Get Out the Vote Toolkit

Yvonne Cherell, CEO

Our great diversities in culture and backgrounds make us unique and special but we must also embrace the chance to celebrate our community and our sameness. One of those unifying moments is the act of casting a vote.

In 2012, the late great poet and activist, Maya Angelou explicitly implored American citizens to vote in an email to the incumbent president’s supporters. The most powerful takeaway point from Angelou’s plea was the plea itself – as one human being to others. “I am not writing to you as a Black voter, or a woman voter, or as a voter who is over 70 years old and six feet tall. I am writing to you as a representative of this great country—as an American.”

Voting is our country’s greatest equalizer. Many of our organizations exist because our predecessors pursued and acted on their right to vote. Please share the items in this toolkit with your neighbors, colleagues and clients and help us Get Out the Vote on November 7.

Get Out the Vote

In our country, voting is not only a right but a civic duty. The system of American government relies on its citizens’ participation. OUCAN created this toolkit for members in an effort to increase voter participation.

Community Action Agencies are uniquely positioned to provide critical information to citizens on a range of issues. We must remain nonpartisan, but we can share information on how, when and where community members can exercise their right to vote.

In Ohio in 2023, voters have new rules to follow and reports from the August special election suggest there is some confusion. OUCAN hopes this toolkit helps you help members of your community understand not only how to vote but how important voting is.

Voting is every citizen’s super power. We want to see everyone using it.

Jay Black, Jr. Advocacy Chair

THE VOICE OF OHIO'S URBAN COMMUNITIES

9 Community Action Agencies make up our statewide network.

56

The percentage of Ohio's low-to-moderate income families served by OUCAN member agencies.

ABOUT US WHO WE ARE

O U C A N a g e n c i e s r e p r e s e n t 5 6 p e r c e n t o f t h e s t a t e ' s t o t a l p o p u l a t i o n a n d 6 2 p e r c e n t o f t h o s e h o u s e h o l d s a r e l i v i n g

a t o r b e l o w t h e F e d e r a l P o v e r t y L e v e l .

W e s e e k t o r e d u c e t h e n u m b e r o f

h o u s e h o l d s l i v i n g i n p o v e r t y s o t h a t n o

f a m i l y e x p e r i e n c e s f o o d i n s e c u r i t y o r h o u s i n g c h a l l e n g e s a n d a l l a r e a b l e t o e a r n a l i v a b l e w a g e

CHANGING COMMUNITIES OUR MISSION

T h e m i s s i o n o f t h e O h i o U r b a n

C o m m u n i t y A c t i o n N e t w o r k ( O U C A N ) i s t o e m p o w e r O h i o ’ s u r b a n

C o m m u n i t y A c t i o n A g e n c i e s t h r o u g h e d u c a t i o n a n d n e t w o r k i n g ,

a n d t o a d v o c a t e f o r p o l i c i e s t h a t

a l l e v i a t e p o v e r t y a n d p r o m o t e s e l f -

s u f f i c i e n c y

A F F O R D A B L E H O U S I N G

W e s u p p o r t p r o g r a m s a n d p o l i c i e s

t h a t p r i o r i t i z e s a f e , a f f o r d a b l e a n d

l e a d f r e e h o u s i n g a n d r e d u c i n g t h e g a p i n h o m e o w n e r s h i p f o r u n d e r s e r v e d b u y e r s

W e s u p p o r t p r o g r a m s a n d p o l i c i e s t o r e d u c e r a c i a l d i s p a r i t i e s i n w a g e s a n d o c c u p a t i o n a l c l u s t e r i n g , p r o g r a m s w i t h p i p e l i n e t o c a r e e r f i e l d s a n d c o m p a n i e s w h o i n v e s t i n p e o p l e i n c l u d i n g e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l a n d s o c i a l e n t e r p r i s e v e n t u r e s

W e s u p p o r t p r o g r a m s a n d p o l i c i e s d e s i g n e d t o a d d r e s s a c c e s s a s w e l l a s q u a l i t y a n d e q u i t a b l e f u n d i n g f o r e a r l y c h i l d h o o d e d u c a t i o n a n d c h i l d c a r e

What You Can & Can’t Do

Community Action Agencies are 501(c) 3 organizations and as such are restricted from partisan campaign activities. For more detail on what you can and can’t do check out the resources at CAPLAW: caplaw.org.

◊ You can offer voter education in a non partisan and unbiased manner.

◊ You cannot reference any candidate or political party.

◊ You can help voters register as long as you are non partisan.

◊ You cannot use Head Start or CSBG funds to pay for any resources or staff used in voter registration.

◊ You can have candidates at events but you must invite all candidates and give equal opportunities to speak. Candidates can appear at events in a non-candidate capacity if they do not mention their campaign. It is best not to invite them close to election day.

◊ You cannot raise money for candidates or issues.

◊ You can take a position on public policy issues but cannot explicitly or implicitly favor or oppose a candidate when doing so.

Important Dates & Deadlines

October 10: Deadline to register to vote

October 11: Early Voting Begins

October 31: Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot

Nov. 7: Election Day

Register and Make a Plan to Vote

In Ohio, you can now register vote online. You can also use the online system to update your address or name. Visit www.ohiosos.gov to learn more.

You can also verify your registration and find your local Board of Elections using the Secretary of State’s website. Your local Board of Elections website can provide a sample ballot and information about your polling place and Early Voting.

You can request an absentee ballot through the Secretary of State’s website or by calling your local Board of Elections. Ohioans can request an absentee ballot for any reason but requests must be made by Oct. 31. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person. If mailing, they must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day.

Ohio’s Voter ID Law

Ohio’s new voter ID law went into effect in 2023 and allows fewer forms of valid ID at the polls than previous versions of the law.

IDs must be unexpired and include a photograph of the voter.

IDs accepted at the polls include:

Your ID cannot be expired!

◊ Ohio Driver’s License

◊ State of Ohio ID card

◊ Interim ID form from the Ohio BMV

◊ A US passport or passport card

Unacceptable types of ID are:

◊ Driver’s license or ID card from another state

◊ Social Security card

◊ Birth Certificate

◊ Insurance Card

◊ Utility bill

◊ Bank statement

◊ Government check

◊ Paycheck

◊ Other government document

◊ Any registration acknowledgment notice from the board of elections

Early Voting Hours

Oct. 11-13: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 16-20: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 23-27: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 31: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Nov. 1-3: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 4: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nov. 5: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

◊ US Military ID

◊ Ohio National Guard ID

◊ US Veterans Affairs ID

Beginning April 7, 2023, Ohioans who are 17 years and older can receive a free state ID from the BMV if the following apply:

You do not have a valid driver’s license

You can provide proof of your full legal name, date of birth, legal presence in the US, your Social Security number and your Ohio street address.

Election Day Hours

6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Social Media Posts & Graphics

Oct. 6

October 10 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 7 election. You can register online at www. ohiosos.gov or visit the [COUNTY] Board of Elections at [LOCAL BOE WEBSITE]. #CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Oct. 4

Oct. 10

Are you registered? Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 7 election. You can register quickly and easily online if you have all your information. You can also make any needed updates to your registration such as a new address or name change. You can register online at www.ohiosos.gov or visit the [COUNTY] Board of Elections at [LOCAL BOE WEBSITE]. #CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Oct. 13

Ohio’s new voter ID law requires an unexpired picture ID. It also created a way for eligible Ohioans to get a free ID. Get all the details at ohiosos.gov. the [COUNTY] Board of Elections at [LOCAL BOE WEBSITE].

#CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Oct. 18

You can request an absentee ballot through the Secretary of State’s website or by calling the [COUNTY] Board of Elections. Ohioans can request an absentee ballot for any reason but requests must be made by Oct. 31. #CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Oct. 8

Oct. 11

Oct. 16

Oct. 20

Social Media Posts & Graphics

Oct. 23

Some forms of ID that used to be acceptable at the polls are no longer acceptable. You cannot use:

◊ Driver’s license or ID card from another state

◊ Social Security card

◊ Birth Certificate

◊ Insurance Card

◊ Utility bill

◊ Bank statement

◊ Government check

◊ Paycheck

◊ Other government document

◊ Any notice from the board of elections

For more information on Ohio’s new voter ID law, visit www.ohiosos.gov or [COUNTY] Board of Elections at [LOCAL BOE WEBSITE]. #CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Oct. 27

Voting is your super power! [AGENCY] wants to see everyone using it. The system of American government relies on its citizens’ participation. Early voting hours expand starting on Monday. Hours on Monday at [COUNTY] Board of Elections will be from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday’s hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information on Early Voting, visit [LOCAL BOE WEBSITE]. #CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Oct. 31

Oct. 25

Oct. 31

Today is the last day to request an absentee ballot for the Nov. 7 election. Visit www.ohiosos.gov or [COUNTY] Board of Elections at [LOCAL BOE WEBSITE] to complete an application. You can request an absentee ballot for any reason in the State of Ohio. #CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Nov. 3

Remember, Ohio’s new Voter ID Law requires you to have an unexpired photo ID. The only types of ID accepted at the polls are

◊ Ohio Driver’s License

◊ State of Ohio ID card

◊ Interim ID form from the Ohio BMV

◊ A US passport or passport card

◊ US Military ID

◊ Ohio National Guard ID

◊ US Veterans Affairs ID

#CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote

Nov. 8

Thank you for using your super power! Share your voting selfie with us in the comments! #CommunityActionVotes #GetOuttheVote Because together, we can!

Nov. 7