‘Get to Know Your Ballot’ Partner Toolkit

• Post about ballot research on social media. Don’t have time to make content yourself? We have plenty of sample graphics & copy you can use below! 
  
• Host an Instagram Live conversation to answer questions about local races or ballot measures. Check out common questions about ballot research & recommended answers in our voter FAQs!
  
• Send an email to your network reminding them to make a plan to vote!
• Host a nonpartisan ballot research party! It can be fun to go over ballot initiatives and learn about candidates with others. We’ve even seen partners host trivia nights to make this even more fun.
• Highlight candidates and/or issues in your area through educational events (like a candidate forum) or a social media series!
• Make an easy-to-understand nonpartisan voter guide – either on paper or virtually (videos are a fun way to do it virtually!)

• Today is a chance to tell your audience that their ballot isn’t a pop quiz – you can see exactly what’s going to be on your ballot ahead of time. 
• Before you vote, it’s easy to read up about the candidates running for office in your community. You can also learn about possible state constitutional amendments, local referenda, and ballot initiatives. Get prepared ahead of time so you can be confident when you cast your ballot! 
• When voters look up their ballot beforehand, they can read simple, nonpartisan explanations of the issues and races on their ballot to help them make informed choices more easily. 
• While there aren’t elections in every community this year, there are state or local elections in 40 states in 2025. So chances are, you or someone you know has a chance to take part in elections for governors, state legislatures, and other impactful local and state offices. While these elections get less publicity than federal elections, they tend to be the ones with the most immediate impact on your everyday life! Issues such as criminal justice, education, public transportation, taxes, reproductive health care, and even park improvements are all decided at the local and state level. 

On day two of National Voter Education Week, we are encouraging you to spend time getting to know your ballot for this year’s elections. This action is particularly important because many of the local and state offices on the ballot this year have a huge impact on voters’ day-to-day lives. Some communities can even vote directly on policy that impacts their community through ballot measures.

Get prepared ahead of time so you are confident when you cast your ballot. Here are some actions you can take right now to be #VoteReady:

• Visit NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot to check out what’s on your ballot
• Read up on the candidates, positions, and ballot measures in easy-to-understand, nonpartisan language.
• Print out, screenshot, or otherwise save your choices for each item on your ballot. Elections are not a pop quiz; you can bring this with you to the voting booth! 

Keep taking actions with us this week to ensure you’re confident at the polls this year!

Subject: Cast Your Vote with Confidence – Get to Know Your Ballot Today!

Hey [Name or your preferred salutation], 

It’s Day 2 of National Voter Education Week! Today’s focus is knowing exactly who and what you’ll be voting on in this year’s elections.

Today is particularly important because many of the local and state offices on your ballot have a huge impact on your day-to-day life. You can even vote directly on policy that impacts your community through ballot measures.  So when you go to cast your ballot with confidence, make sure you’re ready to make your voice heard on EVERY choice you have, so that your vote makes the maximum impact possible..

Our friends at National Voter Education Week are making it easy for you to research what’s on your ballot this year. 

Get prepared ahead of time so you are confident when you cast your ballot. Here are some actions you can take right now to be #VoteReady:

• Visit NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot to check out what’s on your ballot
• Read up on the candidates, positions, and ballot measures in easy-to-understand nonpartisan language.
• Print out, screenshot, or otherwise save your choices for each item on your ballot. Elections are not a pop quiz; you can bring this with you to the voting booth! 

Check out this page from National Voter Education Week for more information on how you can get to know your ballot. 

Happy National Voter Education Week!

Keep taking actions with us this week to ensure you’re confident at the polls this year!

• Received your ballot for this fall? Do you know what’s on it? Learn all you need to know during #NationalVoterEducationWeek at NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot!
  
• DYK? 40 states are holding statewide or local elections this year!You might be voting for governor, mayor, city council, school board, or you might be able to have a direct say on policy through ballot measures! Get to know your ballot → NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot
  
• Want a cheat sheet for your ballot but can’t find the Sparknotes? We’ve got you covered. Get #VoteReady and learn what’s on your ballot in minutes at NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot 
  
• Your ballot is not a pop quiz! Make sure you know your ballot before you cast your vote! #NationalVoterEducationWeek Learn more at NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot 
  
• Before you vote, it’s easy to read up about the candidates running for office in your community. This #NationalVoterEducationWeek, get prepared ahead of time so you can be confident when you cast your ballot! NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot
  
• What issues are most important to you this election? Looking up your ballot makes it easy to find trusted information to better align your vote with your personal values. Get to know your ballot at NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot #NationalVoterEducationWeek

Spanish Social Media Copy

• ¿Recibió su papeleta para estas elecciones? ¿Sabes qué hay ahí? ¡Aprenda todo lo que necesita saber durante la #NationalVoterEducationWeek en NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot!
• ¿Sabías que… este año no sólo vas a votar por presidente? ¡Es posible que estés votando por miembros del Congreso, gobernador, alcalde, concejales, miembros de la  junta escolar; o podrás decidir sobre enmiendas y cambios de políticas!  Conozca su boleta → NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot
• ¿Quiere tener notas para no olvidar lo que hay en su boleta? No se preocupe, usted está #VoteReady. Conozca lo que hay en su boleta en minutos simplemente visitando NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot
• ¡Su boleta no es una prueba sorpresa! ¡Asegúrese de conocer su boleta antes de emitir su voto! #NationalVoterEducationWeek Obtenga más información en NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot
• Antes de votar, es fácil informarse sobre los candidatos que se postulan para cargos públicos en su comunidad. ¡Esta #NationalVoterEducationWeek prepárese con anticipación para que pueda estar seguro cuando emita su voto! NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot
• ¿Qué temas son más importantes para usted en estas elecciones? Conocer su boleta facilita la búsqueda de información confiable para alinear mejor su voto con sus valores personales. Conozca su boleta en NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot #NationalVoterEducationWeek

Enhance your outreach by downloading our pre-made and customizable graphics! Use these graphics on social media, websites, emails, and printed materials to encourage voters to get to know their ballots. Customize these graphics with your organization’s logo and event details to create a cohesive and impactful campaign.

TikTok and Instagram Reels are powerful tools for reaching young voters and making important information about what is on their ballot more accessible and engaging. Its short-form, visually appealing content is perfect for breaking down complex topics like ballot research into easily digestible pieces. By leveraging trends and interactive features, you can help your audience confidently navigate their ballots, making the voting process less intimidating and more approachable.

• Ballot Preview: Create a quick video showing how to find and preview your ballot online.
• Reaction to Ballot Content: Capture your genuine reactions to finding out about the different candidates and measures on your ballot.
• Local Impact: Highlight the importance of local elections and how they directly affect everyday life.
• Candidate Research: Share tips on researching candidates and issues before voting.
• Real-Time Research: Record yourself researching your ballot in real-time, showing the process of finding information and making decisions, set to trending music.
• Ballot Measure Breakdown: Simplify complex ballot measures or initiatives with easy-to-understand explanations.
• Personal Story: Share a personal experience of why understanding the ballot made a difference in your voting choices.
• Reaction Challenge: Use the reaction challenge format to show your surprised or impressed reaction to finding out what’s on your ballot.
• POV: Create a POV video where the viewer is discovering interesting ballot measures.
• Expectation vs. Reality: Show the difference between what you expected to find on your ballot and what you actually found.
• Before and After: Show yourself before researching your ballot and after feeling confident about it.
• Quick Facts: Share bite-sized, engaging facts about ballot measures or candidates using trending sounds and text overlays for clarity.
• Trendy Skits: Perform skits or parodies based on common misconceptions or surprises found on ballots.
• Talk Directly to Camera: Use our pre-written script to get information to voters effectively:
  • English: “This fall, we’re not just voting for national leaders—there are local elections happening that will impact our everyday lives. For me, [mention a local issue you care about, like ‘making sure our schools are well-funded and safe for our kids’] is why I’m making my vote count. But voting isn’t just about showing up; it’s about being prepared. That’s why I’m using National Voter Education Week to get informed and make sure I know exactly what’s on my ballot. If you’ve got questions about voting, now’s the time to get answers. Head to NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot  to learn more and get ready to make a difference in your community.”
  • Spanish: “Este otoño, no solo votaremos por líderes nacionales; hay elecciones locales que afectarán nuestra vida cotidiana. Para mí, [mencione un tema local que le interese, como ‘asegurarnos de que nuestras escuelas estén bien financiadas y sean seguras’”. para nuestros hijos] es la razón por la que hago que mi voto cuente. Pero votar no se trata sólo de llenar la papeleta, es por eso que estoy usando la Semana Nacional de Educación Electoral para informarme y asegurarme de saber exactamente qué hay en mi boleta electoral. Si tiene preguntas sobre la votación, ahora es el momento de obtener respuestas. Visite NationalVoterEducationWeek.org para obtener más información y prepararse para hacer la diferencia en su comunidad”.

Texting is a great way to engage voters in your community during National Voter Education Week (NVEW)! Whether hosting text banks or encouraging personal outreach, use our pre-written templates to mobilize volunteers with messages about NVEW, your organization’s efforts, and actions to be #VoteReady for upcoming elections. Customize these templates for your community, including details about local elections, organizational impact, voter tools, and preferred actions. Also make sure to check out these Phone and Text Banking Best Practices from our partners at Vote Early Day!

Conversation Guide

• Hi [their name], this is [your name] with [organization]. We’re celebrating National Voter Education Week this week and are inviting all our friends to join us! Our community has major elections in 2025, including the presidential election—do you know what important issues you’ll be voting on in just a few weeks?
  • [YES] – Awesome! Voting shouldn’t be a pop quiz and it’s great you’re already prepping. If you want to see more nonpartisan voter guides to help you learn about what you’ll be voting on this year, visit NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot.
  • [MAYBE/NO] – No worries! Voting doesn’t need to be a pop quiz and there are lots of nonpartisan tools online to help you easily navigate your ballot. Learn more and find your own sample ballot at NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot.

One-off Messages:

• Hey [Name], have you looked into what’s on your ballot this year? Chances are, your community will vote on local issues that matter to you. Check out NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot to get all the info you need!
  
• Hi [Name], I just reviewed my ballot and feel ready to vote! Want help researching what’s on yours? Visit NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot so we can both vote with confidence.
  
• Hey, do you know what’s on your ballot this year? Local elections can really impact our daily lives. You can get a preview and make informed choices at NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot.
• Hey there! Just a heads-up, your ballot is filled with important issues and candidates. Get to know everything on it by visiting NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot. Let’s vote smart this year!
• Hey [Name], it’s a good idea to research your ballot before you vote. Head over to NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/ballot to learn about the candidates and measures. Let’s cast informed votes this year!

One way to reach voters in your community could be through your local radio stations! We’ve created the templates below to make it easier to send your local radio stations pre-written PSAs that they can use to uplift National Voter Education Week (NVEW), your organization’s efforts that week, and the different actions voters can take to be #VoteReady. 

We encourage our partners to customize these for their own communities! There are several opportunities to include more specific information about your upcoming elections, how your organization works within your communities, tools and resources to support voters, and which actions you want voters to take. 

• 15 seconds: This fall, you have a chance to help reshape who represents you – from the White House to the most local levels of government. Do you know everything that’s on your ballot? If not, don’t worry! It’s not a pop quiz. Besides, we’ve got you covered. Go to NationalVoterEducationWeek-dot-org to get the information you need to cast your ballot with confidence. 
  
• 30 seconds: This fall, you have a chance to help reshape who represents you – from the White House to the most local levels of government. Do you know what’s on your ballot? Not sure? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! This October sixth-through-tenth we’re celebrating National Voter Education Week, a nationwide week of action to give voters the information they need to cast their ballots with confidence. That includes resources on how to find everything that’s on your ballot this fall, and how it might impact your life. Go to NationalVoterEducationWeek-dot-org to learn more!

iHeartMedia Audio Advertising Opportunities

iHeartMedia has provided NVEW partners with some options to boost your local campaigns in the audio space (streaming, podcasts, and broadcast ads).  Below are budget tiers to give you an idea of what is possible. Ads can be geotargeted on streaming and podcasts to your local zip codes, while broadcast would provide wider coverage to the full market area.

Use this sample slide deck as supplemental education materials for your NVEW events. Help your audience understand common questions about researching their ballots. Feel free to adapt to fit your organizational needs.

Use this one-pager at community events, schools, social media campaigns, workshops, and polling locations to inform and engage potential voters, helping them become confident participants in the electoral process and successfully register to vote!

Use NVEW’s Ballot Lookup Tool so voters can see who and what they’ll be voting on this year and learn more about them.

Visit NVEW’s voter-facing FAQs to learn more about the common questions voters have around this topic and how you can answer them. Link directly to this page in your materials or use the info to customize your own local resources.

Look up your sample ballot, take a candidate connection survey, and learn more about elections in your area.