Help Your Neighbor On Election Day | Practical Kindness: Vote Kindly and Help Others Vote

One of the kindest things you can do for others is to help them exercise their right to vote.

Nearly everyone knows someone with some sort of challenge when it comes to getting their vote cast. Consider these Election Day scenarios and note which ones you could take action on:

• Senior citizens could use a ride to the polls. If the weather is bad, perhaps you could hold their place in line until just before it’s time to go in. This might require two people (children make great runners!) or a cell phone to let your friends know it’s time to come to the head of the line.
• Busy moms may need a babysitter so they can go vote. Be prepared to stay as long as it takes.
• Physically challenged neighbors may need all kinds of assistance in casting their vote. Check with the polling place to be sure it’s accessible and see what special provisions are being made for the specific situation you are helping with.
• Rouse the tired and uninvolved. Historically, the number of registered voters who do not actually vote has been appalling. Vow to remind all your friends and family the day before (November 3rd)—and ask what you could do to help ensure they make it to vote.
• Perhaps you could do some errands for a friend or neighbor so that they’ll have time to vote. Taking their dog to the vet may not seem too relevant, but anything that helps someone vote is worth the effort. Commit to doing whatever it takes to see even one more vote cast in this critical election.
• The day before the election, remind your co-workers to vote. Offer to cover their phone or desk if they’re able to vote during the day.
• If you live on a street that gets a fair amount of traffic, consider putting up non-partisan yard signs to remind your neighbors to vote. On Nov. 3, you could have one that reads: Tomorrow is the Big Day—Be Sure To Vote! Then on Election Day, you could put up one that reads: VOTE TODAY! VOTE KINDLY.

One of the nice bonuses of helping your friends and neighbors in this way is the opportunity it creates to get to know them better. Make it a fun outing, a festive occasion. Think of voting as a civic celebration rather than a civic duty. Perhaps you can go out for a snack or meal afterwards to increase the sociability of the activity. Seniors, in particular, welcome a change of pace.