2024 general ELECTIONS:
RALLY THE VOTE TOOLKIT
The restaurant industry represents the widest range of age, diversity, income, and opportunity in the United States, and its 15.5 million employees collectively encompass nearly 10% of all jobs. As the second-largest employer (next to the Federal Government) in America, the restaurant industry has an opportunity to play a crucial role in increasing civic engagement in the 2024 elections by effectively engaging its employee and consumer base.
Voters have critical choices to make on November 5th:
U.S. Citizens vote for president and vice president during the general election.
We hope you will use your platform in the coming months to encourage voters to show up in November -- and for all elections. We’ve created this comprehensive guide to share the key ways you can help voters make their voices heard in 2024.
key dates
*Ongoing
17
September
Promote Voter Registration
29
October
Share Early Voting Options
05
November
Election Day!
Get Out & Vote!
*Promote poll worker recruitment
*Sign up to be a Civic Alliance member
PROMOTE VOTER REGISTRATION
THE NEED
Make sure voters are registered at their current addresses before registration deadlines.
THE TIMING
September 17, 2024 - National Voter Registration Day
WHY IT MATTERS
Millions of eligible voters are still unregistered because of a crucial information gap: they don’t know they need to register, don’t know the deadlines, or find the process confusing. Voters may need to register or update their registration for reasons such as moving to a new address, turning 18, becoming a citizen, or changing their names. Many are unaware of this need and miss deadlines in their states which prevents them from voting.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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Share online registration tool link on social or in company communications: www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org
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Share that it takes 2 minutes or less to register
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Remind people they have to be registered at their current address
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Print these flyers and post them on employee boards, in windows, or insert them into to-go bags
SOCIAL MEDIA
#NationalVoterRegistrationDay #VoteReady #RestaurantsRallyTheVote
Share Early Voting Options
THE NEED
Make sure voters know they have options to vote safely, securely, and at their convenience.
THE TIMING
October 29, 2024 - Vote Early Day
WHY IT MATTERS
The ability to vote early — either by mail or in person — is crucial for voters who want to protect their health, shorten lines at polling locations, or just vote at their own convenience. The rules vary state-to-state, but voters will begin early voting as soon as the last week of September.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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Welcome to the Vote Early Day voter tool! Insert your information to find out where you can vote early in your community. Note that information will be updated throughout the year as elections approach.
SOCIAL MEDIA
#VoteEarlyDay
#RestaurantsRallyTheVote
Get Out The Vote
THE NEED
Make sure your employees and consumers have the time, tools, and resources to get out to vote on Election Day.
THE TIMING
Election Day - November 5th, 2024.
Please note: it’s helpful to share the following resources in advance of Election Day to ensure voters are aware and make a plan to vote ahead of November 5th!
WHY IT MATTERS
Voting legislation has seen major state and federal action over the past two years, causing election rules to change in real-time across the country. Figuring out where, when, and how to vote – as well as making sure you have time in your schedule to do it – is vitally important. The 866-OUR-VOTE hotline is available year-round and staffed by professionals who can answer any and all voting-related questions. In addition, gettothepolls.org is a great resource to
find your local polling place. Lastly, making sure your staff has time in their schedule to vote within local polling location hours is important.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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Include the 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) phone number in all election-related posts
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Share gettothepolls.org so people can find their local polling place and make a plan to vote
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Consider providing employees with paid time off to vote
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Print these flyers and post them on employee boards in
windows, or insert them into to-go bags
SOCIAL MEDIA
#866OurVote
#RestaurantsRallyTheVote
Twitter: @866OurVote
Instagram: @866ourvote
ONGOING WAYS TO HELP
Recruit Poll Workers
THE NEED
Recruit people to staff polling places on Election Day.
THE TIMING
Ongoing through mid-October
WHY IT MATTERS
Poll workers are tasked with ensuring the elections run smoothly. The ongoing pandemic and attacks on election workers are continuing to dissuade long-time poll workers, creating a heightened need for young, healthy, tech-savvy, and/or bilingual people to work the 2024 elections and keep polling locations open. Deadlines to sign up vary county-by-county but generally land in October. Signing up as early as possible is crucial to helping local election officials know how many staff they have on hand and helps ensure workers are fully trained before Election Day.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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Share the sign-up link on social or in company communications: www.powerthepolls.org
Please note: unique URLs can be provided to those interested in tracking sign-ups [ex: powerthepolls.org/dominos]
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Share that poll working is often a paid opportunity
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Consider providing employees with time off to work the polls
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Print these flyers and post them on employee boards, in windows, or insert them into to-go bags
SOCIAL MEDIA
#PowerThePolls
Twitter: @PowerthePolls
Instagram: @PowerthePolls
Sign Up As A Civic Alliance Member For Continued Support
WHY IT MATTERS
While social media and in-store flyers/hand-outs are effective ways to make an impact, there’s so much more that restaurateurs and their networks can do to increase civic engagement. This can include providing restaurant or catering space to election officials to serve as polling locations, helping employees or consumers explore opportunities to run for local office, activating local food influencers in your network, and more. Civic Alliance is a nonpartisan, free resource center for businesses committed to building a thriving democracy. Signing on as a member will give you access to toolkits, resources, webinars, strategic support, partnership connections, mentorship opportunities, and more.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Sign up to become a Civic Alliance member at
SOCIAL MEDIA