Mail-in ballots automatically sent to all registrants make it easier for nonprofits to mobilize communities.

With the current crisis, we see more than ever the importance of having elected officials who support our communities and who partner with us to address the challenges we face. We also know that registering folks and getting out the vote can be tough in any year, let alone when so many nonprofits have stepped up to meet immediate community needs and are facing difficult choices about the future.

That's why we applaud Governor Gavin Newsom for making sure every voter registered in California will receive a mail-in ballot for the November elections. California is the first state to take this step to ensure safe voting during the COVID pandemic. On-site polling options will still be available, with extra public health precautions in place. But everyone registered to vote will get a mail-in ballot. So it's time to think about making sure your staff, board, clients, and community are registered.

What can you do now?

• Make sure YOU are registered to vote at your current address (if you are eligible to vote.)
• Remind staff, volunteers, and board members, along with clients/patrons/students/members/donors that they too should be registered to vote if they are eligible.
• If you are NOT eligible to vote, it's even more important for you to urge others to be registered to vote.
• Be on the lookout for our upcoming Vote with Your Mission campaign!

Why should nonprofits care about voting?

It's this simple: if everyone who works or volunteers or benefits from a nonprofit in child services voted, we'd have better child services funding. If everyone who works or volunteers for environmental causes voted, we'd have better environmental policies.

Now that we know we won't have to wait in long difficult lines to vote, it's the perfect time to make sure eligible staff and volunteers and board members are registered. And to let our communities know that if they haven’t yet registered to vote, they should. Remind everyone that if they've moved, they need to update their registration.

We want to be sure every registered voter gets their mail-in ballot and has the opportunity, if they choose, to vote by mail in November. It's easy to register to vote online, you can even do it on your phone and walk someone else through it!

A record number of California voters came out for the primary election in March – let's keep the momentum going!

Last week, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that 9.6 million Californians voted on March 3, “the most ever in a primary election.” The election this November will be crucial – many important offices are up for election as well as ballot propositions such as Schools and Communities First. Nonprofits are trusted messengers – make sure your community makes their voices heard in November.