Hip Hop Congress

Trick or Vote on Friday [New Mexico]

Original Article Found Here

Imagine this: you open your door on Halloween, expecting to see a young princess or Frankenstein’s monster asking for candy. You do see a princess or Frankenstein’s Monster, but instead of an elementary-school aged child, you see a college aged student. Instead of asking for candy, you are told where your nearest polling location is and told everything you need to know to vote.

If you’re in the University area in Albuquerque on Friday night, it might be a reality.

It’s called Trick or Vote, and after success in Portland, Oregon, the October 31 event is now spreading across the nation — and it’s coming to Albuquerque.

Amanda Manjarrez is coordinating the event in Albuquerque and is a field organizer for New Mexico Youth Organized, who is sponsoring the event. She explained why Halloween is a great time to remind people to vote on Tuesday.

“It’s the biggest doorknocking day of the year,” she said. “The best way to get people to vote is to tell them to vote.”

Also, Manjarrez notes, Halloween is right before the election.

Trick or Vote will kick off with a rally and training from 5:00 to 5:30 at Johnson Field. Here, precinct captains will hand out maps, flashlights, a goodies bag and hold a training for the new canvassers.

After two hours of canvassing and reminding people to vote on November 4 (or early voting will still be open on Saturday), the volunteers can make their way over to the Outpost Performance Space for a special Trick or Vote Roust the House event. Slam poets, DJs and a teenage band will be performing. There will also be a contests like a dance contest and a costume contest.

The party is free for volunteers, who will receive wristbands to show they participated, and three dollars to the general public.
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Hip Hop Congress is a partner in this, Manjarrez said, and the group will be helping to provide music.

Imito, a Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) volunteer will also be participating in the rally. He may be one of the precinct “captains” who will lead the canvassing training and help out first time canvassers.

He has experience. As part of SWOP, he says they have been canvassing “everyday” since October 6 to encourage people to vote. The group has been phonebanking since September 12.

The canvassing is particular important because of “personal, on hand, individual service pertaining to voting,” Imito says.

Once the people actually vote, they get an “I Love New Mexico” bumper sticker.

Alex Aronson, the Trick or Vote National Coordinator, said the program was extremely successful in 2004 in Portland. “The first one had 850 volunteers participating,” he told me in a phone interview earlier today. “It was actually the biggest canvass in the history of the state of Oregon and knocked on over 25,000 doors that night.”

This year, the event is in over 40 cities and 5,000 volunteers are expected to participate nationwide. This year’s goal is 100,000 doors knocked on to contact voters, ” and it’s looking like that’s going to happen,” Aronson said.

So why Trick or Vote, and idea born out of a beer drinking session with friends, instead of traditional canvassing?

For a long time, I think politics has been considered by young people kind of a dry, boring topic. And we’re really interested in using Trick or Vote as a way to make politics more interesting, more fun. And we see it as a really unique opportunity to bring people into the political process that might not be interested in getting in other ways.

And the other thing we like about it is it’s blend of political impact. Actually reaching so many voters and so many people and fun. Not giving up Halloween parties just for the sake of political work, but really combining fun and politics in unique combinations.

Aronson also said Halloween is the “one day of the year where people are culturally expecting a knock on the door.”

Studies have shown, Aronson said, that the best way to get people out to vote is through knocking on doors and face to face contacts.

In Albuquerque, there are incentives for those going door to door beyond the inevitable candy, Manjarrez said. The organizers will plant gift cards at certain houses, from places like Sunshine Cafe (where the Independent spoke with Manjarrez) and Dion’s.

So far, the response has been favorable to the event. About 200 people have signed up at the Trick or Vote Web site. Organizers are expecting 200-250 people to participate.

The event is non-partisan and is completely about getting more people out to vote.

“It is great to bring different groups together,” Manjarrez said of the non-partisan nature of the event.

“I do think history will be made here over the next few days,” Imito said, referring to the vote totals.

Manjarrez says there is excitement for this election from young people. High school and college students — some of whom are too young to vote, are involved in the election, organizing others to get out the vote.

In fact, several of the dorms will helping participate. For those who don’t have costumes, they will be providing face paint.

You can also expect to see more than a few people dressed up as Sarah Palin. According to the New York Times, “Many people will be turning themselves into Sarah Palin this week.”

In case you were wondering, Manjarrez is going to be dressed up as an “adult ninja turtle.” It is like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but all grown up — with a bluetooth headset and cell phone.