March to the Poll Instructions
1. Contact your local media in advance. Save Texas Schools will publicize all marches through our statewide media list so please let us know as soon as possible if you’re hosting one, but local media contacts will be most effective. Click here for a media advisory.
2. Plan your pre-march rally for a public location, such as a school, park church. You can invite elected officials (especially if they are pro-education) and candidates but do not have them speak if they are running for office. The event needs to be nonpartisan and not seen as a candidate’s rally.
3. Plan the safest walking route possible from the rally to your nearest early voting location. Wherever you start your march, make sure you keep all marchers on the public right of way, which is typically the first few feet of the sidewalk starting at the curb. Be sure to leave room for pedestrians to pass. Do not block a public street or building entrance.
4. Spread the word in advance through your school or PTA lists. Try to have every school in your district represented. Invite friends and encourage everyone to turn out! Ask parents and students to bring musical instruments for an impromptu marching band.
5. Have a sign-making party in advance to get folks engaged – or bring extra poster board and markers to the rally for folks to make their own. Encourage sign-makers to emphasize voting as much as possible. Some suggestions: “Save Texas Schools – VOTE!” “Keep Texas Smart – VOTE!” “I’m Pro-Education and I Vote” “Change Starts Now – VOTE!” For more ideas, visit our gallery of past rallies at: http://savetxschools.org/photo-gallery/
6. Appoint a couple of enthusiastic chant leaders in advance. Print out a few sheets of chants or songs to get the crowd going.
7. Have one or two designated speakers for the rally and the media.
8. Click here to download fact sheets to give the media.
9. Before the march sets off, make sure the crowd understands to stay on the sidewalk or in the public right-of-way, not the street. Again, be sure to leave room for pedestrians to pass and do not block a public street or building entrance. Appoint a few friendly folks with safety vests to serve as march marshals to make sure everyone stays safe!
10. Once you are at the voting location, do not do chants, speeches or any other group activity that might be construed as electioneering. Simply ask people to go in and vote. Hopefully, media will be with you and will interview members of your group as you finish voting.
11.. Be loud, have fun – and let’s get the vote out for our schools and students!