You Are Cordially Invited to (Host) a GOTV Postcard-Writing Party

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Kim Sillen
September 16, 2024

Most reputable current polls indicate a tight race ahead for the upcoming 2024 general election. Victory, it seems, will likely be found in the margins of the swing states: the undecided and unlikely voters who will tip the scales.

But what will ultimately persuade this section of the electorate how to vote? According to a paper by Yale’s Institution for Social and Policy Studies, various studies show that apropos of get-out-the-vote (GOTV) tactics, it’s the human interactions that matter most. A volunteer or campaign worker’s dialogue with a potential voter has the greatest effect on whether that would-be voter will, in fact, vote.

Does this mean you can have an impact only if you knock on doors? Nope, you’re off the hook if you dread door-knocking. Research shows that “human interaction” in the GOTV world can include several different modes of communication. My favorite is writing postcards.

The Analyst Institute was commissioned to study the effects of a postcard campaign in Virginia during the 2017 election cycle, during which 13,000 handwritten postcards were sent to voters. The study showed that the initiative increased voter turnout by .4 percent, whereas typical door-knocking campaigns increase turnout by .3 percent—demonstrating the potential for postcarding to yield at least as good a result, if not better.

David Nickerson, a researcher of GOTV methodologies, argues that studies regularly underestimate the impact of GOTV efforts, because they don’t take into account the “contagion effects of mobilization.” Hickerson say that even if an individual wasn’t contacted by a person from a GOTV campaign, but is living with someone who was, they are more likely to vote the same way, just by being informed of the encounter.

As an artist, I relish campaigns that require getting your own postcards, because I make them myself, and I enjoy creating the designs and illustrations. (I run the images I’ve printed on postcards by campaign organizers, to make sure they’re on board with them. 

Postcard parties are actually fun, and they are a great way to recruit friends and neighbors into GOTV activities. So, I invite you to host a GOTV postcard-writing party.

Here are the steps:

• Decide what kind of campaign you’ll host: nonpartisan or political. There are many nonpartisan campaigns that focus on ballot initiatives or general voter activation. Democratic postcard campaigns are plentiful and so popular, that some organizations have stopped accepting volunteers. If you’d like to get involved on behalf of a candidate from another party, reach out to a campaign organizer and ask if there are GOTV postcard opportunities to support their platform. [See chart for a sampling of postcard campaigns from different organizations, or do an internet search for a multitude of other options.]
• Find out how many postcards you can obtain, and what the timeline is. Determine if you need to secure your own postcards and stamps, which may influence your decision.
• Be aware that many organizations require you to submit a digital photo of a sample postcard online before they approve you as a writer. Generally, the approval comes quickly. If you choose one of these organizations, mention that you will be requesting postcards for others and ask if each person needs individual approval. If so, be sure to let your invitees know about the approval process before the actual event.
• Pick a date and decide where you’d like to hold event: in your home, a public space or even a coffee shop or bar, if you can find one that is willing to host. If you choose the latter, choose a spot where you know the owner’s views align with your postcarding mission.
• Gather your supplies (whether this means purchasing them or finding them at home), or make a list of what guests should bring. You’ll need smooth-writing pens for everyone, various highlighters and some colored markers. A few plastic rulers are also helpful to divide the postcard space between the message and the address, if the cards are not already sectioned. Buy any needed stamps in advance, or notify your guests of how many they should bring.
• If your organization has provided you with a set text for the postcards, print out enough copies for everyone, as well as all the addresses where you’ll be sending the cards. Be sure to let your invitees know of any other requirements or recommendations.
• Break out the chips and dips! Refreshments help set a lively mood, and also give volunteers who need a break a little boost. It can be helpful to have some food in another room, so the volunteers who are continuing to write can focus better. If you have a quantity of postcards your group needs to write, let them know the goal for each person.
• Lastly, enjoy the process! Remember that it is the “interaction” between the volunteer and the postcard recipient that really matters. Your personal touch is what’s most likely to stand out in the potential voter’s mind and convince them to show up at the polls.

Now get out there and write!

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Author: Kim Sillen is the Deputy Director of Creative Service at NYC DOT. She cofounded The Largest Generation (now See Gen Z Vote), a youth voter advocacy internship for college students in 2020, which created digital campaigns and infographics for colleges and organizations across the U.S. that were looking to reach potential Gen Z voters. More recently, she partnered with Lift Every Vote, which utilized her research on preregistration. [email protected]. 

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