Info about postcarding parties.
Bloomfield NJ Party
We host a postcarding party after work every Wednesday until the election. If you live in or near Bloomfield, NJ and know how to contact me, you are invited. We encourage all pro-democracy citizens to host them too.
- What? Help write postcards to potential Dem voters
- Who? YOU! (and bring a friend we haven’t met!)
- When? Every Wednesday until Oct 30!
- Time? 5pm-8pm (arrive any time!)
- Where? Our house in Bloomfield, NJ
With razor-thin election margins, postcards to potential voters can make all the difference! Join us each Wednesday to write postcards to potential Dem voters. It’s easy (just write exactly what is in the sample postcard) and fun! Pizza and drinks provided!
To RSVP contact me directly. RSVP by 4pm to be included in the pizza count.
Postcarding Resources
Would you like to host your own party?
- Get addresses: https://tinyurl.com/Dem-GOTV-Postcards
- Get supplies: https://tinyurl.com/where-get-postcards
Why host?
It makes a difference. Postcards have a 5% return on investment (ROI). Personally letters have a 7% ROI, and door-to-door visits have a 17% ROI. If you feel you can’t go door-to-door, postcarding is a great way to help.
It will help you. It’s better than therapy. Hanging out with like-minded friends once a week has helped me cope with the stress of election season. It has helped me make new friends and reconnect with old ones. Nothing has helped me deal with the stress of the election more than feeling like I’m doing more than just writing checks.
Hosting tips
- Order postcards and stamps more than a week ahead of the party.
- Shipping times can be long.
- Host parties regularly. You’ll get much better at the process after the first party.
- It is easier for people to schedule if they know you do it “every Wednesday” or “every Saturday afternoon”.
- Friends might not be able to attend a one-time event, but they should be able to find time between now and the election they’re available.
- Do a “test run” with a small group of people. You’ll learn a lot and prevent problems that can arise on the big day.
- We learned little things like … we didn’t have enough pens, and that people need their own copy of the instructions.
- We learned big things like … the process is unexpectedly chaotic. People don’t all arrive at the same time and each new arrival needs a lot of instruction to get started. The solution? See my next tip:
- Make “kits” for each person. New arrivals crave being told what to do; this makes it super easy for them to get started right away!
- When people arrive, hand them a pre-made “kit” of 5 postcards, 5 stamps, 5 addresses, 1 copy of the instructions, and 1 pen.
- When they compete their “kit”, they can take another one. The 5 addresses and the script usually fit on half page; you can print 2 per page and cut them.
- Making kits requires extra work ahead of time, but saves a ton of time and stress during the event. I enjoy the parties a lot more now that I do this.
- A few days before make sure you have all the supplies and printouts; while waiting for people to arrive I assemble the kits.
- Delegate! Kids, new arrivals, partners and anyone that can count to 5 can make the kits!
