We believe in the importance of doing something in this critical electoral season to get out the vote. Our fragile democracy depends on voter participation, especially of formerly marginalized citizens and those who have not voted in previous elections. One particularly effective venue is “Vote Forward” (votefwd.org), an organization that encourages people to vote, not how to vote. Their goal is 10 million voters.
Vote Forward encourages voters of traditionally under-represented populations and people who are likely to vote Democratic in key districts throughout the U.S. They send you letters with addresses of voters identified by state election authorities who make voter rolls and histories available to the public in the interest of electoral system transparency. Vote Forward asks you to download and print a template letter with the name and address of the voter, then hand-write a sentence or two on each letter, address, and stamp. The process is simple, direct and personal. You gather all the letters you’ve written and mail them on a specified day before the election. 
Our personal message is: “I vote in every election because when all our voices are heard, we can find solutions to our country’s problems. Democracy is fragile. Together our vote strengthens America.”
The only mistake we can make in this election cycle is doing nothing. Vote Forward is a powerful way to encourage our fellow citizens to exercise their precious right to participate in our democracy. 
Jack and Chip Mayer
Middlebury