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2026 Voter Engagement Toolkit

Thank you for your advocacy!

This toolkit is a living resource that will be updated regularly as the November election approaches. We will continue adding new content, resources, and opportunities to get involved through NCJW Minnesota and partner oraganizations.

➡️To receive up-to-date information about upcoming NCJW Minnesota voter engagement events and opportunities, make sure you’re subscribed to our email list.

Key Dates for 2026

Ongoing: Sign up to be a poll worker for the Statewide Primary and the General Election in 2026
June 26: Vote by mail or in person for the Primary through August 11.
August 11: Primary Election Day
September 15: National Voter Registration Day
September 18: Vote by mail or in person for the General Election through November 3
October 13: Register in advance by this date to save time on Election Day.
November 3: Election Day

Promote/Protect the Vote Actions

Ways to help promote the vote locally: 

  • In partnership with JFCS MN, NCJW will be hosting a Voter Engagement event at PRISM on September 24th over the lunch hour. This event will educate  participants on how to volunteer to help educate voters about their rights, encourage them to get registered, and how to provide rides for early voting. Registration information to come. 
  • We also suggest being in touch with your synagogue or other community organizations with which you’re involved to see what they might offer, and let us know if you’d like to be added to this guide! 
  • Voter Factsheets are available for use on websites, social media, email and print. You can download and print copies for your own use. Many are available in 12 languages. Subjects include: How to vote, Know your Rights, Election Day Registration and more! Visit the Secretary of State website to download and print here! 
  • Minnesota needs as many as 30,000 election judges to make sure that everything runs smoothly on Election Day! Election judges are temporary, paid employees who are trained to handle all aspects of voting at a given polling place.You can learn more here or, if you’re interested in applying, fill out this form and email it to your county election office.
    • For additional support and updates, you can also sign up via NCJW’s portal on Power the Polls. 
  • Inform yourself and spread the word about Minnesota election processes and voter rights through the Minnesota Secretary of State website. (If you need some ideas for navigating potentially challenging conversations, see below.)

Local organizations that have great resources for additional protect/promote the vote activities and information include: 

  • General promote/protect the vote organizations:
  • Issue-specific voter engagement organizations: 

Ways to help promote the vote nationally/in swing states: 

Additional Resources for Voter Engagement

Minnesota Voting Information and Law Changes
You can find your polling place with this helpful tool from the Minnesota Secretary of State.

Minnesota Voting laws provide several accessible options for voters across the state.
Notably:

  • Permanent Absentee Voter List: Registered voters can sign up for a permanent absentee voter list to automatically receive an absentee ballot in the mail before every election. Applications are available both online and via paper forms through the Minnesota Secretary of State website. Both online and paper applications are available here.
  • Voters Without a Permanent Address: To ensure that Minnesotans who do not live at a fixed physical address can still cast a ballot, the state’s paper Voter Registration Application includes a dedicated space for voters to provide a physical description on their residence in relation to the closest cross streets or nearest landmark.
  • Simplified Student Registration: College and university students can easily register on Election Day. Any student attending a Minnesota college or university that accepts state financial support can register at their designated polling place using any approved form of photo ID.

501c3 vs. 501c4
Because we are a 501(c)(3) NCJW Minnesota can support these kinds of activities:

  • Encouraging people to vote.
  • Conducting or promoting voter registration
  • Educating voters on the voting process
  • Hosting candidate forums
  • Creating candidate questionnaires
  • Distributing sample ballots or nonpartisan voter guides
  • Advocating or lobbying on specific issues during the election period, provided that we have an established history of working on those issues and are not attempting to influence how people will vote
  • Supporting, opposing, or hosting community conversations on ballot measures.

Individually, we welcome you to explore advocacy to help elect specific candidates you support and/or that would be important champions for causes you care about in crucial areas.

 

Tips for GOTV conversations
There are a wide variety of reasons that someone may feel hesitant about or uninterested in voting, including:

  • Confusion about voting laws
  • Dissatisfaction with both/all of the majority party candidates
  • Fear of political violence
  • Feeling that one vote will not make a difference
  • Frustration with being told that it’s the “election of their lifetime” every 2-4 years.

Thus, effective GOTV conversations must be personal and responsive! We recommend that you:

  1. Start by listening to their concerns, rather than assuming what they are.
  2. Try to identify their motivating interests (e.g., concern about rising grocery prices, restrictions on personal liberties, etc.).
  3. Link their interests to the issues at stake in this election.
  4. Finally, connect those issues back to your goal: the importance of voting their values in this election!

For more information and tips on GOTV conversations, check out these resources