How to Make a Difference in the 2024 Election

The stakes could not be higher in this November's general election. From an acrimonious and highly consequential presidential race to battles for control of the House and Senate, the potential fallout feels nearly existential.

It's taking its toll on average Americans: A large majority of us are now suffering from "Election Stress Disorder." Steven Stosny, the Maryland therapist who coined the phrase, emphasizes that, "the election will be especially hard on those who tend to focus thought and emotional energy on things out of their control and influence."

But experts say average Americans actually can make a difference. "Each and every one of us has agency to influence the outcome" of the election, says Reid McCollum, program outreach director for the Progressive Turnout Project (PTP), a left-leaning voter-mobilization group.

With a goal of "staying engaged without becoming enraged," this guide can help you draft a personal plan for making a difference in this year's elections.

Money talks. If you've unlimited resources, by all means, grab your checkbook. There are a host of campaigns, PACs and SuperPacs you can contribute to.

For those of us with limited finances, it's important that we find organizations that will use our money efficiently. Nia Bentall is the mobilization lead for Swing Left, a progressive political group, and its sister organization, Vote Forward, a primarily nonpartisan effort to increase turnout among historically underrepresented voters. "As for donating," says Bentall, "we always encourage individuals to give directly to candidates when they can, as that money goes further." Swing Left has developed a fundraising tool to help progressives do just that. Winred offers conservative-leaning voters the convenience of donating to like-minded local, state and national candidates online.

Many of us have more time than money to contribute. Volunteering for a candidate, a nonpartisan Get Out the Vote (GOTV) effort or one of the many partisan organizations working to mobilize voters can be both low cost and high impact.

Tactics can be sorted into the following effectiveness hierarchy, which usually reflects the level of interpersonal contact with prospective voters. Generally, the more direct the contact, the more successful the strategy.

"Nothing is more important than having actual conversations with voters, which is why knocking on doors continues to be our most important investment," says McCollum. "Our research has shown door-to-door canvassing can boost turnout by an average of 10.4 percentage points," he adds.

Closely related is the idea of "relational organizing" — reaching out directly to friends and family and nudging them to vote. Messages are more persuasive when they come from a "trusted messenger," says McCollum.

Indivisible, another left-leaning voter mobilization group, offers a "relational organizing" program called Neighbor2Neighbor, which focuses on connecting volunteers with potential voters near them. Their pilot program proved to be twice as effective as traditional door-knocking.

The Republican National Committee welcomes volunteers who want to help by talking with their neighbors ("relational organizing") and knocking on doors.

Phone banking is another effective method for having that pivotal "actual conversation" with a voter, says McCollum, when and if they pick up the phone. "The challenge is more and more that a very small fraction of target voters will answer their phones," he explains. Bentall says that "phone banking is most effective in the final days and hours of an election."

Peer-to-peer texting is a hybrid contact method: You might have a "back and forth" with the individual — but it's not necessarily in real time. "Open rates" are high, making texting both cost effective and easy to scale, according to McCollum.

Writing letters and postcards to voters to encourage them to vote is an increasingly popular volunteer effort — and an effective one as well. "Mail, including postcards, help us reach voters who otherwise may be difficult or impossible to reach through knocking doors or making phone calls," explains McCollum.

PTP's research indicates that postcards can persuade an additional 1.3% of voters to cast ballots. Vote Forward says its letter-writing campaigns have boosted turnout by up to 3.4 percentage points.

While these percentages may sound small, they are often enough to decide national as well as statewide and local elections. In 2020, the margins in "purple" or swing states — the states whose electors essentially determined who won the presidency — were razor-thin.

In Georgia, a mere 11,779 votes — 0.2 % of the more than 4.9 million ballots cast in the state — separated President Biden from former President Trump. The margin in Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin combined was a mere 0.37%. But those 42,918 votes decided who would receive 37 electoral votes — and win the presidency.

"In the 2024 general election, we estimate that our postcards will add roughly 125,000 votes across the country, which is three times as many votes as decided the 2020 presidential election," says McCollum.

The crucial factor in the appeal of these mailing campaigns is their massive scalability. Volunteers have written more than 44 million postcards (PTP's Postcards to Swing States program) and more than 30 million letters (Vote Forward) since 2018. And with writers providing postage, the cost is spread among thousands of concerned citizens.

Which is most effective, postcards or letters? While there is some evidence to suggest that letters have a higher "turnout" effect than postcards, both have been shown to be effective. It's really a matter of which appeals most to you.

There are plenty of volunteer tasks beyond voter-turnout activities. You can sign up to do whatever "needs doing" at your candidate or party headquarters, tasks like answering phones and helping with mailings. For down-ballot races, you can host "meet and greets" — inviting friends and neighbors over to get to know candidates. The League of Women Voters registers voters. Conservative groups are recruiting poll watchers.

"What's the most 'effective' action to take depends on a number of factors, such as what time of the election cycle it is, where you live and how much time you have," says Bentall.

Your goals also matter. If your primary concern is who will occupy the White House come January 20, 2025, and you live in a purple state (most experts say these swing states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin), you should sign up to door-knock. That activity will give you the most return on your investment of time.

What about those of us in very blue or red states and districts? Remote phone banking and texting for a particular candidate or get-out-the-vote effort in the weeks running up to the election can be very effective.

But you don't have to wait until October to start making a difference. You can begin your Election 2024 efforts NOW with some postcard and letter writing and then stockpile them until the recommended send date in October.

And then there's this, from Bentall: "Even if you live in a deep blue or red state or city, you may be surprised how close you are to a purple state or district." Swing Left makes it easy to connect with those opportunities online. PTP has an impressive online clearinghouse for volunteer options across the country.

Don't forget to have a little fun in the process. Invite simpatico neighbors over for happy hour and letter writing. Laughter and friendship release endorphins that contribute to your well-being, which is helpful for those of us afflicted by "Election Stress Disorder."

Those in the trenches are optimistic. "We have been blown away by the incredible response and engagement of volunteers," says Bentall.

But they're counting on you. "It's absolutely crucial that we have all hands on deck this election cycle," Bentall adds. "By getting involved, writing a letter, knocking on a door, or making a phone call, volunteers are giving voters the resources and extra push to make their voices heard."

Marie Sherlock practiced law for a decade before turning to writing and editing in her 30s — and never looked back. She's worked as the editor of several publications and is the author of a parenting book (Living Simply with Children; Three Rivers Press). She spends her empty-nest days writing about travel trends and destinations, simplicity, spirituality and social justice issues. Read More