On This Page

  1. On This Page
  2. About Postcarding
  3. Our Plan
  4. How to Participate
  5. Schedule
  6. Resources
  7. Notes for our Primary Postcarding volunteers:

About Postcarding

Join us in talking to every climate concerned person we know about voting in the upcoming elections! For the WI Climate Voter Campaign, we are using three methods to reach out to environmental voters: postcarding, climate voter conversations, and phone banking.

Sending handwritten postcards is a proven way to increase voter turnout, and that’s what the postcarding team does! Our postcards go to a list of 20,000 eligible Wisconsin voters who are strong environmental supporters yet have not been active voters in the past. There is no political message beyond simply asking for participation in the voting process.  We will mail postcards to them twice: once before the August 13, 2024 primary and once before the general election on November 5.

The advantages of postcarding include:

  • Efficiency: We use two short scripted sentences that have been proven to be most effective in mobilizing people to vote.
  • Accessibility: Volunteers can write postcards anywhere and anytime, at home or in a postcarding party.
  • Connection: We can connect with others by organizing postcarding parties and letting them know about the work of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
  • Repetition: We will reach people who won’t respond to our phone banking calls.  

Our Plan

The initial 20,000 postcards and names and addresses have already been distributed to over 60 CCL volunteers to be completed prior to the August 13, 2024 Primary Election (aka. “Primary Election Postcards”). They in turn will distribute packets of names and postcards to family, friends and others through outreach efforts. All Primary Postcards will be completed and stamped prior to July 23, 2024. They will be mailed on July 23, three weeks before the August 13, primary election.

The same list of environmental voters will be sent a second postcard (aka General Election Postcard) before the November 5 general election. The General Election postcards will be obtained around June 1, 2024. Those 60 volunteers who participated in the initial Primary Postcarding will be given first priority to send the second General Election postcards in the fall to the same list of names they used in the first round if they wish. However, there is no expectation (nobody signed up for twice the effort!). Additional volunteers will be solicited to send the second round General Election postcards to unclaimed names. 

How to Participate

  • Primary Election: If you would like to write postcards for the August 13th Primary election, contact your local CCL chapter or CCLwisco@gmail.com for information about postcarding parties that may be in your area. For example, Madison CCL holds parties twice a week.
  • General Election: In addition to connecting with your local chapter, we may need additional help to complete the second round. Email CCLwisco@gmail.com if you would like to be put on a list for postcarding for the November 5th General Election.  
  • Important note: We provide the postcards and the list of people. You provide the postage. Postcard stamps are 53 cents each, so be sure to budget your money as well as your time as you decide how many cards you can do. 
  • Read the instructions for postcarding for the details about the message and the system.
  • A caution about postage: Note that many counterfeit stamps are available online for cut-rate prices. The postal service is cracking down on counterfeit stamps and may refuse to mail those counterfeited stamped postcards (they use special inks to tell the difference).

Schedule

  • March-July 2024:  Complete the Primary Postcards you have already received and hold until July 23rd.
  • July 23, 2024: Mail the Primary Election Postcards exactly on this date. 
  • June- mid-October 2024: Obtain general Election Postcards, complete and hold until October 15th. 
  • October 15, 2024: Mail the General Election Postcards exactly on this date. 

Resources

Notes for our Primary Postcarding volunteers:

  • If you participated in the primary election postcarding and plan to continue your participation in the general election, please retain the names and address lists you were sent (hardcopy if you printed the lists, as well as electronic copy). You will use these same names and addresses for the next general election postcards, available around June 1. You will be able to change the number of postcards from the original though this will increase the complexity of getting you new names or recycling unused names. The general election post cards will have an easily identifiable different look to avoid confusion.
  • Ideas for finding more postcarding volunteers:
    • Email all your local CCL chapter members
    • Family and friends (review your phone and email contact lists)
    • Church Environmental Justice or Social Action Committees
    • Local environmental groups such as Sustainability Committees, Audubon, Sierra Club, 350.org, Wild Ones, League of Conservation Voters, Green Fire
    • Local Colleges, High School Environmental Clubs
    • Senior Centers