Get involved
With Vote Forward, you can find effective ways to connect with voters and increase civic participation from the comfort of home, at a bar with friends, wherever you are and whenever you are able.
Volunteer Actions
We’re experimenting with a range of tactics. Some are previously studied and established, and some are newer pilots. All are based on what we know works, though we continually test and adapt our tactics to make sure we’re scaling what’s effective in today’s environment and add to our knowledge base.
New Voter Guides
Social
Every cycle, millions of newly registered young voters intend to cast their first ballot—and a large number never do, because the process is more confusing than it should be. Our New Voter Guides combine a handwritten message from a volunteer with the practical tools first-time voters actually need: how to vote, when to vote, what to bring.
Send date: October 1 - October 24
Primary objective: Turn out voters
Hypothesis: Providing early guidance helps new voters form lifelong voting habits.
Down-Ballot Election Integrity Letters
Political
Most Americans have never heard of the people who actually run their elections. But county clerks, election board members, and state-level officials make the decisions that determine whether democracy holds. We're running letter-writing campaigns in a curated slate of these races—exactly the kind of low-turnout, low-profile elections where Vote Forward letters have the strongest evidence of turning out voters.
Send date: October 1 - October 24
Primary objective: Turn out voters
Hypothesis: Letters increase down-ballot turnout in races important for democracy protection.
Voting History Letters
Social
Past Vote Forward research has demonstrated that including an individual’s personalized voting history (if they voted, not for whom) in the letter, alongside a personal message from a volunteer, increases impact. Our initial pilot was small, but promising, so we are expanding. We’re writing these letters to low-propensity, historically underrepresented voters in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Texas. The message is simple: voting is something we do together.
Find these letters with the “NEW” label within our “Social” campaigns.
Send date: October 1 – October 24
Primary objective: Turn out voters
Hypothesis: A message that frames voting as a shared community norm increases follow-through among infrequent voters.
Persuasion Letters
Political
Vote Forward volunteers are writing letters to voters in competitive U.S. House districts, making the case for the Democratic candidate on the issues where voters most trust Democrats: health care costs and Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, and the cost of living. Each letter pairs a few facts about the candidate with a handwritten personal story from the volunteer about why that issue matters in their own life. With your help, Vote Forward can test the effectiveness of persuasion on undecided voters this year.
Find these letters for specific districts within our “Political” campaigns.
Send date: October 1 - October 24
Primary objective: Turn out voters for Democrats
Hypothesis: A handwritten letter that appeals to a high-priority issue and shares information about a Democratic candidate will increase support for Democrats.
Ground Truth Civic Action Follow-Up Letters
Political
When a canvasser knocks on someone's door and has a real conversation about what's going on in their life, that conversation shouldn't end there. Through our 501(c)4 arm, we're testing whether a follow-up letter, referencing what was actually said at the door, can turn out votes for pro-democracy candidates.
Send date: October 1 - October 24
Primary objective: Turn out voters
Hypothesis: A tailored letter following a real conversation moves voters more effectively than either tactic alone.
Benefits Connection Pilots
Social
We have enough volunteers for this pilot for the year. Thank you so much for your support! Please sign up with the Google form below for updates on this campaign in the future.
Many people are struggling right now, and looking for support. Millions of eligible Americans never access the benefits they qualify for. Vote Forward volunteers can help close that gap—and we can rigorously test whether doing so changes how those people engage with democracy over time.
Primary objective: Trust in government
Hypothesis: Benefit enrollment outreach improves attitudes towards elected officials, helps meet material needs, and downstream, civic participation.
Outreach method: Texting
Learning, innovating,
and leading the way.
There’s too much at stake to keep doing the same old thing. Figuring out what works requires experimentation and testing. Together with our volunteers, donors, and partners, we’re shaping the future of voter contact to increase voter participation and save democracy.
