Election 2024: Don’t Just Vote, Engage the Arts
The general election is less than four months away, and it is not just your civic duty to vote, but also an opportunity to elevate the arts in your community. Arts nonprofits can engage in elections in a variety of ways to make the change they want to see in the coming months.
If the arts are to be a priority for our local governments, then they should be an issue during the election. There are many ways to engage candidates for office at all levels of government and now is the time to create a plan of action.
- Candidate surveys are a fantastic way to not only learn about candidates’ views on the arts, but more importantly to educate local elected (or soon to be elected) officials about arts issues that are important in your community. Arts NC has created an easy-to-use Arts Candidate Survey Toolkit and webinar recording to walk you through the creation, execution, and promotion of candidate surveys.
- Candidate Event and Forums can be even more impactful than surveys by providing opportunities to educate candidates while also giving them direct access to the voters they want to engage. This can be as simple as a wine and cheese mixer, or even more impactful as a moderated forum with questions from the arts community and/or event attendees. Broadcasting on TV, radio, or across social media platforms can expand your reach and get your message to a broader audience. Arts NC has also created an Arts Candidate Forum/Event Toolkit and webinar recording to show you step-by-step how to plan, host, and market these events.
- Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts can not only increase participation in the election, but also provide an excellent opportunity for arts organizations to be good citizens within their communities. Organizations such as your local chapter of the League of Women Voters (LOWV) can be valuable partners to hold voter registration drives at arts events and performances. Artists and arts organizations can use their platform (and their email list) to encourage voter participation and provide election information through resources such as Vote411.org or the Arts NC Election Portal.