Role: Creator
website
The Voter Concierge Corps is a national non-partisan group of volunteers who help individuals cast an informed, joyous and EARLY vote.
Each voter who requests support from a volunteer concierge receives customized ballot research, a personalized voting game plan, a tool for encouraging their community to vote with them, and a special voting-themed mixtape for the voter to play (and dance to!) while they cast their vote.
“What a brilliant idea! To be honest I’m always a bit overwhelmed trying to understand everything on the ballot. It makes me want to sit these elections out. ”
“I used the [concierge] resources and to my horror found out I was an INACTIVE voter!? What? I’ve voted in every election. Thanks for helping me catch that!”
THE CHALLENGE
In the March 2020 primary election, California tossed out over 100,000 ballots, and many other states did the same. Why? Because voters were sending their ballots too late, or getting tripped up by common mistakes. Fortunately, studies have shown that three things can exponentially increase the likelihood of people casting a successful vote:
1) When voters have a plan. Research has shown that when voters make a plan, it can dramatically increase the likelihood of them casting a successful vote.
2) When communities uplift each other. Relational organizing is one of the most effective tools for increasing voter turnout.
3) When voters cast their vote early. Because if they make a technical error on their ballot, there is still time to fix it before it’s too late.
While there has been a huge influx in digital tools designed to help voters research their deadlines, behavioral science suggests we need to do more to help voters make and execute on their plan by creating positive social infrastructure. In other words: we need to make voting a joyful and collaborative sport!
THE SOLUTION
For the 2022 midterm elections, we created a Personal Voter Concierge pilot program to deliver a bespoke ballot education and voting plan service that centered joy and humor.
THE IMPACT
The Personal Voter Concierge Service reached voters in 33 cities across 14 states. On average, these voters shared their ballot guides with 10 other people. So while each concierge might reach 20 - 50 voters, the voters turn around and reach hundreds more in their communities.
LEARNINGS
If voters don’t have a presidential candidate that they feel strongly about, they tend to sit out of elections. But one effective way to mobilize these voters is by getting them excited about downballot races and measures.
Not only can a personalized voter concierge service help to activate these voters, but it can also help them increase voter turnout by providing easy tools for sharing their ballot knowledge with their community.
“My ballot just arrived and thanks to [the Personal Voter Concierge service] I was like ‘oh yay!’ instead of ‘oh, shit’”
“I just moved here and I don’t know where I would have found any of [this voter information] otherwise.”
“The only reason I had a concrete voting plan with a friend is because of this [concierge service]”
“[The Personal Voter Concierge] made voting realistic for me... I felt informed and confident in my choices, and like I could articulate why I was voting how I was. And I did most of it at a basketball court while providing just enough attention to my kids!”
UP NEXT
We’re joining forces with the League of Women Voters and Center For Artistic Activism to scale this program into Voter Concierge Corps for the 2024 election.
Want to volunteer as a personal voter concierge and help increase voter turnout?
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Center For Artistic Activism / Unstoppable Voters Project - training & funding
EJ Baker / Maybe Ventures - visual design
Connie Carmona - music curation
Everyone who participated, playtested and promoted this service