Q&A
Effective methods for promoting voter participation and information
0:43:07
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177 sec
Library representatives discuss the most effective methods for promoting voter participation and providing information. They emphasize the importance of having a consistent presence and offering multiple channels of engagement.
- Maintaining a constant presence in libraries and being visible in the community is crucial
- Offering various methods of information delivery, including in-person assistance, is effective
- The libraries' reputation as trusted institutions helps in delivering accurate and reliable information
- Engaging with residents through street outreach and community events has been successful
Edwin Maxwell
0:43:07
Yeah.
0:43:07
It's difficult to say, well, one particular measure is the one.
0:43:12
Right?
0:43:12
That that's getting people out to vote.
0:43:14
But I think just having a presence and making those materials available, having people available to explain, as you mentioned, coming from certain neighborhoods within the city.
0:43:28
I'll say.
0:43:30
It well, it's not always pushed to the forefront of everyone's mind of a voting season.
0:43:35
So I think having a presence at the library constantly promoting it through the various methods that we were speaking about just being there and knowing that you can get the information so that if you're hesitant, as we know, many of our residents here are, having someone to speak to, knowing that there's someone lost that's why.
0:44:00
We're so proud to have so many branches participate throughout the city.
0:44:06
Just being there and just being and being visible and being someone a place of comfort that people can ask questions and learn about.
0:44:14
How to be more specifically engaged.
0:44:16
I think it's cumulative, all of those things.
0:44:19
Yep.
Scott McLeod
0:44:19
Yeah.
0:44:20
I I will echo my my colleague in terms of what we do.
0:44:26
I had the opportunity to be out a couple of weeks ago right before national voter registration day out in Jackson Heights doing voter registration out on 82nd 37th Avenue and had the opportunity to speak with a lot of residents.
0:44:41
What they appreciated was our visibility.
0:44:44
What they expected was our participation.
0:44:48
And so when we asked people, do you know where your polling sites are?
0:44:51
They said the library, they could point right there, whether it was a vote early vote early voting site or an election day site.
0:44:58
Making sure that our staff are equipped with not only the information, but also prepped to know how to help individuals.
0:45:06
Other languages, people walk into the library, they want to know.
0:45:10
I I was stunned in a weird way when I got to meet people who were in their seventies, had said they had never registered before, had been, you know, citizens have been here, but they felt that it was important, and they were happy to see that we were out there.
0:45:26
People from upstate who were visiting had walked by and said, I I you guys are here on the street.
0:45:33
And in my, you know, in my town of state, they would never do this.
0:45:37
And so making sure that we are visible in every way, shape, or form, whether that's on social media, whether that is in our branches, whether that is at the street affairs, talking to everybody, making sure that they know that we're still trusted institutions, that we have the information, that it's accurate that it's reliable.
0:45:56
So to echo, making sure that we are everywhere and and and can deliver that information to everybody regardless of the format.
