Why it is important?

Poll greeting is one of the most important things AURA does during the election season and has been a crucial part of our success in previous elections. Many voters are going in to vote for President and are not familiar with the City Council races. Handing out the AURA voter guide to voters as they go in to vote is easy and incredibly effective. In previous elections we’ve handed out thousands of guides and likely swayed hundreds of votes.

When?

Early Voting begins Monday, October 21st and ends Friday, November 1st. The last two days are generally the busiest but every weekday of early voting will be busy and will be important. Polls are open 7AM-7PM (Noon-6PM Sunday) but are generally busiest 9AM-5PM. Any time you can commit is helpful!

How do I get involved?

sign up for shifts at: https://signup.com/go/qnBbkLk
– These shifts just help us know when you’ll be available so we can get in contact and help coordinate. You do not need to be available for the whole time slot. Even 30 minutes is extremely helpful.
We will follow up shortly after to help choose a location, coordinate literature drop off, training, and to answer any questions.

Will you help train me?

Yes! We have a number of members who have done this before who are happy to help train you.

Who do I talk to?

Zach Faddis: 210-264-1093
Timothy Bray: 512-744-3167

Please reach out if you have any questions!

What will I need?

AURA endorsement lit that tells voters a little bit about AURA and then our slate of endorsed candidates. That’s it!

We will arrange a drop off of the AURA lit once you fill out the form.

What do I do?

Find a good spot where you can engage people as they are walking up to vote and give as many voters as possible a copy of the voter guide. It’s simple!

Where do I go?

AURA will focus on a few locations. These locations are likely to be adjusted after early voting starts, but this is our initial priority list:

Google Maps List: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qoqqWepzbBSp53V66

Austin Permitting and Development Center – 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr
Ben Hur Shrine Center – 7811 Rockwood Ln
Balcones Woods Shopping Center – 11150 Research Blvd
Disability Rights Texas – 2222 W Braker Ln
Northwest Recreation Center – 2913 Northland Dr
Shops at Arbor Walk – 10515 North Mopac Expy
Gus Garcia Recreation Center – 1201 E Rundberg Ln

What about Election Day?

We will also be out poll greeting on election day! However most voters vote during early voting and there are many more locations on election day than during early voting. Most early voting locations have more voters per day than polling locations on Election day, so we strongly encourage not waiting until Election Day to volunteer.

The Do’s And Don’ts of Poll Greeting

Do

Be aware of your surroundings. Observe the path that most people are taking to get into the building and put yourself in that path. Spacial awareness and positioning is key!
Find the right approach to engage people. In general, I have found that starting to engage people when they are about 10-15 ft in front of me is best. Put yourself in a place where they see you before you engage them and they don’t feel ambushed. The majority of the time, people will take the lit and nothing else.
Keep it short. I usually just say “Can I give you information about [candidate/cause/local elections]” and hold my hand out with the lit, and most people take it.
Hold the lit out as you start talking. If you time it right and do it in a way that makes it easy to take, most people will reflexively take it. Don’t expect people to ask.
Stand on the side of the path within 4-5 ft or so of where people walk. Find the right balance where they don’t have to come to you, but you aren’t blocking their way.

Don’t

Ask people if they know their district, unless they are already engaging with you. Many won’t know and it makes things awkward. It’s not worth trying to distinguish who lives where, just try to engage everyone.
Just hold a yard sign. Most voters are focused on getting inside to vote, they are unlikely to actually take notice, or focus enough on you to register who you are holding a sign for.
Set up a table or bring a chair to sit down in, except for breaks. You have to go to people, they are not going to come to you.
Go within the 100 ft barrier that restricts campaigning. The election workers will have orange cones set up marking the border.
Let anyone tell you can’t campaign outside of the 100 ft barrier. This is constitutionally protected freedom of speech!
Let one person distract you in a long conversation and keep you from engaging with other people going in. The point is to reach as many people as possible!
Be discouraged by people declining the lit. This is a numbers game. Even if you only manage to engage 10-20 people in an hour, that is a major win.
Stay at a location if the layout of the location means you can’t actually approach people.