A key part of any constitutional amendment campaign is getting people to vote! Campaign organizers use a variety of methods to encourage people to vote, including phone banking, mailings, yard signs and media conferences.

An additional way of increasing voter turnout promoted by the Virginia Organizing Project is the “Each One Takes 10” approach. It’s simple and very effective, especially in getting people to vote who are new or infrequent voters. Here’s how it works:

1. Make a list of 10 people you know — family, friends, neighbors — who are newly-registered voters, non-voters or infrequent voters.
2. Contact each person and ask them if they are registered to vote. (If not, help them to get registered.) Then ask them if they plan to vote. If they express any problems — they don’t know about the issues, they don’ know where their polling place is, they need a ride — help them figure it out!
3. You may want to keep informing them of key articles in the newspaper, an upcoming candidate forum, or other ways to learn more about what they will be asked to vote on.
4. Contact everyone two or three days before election day in person or by phone to remind them to vote.
5. Contact them between noon and 2 p.m. on election day (November 7) and ask them if they voted yet. If not, tell them you will come get them and take them to the polls!
6. Follow up and ask them about the voting experience and make sure they know the results.