Resource Type: Tips & How-Tos

With only 60 days until the election, voter registration and GOTV efforts are in full swing across the country, and in my own social media feed I see photos of community groups at the library or at people’s dining room tables writing letters, textbanking, and phonebanking to get out the vote. Individual and collective GOTV action is foundational to the democratic process, and that’s got us thinking about the force multiplier of allocating institutional resources to the effort. In this week’s newsletter we gather GOTV resources from the Lab, and our partners and colleagues across the climate and democracy spaces, that may help you and your organization ramp up, or build out your own GOTV work.

Learning what your college or university might be using can keep you safer as you stand up against injustice through protest. Consider compartmentalizing your organizing away from your studies. Create and use separate accounts—and devices, if possible—for political speech to save yourself a headache down the road. Be mindful of what you log into, the devices you carry with you, and how you move around campus when participating in protests or amidst campus activism. Be aware that any interaction, or even near-interaction, with an officer could be on camera. Your digital footprint can be your biggest asset when organizing and protesting, but it can also be used against you—if you are live-tweeting protests or often share your student organizations’ events, assume the school is watching. Be alert and aware of cameras and similar-looking devices! If you hear the buzzing sound of a drone above you, there’s a chance it’s operated by campus or local police. (These educational materials do not constitute legal advice. Contact a local attorney for additional questions.)