Want to help get out the vote for Democrat candidates around the country from the safety & comfort of home? Join us in writing fun, friendly #PostcardsToVoters! I’ve been doing this for 2.5 years & I find it extremely rewarding. I put info in this thread to help you get started.

Write only when you have the time and supplies. All you need are stamps, postcards, and a pen. Get postcard stamps at a post office or from the U.S. Postal service online: https://store.usps.com/store/product/buy-stamps/coral-reefs-postcard-stamp-S_745104

Start by texting JOIN to 484-275-2229. You will receive instructions on how to write a postcard and how to email it back for approval. If you don’t use text messaging, you can join by emailing [email protected]. (This method is slower as it relies on volunteers to reply.)

If you haven’t written a postcard before or if it’s been a while since you have, I made a graphic showing how to write & address a basic postcard. Get more details at the US Postal Service FAQs page: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/How-do-I-Address-a-Postcard

Standard USPS postcard postage is 35 cents for rectangular cards between 3.5 x 5 in (min) and 4.25 x 6 in (max). If the card is larger than 4.25 x 6 in, you need 55 cents postage (a first class letter stamp). Get the nitty-gritty details at this link https://tinyurl.com/yy2fajr6 

Once approved, you will receive instructions on how to get addresses via text, email, or Slack. Texting & Slack (a.k.a., bots named “Abby”) will be faster than email (which relies on volunteers). https://twitter.com/egplntparm/status/1306614583189295104?s=20

When requesting addresses for a campaign, estimate how many postcards (from 1 to 50) you can complete and mail within three days. It’s better to ask for a smaller amount because you can always order more addresses when you finish.

When you get your addresses & campaign info, be sure to read the rules *carefully*. Include all of the Required Message Items *exactly as written* on your postcards. Do NOT change them. The campaigns decide on the required messages and we want to be reliable volunteers for them.

When you ask Abby for addresses, you will get a list of the current campaigns to choose from. If you don’t want to write for any of them, don’t respond. Check back later as the list changes often. Current campaigns: https://postcardstovoters.org/current/ 

Some campaigns are smaller and run out of addresses quickly. Others have short periods when new addresses are being prepared and aren’t available. So don’t be surprised when the campaign list changes.

Only write cards for the addresses you have requested and received. If you write ahead of getting addresses and we have completed all the addresses for the campaign (or the Required Message Items change), you may waste time and supplies no one wants that!

Did I mention that you should read *all* the rules and not change the Required Message Items?

With your addresses, you will also get a list of optional candidate items & optional generic items (e.g., “Your Vote = Your Voice”) that you may want to add to your postcards. You don’t have to use them but there are lots of great phrases to choose from if you want.

Your postcards can be as simple or as fancy as you like. Simple cards written in pen are very effective, and voters are thrilled to get them! https://twitter.com/GailWaldby/status/1305224273015971840?s=20

For more examples of quick and simple cards, search the hashtag #PTVIntheWild. These are cards that people received and loved so much that they tweeted them. Most are quite simple. Also see the thread below. https://twitter.com/DemocratWit/status/1135268235337773057?s=20

One item that is very helpful to have handy is wite-out correction fluid, tape, or pens so you can easily correct the occasional mistake and keep everything readable. This is especially important for addresses. (You can also cover mistakes with stickers.)

If you tweet examples of your postcards, cover the addresses, & use hashtags! Add #PostcardsToVoters to your tweet along with the hashtag of the campaign included in the information given to you with the addresses. https://twitter.com/skasperk123/status/1306708048518344704?s=20

We have an *awesome* Postcards to Voters community here on Twitter. Do you have questions about writing Postcards to Voters? Ask your questions with the #PostcardsToVoters hashtag and you’ll get lots of help.

This ends my unofficial thread to help out new and potential writers. Do you have extra tips and tricks about writing Postcards to Voters you would like to pass along? Favorite postcards or decorations or pens? Please add them to this thread for our new volunteers to find!

Big thanks to @JillEBean10, @egplntparm and @mafhensley who provided feedback on a draft of this thread. If there are any mistakes in the thread, they are all mine. I did forget to add that I usually order only ten addresses at a time. Very doable.

And I want to thank all the PTV volunteers in the community here on Twitter. You keep me going when I am frustrated, sad, and angry over current events, and I have borrowed many design ideas that you all have created to use on my cards!