is your opportunity to support your community and have a say in America’s future.”
- “There are plenty of races besides the presidential race-make sure you know who’s on your ballot for local and state races!”
- “When you vote, you’re taking a stand on the issues that matter most to you.”
- “Every vote counts and our votes make a difference.”
- “Together, through our votes, we take control and determine the outcome of this election.”
- “Millions of voters will head to the polls to stand up for what matters most in their communities and lives. I hope you’re one of them.”
Join the Conversation: this election, the disability community has generated a lot of buzz around the issues that are important to our community. On social media, campaigns like #RevUp, coordinated by the AAPD, and #CriptheVote, a non-partisan, grassroots social media campaign about the disability vote, encourage voters with disabilities to talk about their voting experiences and the political issues that are important to them. Join in the conversation! Follow and Tweet through the #CripTheVote and #RevUP hashtags, and follow @AAPD and @DisVisibility for more information about these campaigns. You can also follow AAPD and #CripTheVote on Facebook.
#CriptheVote will be holding a live-tweet of election results on election night starting at 8 PM EST/5 PM EST, November 8. Follow along by searching #CriptheVote on Twitter!
Take a Picture with your “I Voted” Sticker: Once you’ve cast your ballot, it can be really fun to show off that you’ve done your civic duty and cast your vote! Take a selfie or a picture with your “I Voted” sticker, share it with friends and family, and encourage them to take a post-voting picture as well! If you want to take it up a notch, consider wearing something red, white, and blue, or something that represents your connection to the independent living movement and the disability community. Just make sure not to take a picture of your ballot, as that is illegal in some states.
And remember the immortal words of Justin Dart, Jr., Father of the Americans with Disabilities Act: “Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does!”
