#YALLAVOTE THE TOOLKIT

Transcription

1 #YALLAVOTE THE TOOLKIT

2 table of contents INTRODUCTION 3 FACTS ABOUT ARAB AMERICAN VOTERS 4-5 ISSUES THAT matter to ARAB AMERICANS 6 POLITICAL CALENDAR 7 HOW TO HOST A YALLA VOTE EVENT 8 SAMPLE PRESS KIT 9-10 YALLA VOTE TABLE SET UP 11 PHONE BANKING SCRIPT 12 merchandise reorder form (202) #YallaVote

3 INTRODUCTION Launched in 1998, the #YallaVote campaign is the foundation of our grassroots voter mobilization and education programming. With high concentrations of Arab Americans living in some of the largest and most politically contested states including California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia we know our community can make a difference on issues that matter to all Americans. Whether surveillance, discrimination, profiling, immigration, or U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, our community must be at the forefront of the national conversation. Join us at the polls to make the Arab American community s voice heard. (202) #YallaVote 3

4 snapshot: the arab american vote Well integrated into all spheres of American life, Arab Americans vote like many Americans. They are concerned about the economy and its impact on their families. They want our country to be safe and secure and they want their rights as Americans to be protected. They care about the quality and affordability of health care and our institutions of public education. But, because of their affinity to the Middle East, they are also deeply concerned, as all Americans should be, with the conduct of our foreign policy in that important part of the world. In an election year, in several areas of the country, the Arab American vote matters. This is well known in Michigan, where the community is recognized as a key constituency. Positioned in several crucial states for elections, including Florida, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois, Arab Americans have emerged as swing constituencies. Candidates now court the Arab American vote, ensuring that the concerns of the Arab American community are heard on a national platform. florida Margin of Victory: 73,189 votes Arab American Population: 112,300 Eligible Arab American Voters: 83,366 michigan Margin of Victory: 449,238 votes Arab American Population: >500,000 Eligible Arab American Voters: 346, (202) #YallaVote

5 arab american party identification While Arab American voters have traditionally been split fairly evenly along party lines, support for the Republican Party has significantly depleted since the 2002 election, with more and more Arab Americans choosing to identify as Independent. In 2014, 44% of Arab Americans identified as Democrats, 23% identified as Republicans and 15% as Independents. Despite remaining party affiliations, Arab American voters have been shown to vote by candidate or issue, and less due to party loyalty. Recent immigrants and Arab American Muslims are the two groups most likely to switch parties. This base of independent voters, and the tendency of Arab Americans to eschew party loyalty, means that the community has put its support behind candidates of both parties. In 2014, 44% of Arab Americans identified as Democrats, 23% identified as Republicans and 15% as Independents. (202) #YallaVote 5

6 issues that matter to arab americans The top three issues that matter to Arab American voters have consistently been jobs and the economy, foreign policy in the Middle East, and healthcare. Civil rights and civil liberties, immigration, and the budget are also frequently cited as top concerns for voters in the community. Although Arab Americans cite many of the same issues of concern as the general American public, emotional and familial ties to their countries of origin continue to put foreign policy issues, from the Iraq war, to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, to U.S.-Arab relations, at forefront of their political concerns. Despite diversity in their country of origin, religion, and generations, Arab Americans generally have a consensus on their views of the Middle East and U.S. policy in the region, meaning that on these issues especially, the community may vote as a bloc. The community s particular concern with foreign policy can sway their support for public officials. In the 2008 presidential election, polls indicated that one-third of the supporters of each candidate would change their vote if they disagreed with their candidate s Middle East positions. 6 (202) #YallaVote

7 2016 political calendar july Republican National Convention july 25-28, 2016 Democratic National Convention Sept.-oct. Yalla Vote Events in Select States september 26, 2016 Presidential Debate (Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio) september 27, 2016 National Voter Registration Day october 4, 2016 Vice Presidential Debate (Longwood University, FarmVille, Virginia) october 9, 2016 october 19, 2016 Presidential Debate (Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri) Presidential Debate (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada) november 8, 2016 Election Day (202) #YallaVote 7

8 hosting a yalla vote event Voter Registration: Register people to vote at your local community center, church or mosque. Set up a Yalla Vote table with swag, voter registration forms and state voter guides. Candidate Forum: Invite local candidates to come speak to your community. Debate Watch Party: Host debate watch parties and invite members of your community to come watch together and engage on social media using #YallaVote. Include a fun activity, good food and good discussion or guest speaker to make the event engaging. Phone Banks: Set up a phone banking event in your community and reach out to members of the Arab American community in your city to encourage them to vote. Be sure to let them know about any upcoming events your organization has planned! 8 (202) #YallaVote

9 sample press kit Dear Name: I m touching base to share (GROUP S NAME) upcoming Yalla Vote event on (WEEKDAY, MONTH, DAY). In partnership with the Arab American Institute and (NAMES OF LOCAL GROUPS) volunteers will be (EVENT) with the goal of reaching number Arab Americans to make sure our community s voice is heard on Election Day. (ELECTED OFFICIALS/COMMUNITY LEADERS/NOTABLES NAMES) will be joining our volunteers, many of whom will be wearing Yalla Vote gear, making this a great opportunity for photos, video and interviews. Yalla is an Arabic colloquial phrase meaning hurry up. Yalla Vote was launched in 1998 to mobilize Arab American voters. For more information on the campaign, including details on our local project, contact me or visit website. Thank you, Name Organization Phone SAMPLE PITCH You can then paste either the advisory or release following your short . An Advisory should go out well in of advance of the event. The release can follow the event. (202) #YallaVote 9

10 CONTACT: Name /Phone Date: For Immediate Release ***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Arab American Yalla Vote Effort Focuses on Turnout(Sample header) Volunteers Get-Out-the-Vote with phone bank/door to door/rally/info booth (Sample subhead) YOUR CITY Roughly (NUMBER) community volunteers from local area will (EVENT) on (WEEKDAY, MONTH, DATE) as part of Yalla Vote. Organized in 1998 by the Arab American Institute, Yalla Vote, which plays on the Arabic colloquial phrase meaning hurry up, is a nonpartisan campaign to educate and mobilize Arab Americans ahead of Election Day. This local project, led by (YOUR GROUP) in partnership with (OTHER GROUPS), includes (LOCAL LEADERS/ELECTED OFFICIALS/OTHER NOTABLES NAMES) who will join volunteers in the (EVENT) and speak to volunteers about the importance of Arab American participation. Volunteers will be outfitted in Yalla Vote gear and making use of other branded materials designed to raise awareness of the importance of voter participation. Our mission is to make sure Arab Americans turn out on Election Day. As a community, we have so much at stake and we must make sure our voices are heard to make a difference, said (LOCAL ORGANIZER). We are happy to partner with (YOUR ORGANIZATION), which has already done so much to serve and mobilize Arab Americans locally. Too many times, there have been those who would exclude us from the political process but efforts like Yalla Vote demonstrate to do so is a mistake that will cost them votes, said AAI Executive Director Maya Berry. WHO: Your group, partners, noteworthy individuals WHAT: Project description with details of activity WHERE: Name of site, Exact address, City WHEN: Weekday, Month Day from Start time to End time. Yalla Vote is a grassroots voter mobilization and education campaign. With high concentrations of Arab Americans living in some of the largest and most politically contested states including California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia Yalla Vote is focused on helping ensure our community can make a difference on issues that matter to all Americans. Whether surveillance, profiling, immigration, or U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, our community must be at the forefront of the national conversation. For more information, visit ### SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE (ORGANIZATION BOILERPLATE) Your boilerplate is an opportunity to present information about your organization not otherwise covered in your press release. Boilerplate information may include historical information about your organization, its founding, its officers, product divisions and locations. Consider your boilerplate to be like the About Us section of a website (202) #YallaVote

11 yalla vote table set up Buttons + Stickers VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS FACT SHEET ABOUT ARAB AMERICANS STATE GUIDES Bumper Stickers AAI Pens Yalla Vote Posters Arab American DEMOCRAT Yalla Vote T-Shirts SIGN IN SHEET HELP STRENGTHEN ARAB AMERICAN POLITICAL POWER ORGANIZE. نظم الجالية REGISTER. سجل للا نتخاب VOTE. ا دلي بصوتك Arab American REPUBLICAN (202) #YallaVote 11

12 phone banking script Hi, may I speak with? My name is and I am calling on behalf of the Arab American Institute to make sure you are registered to vote and have everything you need to be involved this election cycle. As part of our program "Yalla Vote," we are working to turn out the highest number of Arab American voters this year - and demonstrate that the Arab American community is active, vocal, and plays an important role in civc engagement. Are you registered to vote on November 8th? If NO: No problem, I'm happy to help you register. As a resident of (state) your registration deadline is (date). Registering to vote is easy - You can visit our website at to register. Just select your state, click the link that says "Register to Vote," and follow the instructions provided. Please feel free to call me at if you have any questions or difficulty registering to vote. If YES: Great! There s a lot at stake this election, and your vote can make the difference. I would like to send you information on upcoming events in our area to help get out the Arab American vote - Would you like to be added to our list? If YES: Great, thank you for providing your address. We appreciate your interest in the work that we do, and look forward to working with you in the future. Thank you for your time today, and I'll see you at the polls! If NO: No problem - you can learn more about our work to mobilize the Arab American vote by visiting our website at Thank you for your time, I hope you have a nice day! 12 (202) #YallaVote

13 merchandise reorder form Please mail in this order form to 1600 K St NW Suite 601 Washington, DC All checks must be made out to the Arab American Institute. ITEM PRICE QUANTITY T-shirt: Ammu Sam $20.00 T-shirt: Yalla Vote $10.00 T-shirt: Arab American Democrat $15.00 T-shirt: Arab American Republican $15.00 Tote bag: Ammu Sam $15.00 Tote bag: Arab American Democrat $5.00 Tote bag: Arab American Republican $5.00 Button: Arab American Voter $2.00 Button: Ammu Sam $2.00 Lapel Sticker: Arab American Voter (set of 20) $5.00 Bumper Sticker: Arab Am. Democrat $2.00 Bumper Sticker: Arab Am. Republican $2.00 Sign: Yalla Vote/Org. Reg. Vote Free Sign: Arab American Democrat Free Sign: Arab American Republican Free Pens: Blue (set of 20) $5.00 Pens: Red (set of 20) $5.00 TOTAL Name: Phone: Street Address: City: State: Zip: MasterCard or Visa Card #: Exp. Date: CVV: Signature: (202) #YallaVote 13

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