Five Ways To Help Democracy This Weekend
We know. There’s going to be sunshine. But there may also be thunderstorms. That’s when you have to duck inside to help save democracy.
We’re Democracy Club. We get together to do stuff to make the process of democracy easier or more citizen-friendly for everyone.
Right now we’re focused on the general election, which, as you may be aware, is less than two weeks away.
On the eve of the election — and on the day itself — millions of people will search online to learn more about who they can vote for. It’s why we run Who Can I Vote For? and why we provide an open database of candidates, used by hundreds of organisations across the UK.
Better information benefits everyone. It raises each candidate’s game. It encourages people to get involved for the first time. It helps people find their voice and use their vote.
So let’s get to work — with these five quests!
1. Ask candidates to write their Statement to voters (and to provide their favourite biscuit) 🍪
We know from website feedback that voters want to know more about candidates. So encourage your candidates or their agents to write a statement. You can do that via Who Can I Vote For? (pop in a postcode, click a candidate, scroll down to the ‘Help us find more information’ box) or just pass on a link to a candidate’s page in the database.
2. Find email addresses for candidates ✉️
We have lots of email addresses, but there’s a few candidates for whom we lack this — and it’s fairly critical to helping people engage with their candidates digitally! Double check your candidates in the database and move on to another constituency if you’re feeling generous! We’ve heard that facebook pages (particularly the ‘About’ bit) can be a good source. Closely review any leaflets you receive too!
3. Request your candidates’ CVs 📄
If you were hiring someone for a job, you’d want to see their CV! Try out the CVs requester and ask away! When they’re uploaded, they’ll be shown on Who Can I Vote For? for everyone to see.
4. Photograph the election leaflets that come through your door 📸
This weekend will be a busy one for candidates and their volunteers. Expect some serious leafleting if you live in a competitive area! Check the leaflets for any extra details that aren’t already in the database, and then go to ElectionLeaflets.org to photograph them for other voters, and for posterity!
5: Share this post far and wide! 📱
We need more heroes in the battle for democracy! You know who they are — it’s time to bring them on the quest! Share this post on facebook, twitter or via email with your nearest and dearest!
Any questions, or if you get stuck — we’ll respond quickest via twitter or you can email hello at democracyclub.org.uk!