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Vote 2008
Great public schools begin at the ballot box
State and federal elections take place every even numbered year.

The election season is one of the only times you will see elected officials and candidates travel throughout their districts to listen to the concerns and priorities of their constituents. 

This is also one of the few occasions when citizens
are able to solicit solid commitments from candidates
and incumbents if they are elected into office.

If public education is going to be an important issue on state agendas, there must be a strong base of people willing to learn about candidates, share information, and, most importantly:

VOTE on Election Day

What you can do:

  • Know your candidates
  • Know the issues
  • Request a meeting
  • Host a candidate forum
  • Encourage others to vote
  • Check out other resources
  • Run yourself
  • National resources
  • Know your candidates
    Ask candidates how they will support public schools once elected!
    The campaign season is an exciting time for advocates. It's the most vulnerable time in an elected official’s term, so incumbents and candidates will be doing everything they can to secure votes from their constituents. Take advantage of the opportunity and:

    Step 1. Use these resources to find out who's running for office in your area:

    Step 2. Talk to candidates while they’re out and about
    Candidates will be spending a great deal of time knocking on constituents’ doors and attending local events and parades.  Have a couple of questions in mind if you are approached by a candidate.  Let your candidates know that quality public education is vital to the economic future of the state.

    Step 3. Contact your local political party offices to find out what information they have available, and learn how you can get involved in a campaign.
    Support for public education is a bipartisan issue, so you can’t assume that party platforms alone will provide accurate information on a candidate’s position.  You’ll have to do a bit of research.

    If you connect closely with a candidate, consider volunteering for his or her campaign.  Campaigns are a lot work, so regardless of the task or time commitment, helping hands are appreciated.  This is also one of the best ways to learn about the workings of democracy and to establish a relationship with your elected official.

    Elected officials remember the people who helped their campaign.

    Another way to volunteer is to serve as an Election Judge.

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    Know the issues
    In an election year, it's helpful to know what questions to ask and how incumbents voted.
    Once you know who's up for election, there are a number of ways to find out where they stand on public education.

    From the Archives:

    AMSD's (2004) Voter’s Guide is still relevant, just be sure to get updated stats; and

    the list of questions in Public Education Network's Voter's Guide to Public Education Candidates still highlight pressing public education issues.

    How Did They Vote?
    Use these resources to learn how incumbents voted:

    Listen carefully to candidate responses to your questions, and be sure to ask for specifics if the response tends toward generalities.

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    Request a meeting
    The best, and most direct, way to find out a candidate’s position is to ask for a meeting. If you ask candidates to meet with your school parent group, don't forget to set aside some time to tour the site and show the candidates the challenges and successes of your school community.  Use the meeting time to raise specific concerns and ask the candidates what their positions are on public education issues.  You will not only be sharing important knowledge, you’ll also be BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP with a potential elected official.

    Use the information provided through Parents United's Legislators in the Schools program to help you organize a visit, just know that during an election year equal time and access must be offered to all candidates for that office. A more efficient and effective use of your time might be to host a Candidate Forum.

    Host a candidate forum
    Host or attend a candidate forum to learn how much your candidates know about public education issues and gauge their level of support for our public schools.

    A candidate forum is a public gathering of persons running for office in a given district or area to discuss issues of interest with the public.  Two of the most frequent sponsors of candidate forums are the League of Women Voters and local Chambers of Commerce.

    Parents United's Parent Guide to Planning and Executing a Legislative Candidate Forum is designed to help you forge a partnership between your parent network and the business community (MS Word).

    The structure of the forum may vary, but all allow questions from the community.  Remember that citizens acting on behalf of other causes will be attending these events.  Try to use the event to educate other community members about the importance of supporting our schools.

    Candidate forums can be highly charged events, so have questions prepared before you arrive and work to deliver them with both passion and courtesy.  Remember, you’ll want to continue to connect with candidates that are elected into office!

    The Minnesota Participation Project offers these Candidate Event Resources:

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    Encourage others to vote
    Be a catalyst for building a thriving democracy!

    History has marked several occasions when a single vote determined a victor in an election, so every vote is meaningful.  Dozens of people voting together can have an undeniable impact on election day, so try to make this a group or program effort.

    • Encourage people that live around each other to travel to the polls together.

    • Let people know that they can take children to the polls.  Some polling locations may even have activities available for young children. 

    • Coordinate a local Kids Voting effort—What better way to promote democracy than to teach our kids to vote

    • Distribute voter registration information including polling locations through your program.

    Get Out the Vote Efforts (or GOTV)
    Let people know it’s important to vote!

    Parents United is a member of the Minnesota Participation Project, an exciting effort to support and expand the capacity of Minnesota nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations to effectively engage in permissible non-partisan voter engagement efforts—registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities.

    They offer a number of resources, including an e-newsletter, training, mini-grants for Candidate Events, and

    Additional GOTV Resources

    From the Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State:

    The League of Women Voters offers General Voting and Election Information as well as Information on Candidates for the 2008 Election specific to your address.

    LEAP to Action - Works with community-based organizations to increase Latino civic participation in their local communities, National Council of La Raza.

    Your Voice -Your Vote - University of Minnesota Extension Service

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    Check out other resources
    State and local newspapers often provide information through up-to-date coverage on candidates and campaigns.  Many radio stations also carry programs on elections and seek interviews with candidates on both sides of the political spectrum.

    Quick Links

    Minnesota Newspapers Directory - Find your local paper! Searchable by name of the publication and county. 

    From Parents United

    Run yourself
    Remember that the people running for office are simply citizens trying to make a difference.  If you’re interested in making the same kind of impact as an elected official, run for office!  Contact your affiliated political party for more information.

     "People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people.
    Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those
    who make themselves heard and who vote—a very different thing."

    —Walter H. Judd

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    National resources
    Presidential Campaign Headquarters: On Education

    Additional National Resources

    • Education Election - Coverage of the Presidential Election and Candidates' Stands on Education by members of the Education Writers Association.

    • Ed in '08 - A national campaign to elevate education to the top of the list of our nation's priorities.

    • Campaign '08 - Coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign, Education Week.

    • Opportunity '08 - Resources from the Brookings Institution to help the public and presidential candidates learn more about key policy issues, such as Education.

    • VoteGopher.com on Education

    The bottom line is:

    Politicians rise and fall at the voting booth.

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    Tuesday,
    November 4—
    State General Election
    Voting Hours
    7:00a.m. to 8:00p.m. in most areas  (voting begins at 10:00 a.m. in some townships)

    State law gives all Minnesotans the right to take time off work with pay to vote during the morning of a state primary and a state general election.

    MN Secretary of State Quick Links:

  • Election Center
    Everything you ever needed to know about voting in Minnesota.

  • Polling Place Finder
    Tells you where to go to vote, or call (651) 296-2803 or (800) 600-VOTE.

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