There are many ways you can use the internet and mobilize volunteers to help during election season in a nonpartisan way

While high voter turnout in our elections does not itself solve our problems, it is a mark of a functioning democracy. It is the civic duty of every individual who is at least eighteen years of age is to cast his vote for political leaders and weigh in on important issues, and as a leader in an online church, you can help realize this.  As a non-profit organization, the Universal Life Church does not endorse any candidate or stance on issues, but it strives to help people find their voices in our society, regardless of their political affiliations.

No matter your political views, you can be ordained in the Universal Life Church. You can be ordained in any faith, regardless of your background.  The Universal Life Church values freedom, diversity, and understanding, so being involved in the church shows your commitment to civil discourse, respect for the law, and an investment in your community.  As a minister of an online church, you can urge people to vote and submit their registration forms in a way that does not compromise your churches tax-exempt status.  You can request voter registration forms from your county clerk (or from the State Board of Elections if you are requesting a substantial number), and organize a registration drive.  Include an announcement in your church bulletin and solicit volunteers.  You can post on your church blog or website, and utilize social media to both encourage your congregation to give their time as well as remember to vote.  You can even include a link to the registration page for your State Board of Elections directly on your blog, profile, and website.

There are some important things to remember when speaking for a non-profit during a drive.  Firstly, to be eligible to register and vote, a person must be a U.S. citizen and at least eighteen years old by the date of the election.  One must not be a convicted felon (or, if so, have civil rights restored), nor have been judged mentally incompetent in a court of law.  Before setting up a public drive, you should cover your bases and make sure you have coordinated with any necessary people such as organizers if part of a larger event, school administrators, or directors of concert venues.

Secondly, in order to avoid comprising your drive or the tax-exempt status of your online church, you should not mention a candidate’s or party’s name, nor reveal how you plan to vote or your preferences.  To avoid targeting an area or group to register in an attempt to impact the results, determine and document your reasons for conducting registration drives in your chosen locations.  For your branch of the Universal Life Church, you should include in your minutes these reasons and encourage volunteers to target areas in which they live or work with the purpose of empowering their communities.  You may want to rehearse a dialogue with someone with whom you politically disagree and examine how you maintain a nonpartisan platform, even when prompted or provoked to offer your views.  It is usually a good idea to have at least two volunteers at any registration location, both to keep one another in check as well as provide a witness if your tactics are called into question.

If you feel you can talk about issues during the registration drive without taking a stance, you should restrict yourself to mentioning the importance of issues that are on the ballot.  This might encourage more people to sign up and pay attention to the elections.  Again, you should only emphasize that the election outcomes will influence government policy on issues of importance to voters.  You should not limit the scope of issues you mention in an attempt to impact results, and you should work to deter the appearance of doing so.

You can inform people that if they cannot be present at their respective precincts on election day, they can obtain a mail-in/absentee ballot.  Voting for your favorite candidate is the patriotic way to show that you care about your country. Make sure you vote in the 2012 presidential election and make your voice heard, and remember these tips on how your online church can serve your community during election season.