Now is the time to ask candidates to take the Standing For Voters pledge!
What will happen if we don't trust the election results?
The law provides for several types of election challenges. Laws vary by state. In some states, voters can challenge elections, though the process can be prohibitively expensive. In some states,
only a candidate can challenge election results! This means that we must prepare candidates around
the nation to challenge suspicious election results. Standing For Voters was created to do just that.
How can you help?
Call On All Presidential Candidates
to take the Standing For Voters Pledge!
So far, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney and independent candidate Ralph Nader have taken the Standing For Voters Super Pledge.
Call or Email the other Presidential Candidates today!
Tell them:
You want voters to stand for you. Now it's time for you to commit to Standing For Voters!
Please sign the Standing For Voters pledge at StandingForVoters.org.
Contact Info:
Barack Obama (Democrat): (866) 675-2008 or email
John McCain (Republican): (703) 418-2008 or email
Bob Barr (Libertarian): (800) BOB-BARR or email
Chuck Baldwin (independent): (866-992-2539) or email
Now Reach Out to Candidates Running For Other Offices!
Here's how:
Click on any step for more detailed instructions.
If you need additional help, email us.
- Choose the candidate(s) you want to invite to take the Standing For Voters pledge.
- Decide how you will make your first attempt to contact the candidate.
- Find the candidate's contact information.
- Prepare your letter or email, or notes for your phone call.
- Make contact!
- Follow up!
- Repeat steps 1-7, choosing a different candidate each time.
This Election, Let's Make Democracy the Winner!
Alternate Ways To Approach Candidates
Try One or More of These Ideas:
- Attend candidates' nights or other campaign activities. During the Q&A portion of the program, make
a statement about the importance of election integrity and ask the candidates publicly if they will sign
the Standing for Voters pledge.
- Call in to radio shows where candidates are being interviewed. Ask the candidates on the air to sign the pledge.
- Contact local political reporters covering campaigns and ask them to ask the candidates if they've
signed the Standing for Voters pledge.
- Write a letter to the editor or an op-ed piece in the local newspaper urging candidates to pledge.
(You can also encourage the paper only to endorse candidates who have made the pledge.) Choose a newspaper here.
- Visit candidates' websites and send them emails asking them to sign the pledge. Include a link to
StandingForVoters.org.
- Talk to your local political clubs. Find out who has direct contact with candidates and enlist their help.
- Remember to approach all candidates, not just those whose positions on other issues you support.
- Once one candidate for a particular office has signed on, call their opponents and ask them to match that pledge.
Detailed Instructions for Contacting Candidates
1. Choose the candidate(s) you want to invite to take the Standing For Voters pledge.
Begin with a candidate you have supported, a candidate from your local area, or a candidate whose election you're concerned may be manipulated. Back to top
2. Decide how you will make your first attempt to contact the candidate.
We have found in person contact to be best, when possible, followed by phone and fax. Email seems to be the least effective way to reach most candidates, but it's also worth a try. Sometimes you'll try one method, and a campaign worker will tell you a better way to reach the candidate. Back to top
3. Find the candidate's contact information.
Many local election offices have websites where candidate contact information is listed. Find your local election office website here. Candidate contact information can also be found at Find contact information for many candidates at Project Vote Smart
(Click on "Candidates" in the menu bar.) or by doing a web search campaign headquarters. If you are reaching out to someone who already has a government position, please contact their campaign headquarters, not their government office.
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4. Prepare your letter or email, or notes for your phone call.
Download this card and save it on your computer. The image on the card can be loaded into an email or printed out if you plan to mail it, fax it, or deliver it in person. Or write your own pledge request letter. If you write your own letter, be sure to include the web address www.standingforvoters.org. If you plan to make phone calls, make notes about what you want to say. Back to top
5. Make contact!
You may feel nervous at first, especially if you're approaching candidates in person or by phone. Remember, you're offering them important information, information that anyone running for office should be delighted to have. And you're offering them a beneficial opportunity. Making these contacts will get easier as you go along. Remember to speak to the campaign staff member or volunteer respectfully. You can ask to speak to the campaign manager or the political director, or you can ask the person who answers the phone for the best method of getting your message to the candidate. If someone tells you they'll get back to you, ask for their name and contact information in case you don't hear from them. Back to top
6. Follow up!
Keep checking the list of candidates who have taken the pledge. When a candidate takes the pledge and faxes it to us according to the instructions on the pledge form, their name is posted on the website immediately, usually within a few hours. If your candidate's name does not appear within two days of the request you made, contact the campaign again. Keep following up as long as you feel that it's a better use of your time than contacting a different candidate. Back to top
7. Repeat steps 1-7, choosing a different candidate each time.
Thank you for your work for election integrity!
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Click the Take Action! button for more ideas on how you can work to promote election integrity.
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