The outcomes of the elections for Kansas Governor, Kansas state legislators and Kansas members of Congress will be especially critical to the future of older Kansans and the organizations that serve them. As a leader and advocate for the people you serve and employ, are you doing your part to help get out the vote and inform them about where the candidates stand on issues of importance to them? There’s still time! Here’s a graph showing how many Kansans were registered to vote and who actually voted in 2016, by age group. (Source) You can see there is a great need to promote voter registration and voting, especially among 18-34 year-olds, of which your organization is a major employer.
Important Election-Related Dates:
- Kansas Voter Registration Deadline – Tue Oct 16, 2018
- Absentee Ballot Request Deadline – Fri Nov 2, 2018
- Absentee Ballot Return Deadline- Tue Nov 6, 2018
- Early Voting Available- Mon Oct 22, 2018 – Mon Nov 5, 2018
- Election date – November 6, 2018
How Can My Organization Participate?
There are many different ways your organization can participate in the electoral process. A not for profit organization can:
- Register voters
- Use the organization’s resources to encourage people to vote
- Help educate voters on the election and voting process
- Provide (unbiased) transportation for voters to and from polling places
- Volunteer your organization’s facilities as a polling place
- Invite candidates to visit your organization for a tour, or a social event (Must invite all candidates to remain non-partisan)
- Host non-partisan candidate forums to help residents and staff get to know the candidates
More ideas for elections activities your organization can participate in
IMPORTANT – 501(c)(3) organizations must follow specific guidelines set forth by the IRS during election years. IRS Fact Sheet on Not For Profit Election Year Activities. Maintaining a non-partisan position as a Not for profit organization means your organization cannot:
- Endorse a candidate
- Rate candidates according to their positions on issues concerning your organization
- Provide any candidate access to your organization’s resources that is not granted to ALL candidates equally
- Contribute money to a candidate’s campaign
- More information on staying non-partisan
- Guidelines for not for profit staff.
Want more information? Check out our handy Election Year Toolkit.
