coachpartyWhat is a Couch Party?

A Couch Party is an opportunity for volunteers across the nation to come together (virtually or COVID-safe in-person) and help their friends and peers vote. For volunteers, the Couch Party offers a concrete, communal, and fun way to work on voter engagement. Using Empower App, they’ll send pre-written messages that offer students personalized guidance as they register and make plans to vote.

 

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Your Couch Party Agenda (2 hours total)

Arrive and Mingle (10 minutes)

Even if your event is virtual, make this time feel fun and thoughtful!

Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)

Introduce yourself and thank everyone for coming!

Share Your Story (5 minutes)

Take a couple minutes to share your own story and why you feel called to do voter registration in your community. Sharing stories is a great way to build relationships with guests in a new context. It’s a good time to talk about the urgency of the moment in voter participation and turnout.

Special Guests (5 minutes per guest)

Feature any campus “celebrities” here! They can talk about why voting is important to them, or the importance of maintaining community on campus. Their goal is to energize the volunteers.

Set a Goal (5 minutes)

Now’s the time to establish why everyone is here. Talk about your goals for the Couch Party - the number of students you want to reach, and why you’re doing voter outreach this way.

Train Your Participants on Empower (15 minutes)

As an event organizer, you’ll want to make sure that your participants feel prepared and ready to contact as many voters as possible. Check out our virtual and in-person event agendas and training suggestions in this guide.

Contact (1 hour)

Here’s why you are hosting your event: the bulk of your time should be devoted to direct action using Outvote! Play music in the background, invite more guests to come speak, and give shoutouts to volunteers who are doing great work!

Next Steps and Close (5 minutes)

Remind everyone that you’re doing a second Couch Party on a selected date. Take a moment to see if folks have questions or thoughts going forward. And most importantly, thank everyone for participating!