Postcards for Virginia POSTCARD PARTY PACKET

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1 Postcards for Virginia POSTCARD PARTY PACKET Contents Postcard Party Ideas and Supplies Guidelines Postcard Templates postcardpartypacket-v2

2 Postcard Party Ideas and Supplies Getting friends together to write postcards is a great way to get involved in the upcoming November general election. Here are some ideas on how to make your party fun and productive. We ve also included a supply list to make sure your party is well stocked with everything to make postcard writing fun and productive. PARTY IDEAS You Choose party is where everyone chooses the task they'd like to do. Wordsmiths compose the message. Those with good penmanship are the scribes who write the postcards. And those who like to draw decorate the postcards. Wine and Chocolate is always a favorite. Make it a chocolate tasting event by providing different types of chocolate to compare (such as milk, dark or white), offer different percentages of chocolate (52% dark, 70% dark), or have chocolate from different manufactures. Never underestimate the power of chocolate to draw a crowd. Family Fun is where you get the kids involved writing and decorating postcards as an afternoon activity. Some of our most talked about postcards have been made by kids. They write from the heart and know how to make good use of colored markers. PARTY SUPPLIES Here's a list of supplies. Postcards: Have plenty of postcards. Several designs are attached to this packet. If you need more, check out the designs at Postcards from the People Stamps: A roll of 100 postcards stamps is $34 plus tax (34 cents per stamp). We often ask those attending the party to either bring stamps or contribute to the purchasing of stamps. Pens: In addition to pens to write the cards, also have colored pens/markers/highlighters to decorate the cards and highlight key dates and words. Kids love to add stickers (such as stars, flag, and shapes) to decorate the cards. Snacks and Drinks: It s always nice to offer snacks and beverages. Guidelines: Have copies of the 100 Postcards Challenge Guidelines available for reference. The Guidelines are part of this packet. Blank Paper: Some people like to practice their message before writing on a postcard so have blank paper available for drafts. To-Go Packets: Plan to have postcards and Guidelines available for those who want to continue writing at home. postcardpartypacket-v2

3 100 POSTCARDS CHALLENGE Challenge Guidelines Why Is This 2017 State Election So Important? THANK YOU for Joining the #100Postcards4VA challenge! Participating is easy and fun. We have just a few guidelines we ask that you follow. Please review and then you re ready to start. Any questions? us! Write the Message Now and the Address Later We re working closely with the campaigns to get targeted addresses that will have the greatest impact. Because of this, we won t be distributing addresses until later. Our mail date is late October, ideally so the cards arrive 10 days before November 7th. No Return Addresses Do not put your return address on the card. Confirm You ve Written Your Postcards Please a photo of your written postcards to confirm@postcards4va.com Spread the Word Post a photo on social media using our hashtags #100Postcards4VA and #Postcards4VA. Like us on Facebook. Find us on Twitter & Postcards FAQ Where do I get the Postcards? We re partnering with Postcards From The People for free postcard designs you can download and print at home from the website: However, you don t have to use these. You can use any postcards you have, buy, or make. ** Just make sure the message/image is positive.** Who pays for the postage? Participants in the Challenge are responsible for buying their own postage. How much do stamps cost? 100 postcards stamps is $34 plus tax (34 per stamp). What kind of paper should I use to print out the postcards? Use cardstock paper, pound weight. You can purchase this paper at stores like Staples, Target, Michaels, or Amazon. How many sheets of cardstock paper will I need? The designs from Postcards from the People print 4 postcards per page. You will need 25 sheets of cardstock paper to produce 100 postcards. 34 PERCENT Democrats hold only 34 of the 100 seats in the House of Delegates. We must take back the majority REDISTRICTING We need a Democratic Governor, Lt. Governor, Atty. General, and a majority in the House of Delegates to end gerrymandering in VA. 108 VETOES Governor McAuliffe was able to stop restrictive Republican-backed bills. 41 WOMEN A record number of Democratic and Independent women are running for Delegate in 2017.

What to Write Not sure what to write? No problem, we ve got you covered in just four easy steps! Below is a list of suggested talking points for the beginning, middle, and end of your card.

Look over these examples and then focus on what means the most to you. Please keep the message positive. Be sure every card includes VOTE on November 7th!

.. Share Your Message / Call To Action Make your voice heard in 2017 Show your democratic support Vote the Democratic ticket. Ralph Northam for Governor, Justin Fairfax for Lt.

4 What to Write Not sure what to write? No problem, we ve got you covered in just four easy steps! Below is a list of suggested talking points for the beginning, middle, and end of your card. Look the list over and chose one or two messages or calls to action to write about. But remember, the most powerful message is a heartfelt message. Look over these examples and then focus on what means the most to you. Please keep the message positive. Be sure every card includes VOTE on November 7th! 1 2 Identify Yourself/Opening Greeting I m your neighbor and I m writing because I m a fellow Virginian/Democrat/concerned citizen and I m writing... Hi Awesome Democrat... Share Your Message / Call To Action Make your voice heard in 2017 Show your democratic support Vote the Democratic ticket. Ralph Northam for Governor, Justin Fairfax for Lt. Governor, Mark Herring for Attorney General and YOUR CANDIDATE FOR HOUSE OF DELEGATES We need to flip Virginia Blue. 3 4 Sign Off Sign your name. If you want, you can add the city or county where you re from: Robbin from Alexandria. or Lisa from Falls Church. You can also sign off by sharing about our project: Join us at Postcards4VA.com Add Disclaimer If you re using a template with the state required disclaimer already pre-printed, simply fill in your name. If your postcards do not have the required disclaimer pre-printed please write in the following: Paid for by (Insert your name here). Not authorized by a campaign. (For more information about campaign finance and legal requirements see page 3 of these guidelines or visit the FAQ section of our website.) Samples of cards from Robbin, Lisa, & Krystal. Don t forget to post on Social Media! Use our hashtags #Postcards4VA & #100Postcrds4VA and post pictures to Instagram and Twitter as well as our Facebook Page Postcards For Virginia. When you do, always cover-up or blur addresses! Have a question? us at participate@postcards4va.com Robbin, Lisa & Krystal Postcards4VA Team

5 Complying with Virgnia State Law Thank you for joining us. You are part of a movement and it is getting noticed! To ensure our 100% grassroots effort is a positive contribution to flip Virginia Blue, we re going to follow the guidance we ve received from the Virginia Department of Elections and the Virginia Democratic Party. So, we need to do two things. First, we need to put a disclaimer on our postcards using the required wording by the state: Paid for by [You insert your name here]. Not authorized by a campaign. For example: Paid for by Robbin Warner. Not authorized by a campaign. If you re using a postcard template with a disclaimer already on it, just add your name. If your postcard doesn t have a disclaimer, you need to add it. We suggest handwriting it legibly on the front of the postcard. If your postcard has glossy paper on the front, you ll need to use a Sharpie or some other permanent ink marker. Another option is to use a sticker. If you do, the font can be no smaller that 7 pt. The sticker can be small, such as Avery #5167 that is ½ x 1 ¾ inch. Second, the campaign providing you addresses will need to report your postcards as an in-kind contribution. If you write 100 postcards, you don t need to do anything. The campaign will just keep your name and address on file. However, if you write 200 or more postcards, which we hope you will, then the campaign needs to report your contribution with a bit more information: Name, Address, Occupation, Employer, Place of Employment, and Contribution Amount. To facilitate the collection of this information, you can send it to the campaign when you get your addresses or you can wait for the campaign to contact you. We will let you know who on the campaign will contacting you when we send you your addresses. That s it... In Virginia the grassroots movement is a giant force in the upcoming election. Consequently, we need to be mindful of campaign finance laws. For a full explanation of these laws and how they pertain to our postcard writing, go to our FAQ at Have a question? us at participate@postcards4va.com

6 The Postcards From The People project is proud to partner with Postcards4VA for the #100Postcards4VA Challenge. This document contains all the files you need to print your own postcards onto card stock. Simply print, trim, write your message, and mail to Get Out The Vote in Virginia this Fall! All of the artwork from Postcards From The People was created by volunteers donating their time and talent. Nobody was paid. We ask that you DO NOT alter or use these images for any other purpose. In addition to this template we have created several Virginia inspired designs for you! Just visit our website: Please follow us on social media! 100 POSTCARDS CHALLENGE Printing and Setup Tips The files are all set up with a.25 border. Most desktop printers should work with this. You may have to check your printer settings to ensure that it is using the maximum area. We recommend using the test print page (page 2 of this PDF) to setup your printer and to check to make sure the images will not get cut off. Printer Setup Do not scale to fit or shrink to fit Print at 100% Some photo printing inkjets (like Epson810) may require you set the paper supply to BORDERLESS 8.5 x 11 Some photo printing inkjets (like Epson810) may require you to TURN OFF Expansion settings (this is what allows for photographs to be printed without borders by stretching the file -- you DO NOT want this) Printing BOTH sides of the postcard: After you have checked your printer and setup the margins, you are ready to print your postcards. There is a backside for each card file. BE SURE TO PRINT BOTH SIDES! The back side has the address portion and most importantly, the TRIM LINES! It s best to print the front and back page in separate passes. (Print only the page w/ the designs by selecting the page range [pages 3-4] DO NOT select Print All ) Take note of how the paper is fed into the printer (put a small dot on one side so you can test to see how the paper runs through your printer) Your printer may have an options for printing double-sided. If you understand how to adjust the second side you can try this. We have found that the default often prints the back side of the card upside down. We prefer to feed the paper through two times for better control. What type of paper to use? Postcards need to be printed on cardstock Choose 80lb to 110lb cardstock (meets USPS reqs.) You can purchase reams of this paper at Staples, Michaels, or Amazon White works best for color printing If printing in black and white consider choosing bright colored cardstock What postage is required? Small cards (4 up on 8.5 x 11 ) can be mailed with a USPS $.34 postcard rate stamp Postcards From The People website and artwork Copyright All rights reserved. All postcard artwork is owned by the original artist and may not be edited or used for any other purpose than the Postcards From The People project. Templates are provided as a free service and Postcards From The People is not responsible for the end use or content written on the provided templates. Individual writers are responsible for complying with required campaign finance and disclosure rules.

7 TEST PRINT PAGE Use this page to test that your printer is not cutting off the postcard print area. You should be able to see the lines on all four sides of each postcard. If anything is getting cut off refer to the setup recommendations in this document or your printer s instruction manual.

8 OTES OTES Paid for by:. Not authorized by a campaign. Paid for by:. Not authorized by a campaign. OTES OTES Paid for by:. Not authorized by a campaign. Paid for by:. Not authorized by a campaign.

9 #Postcards4VA #WeVoteWeWin #HearOurVote PLACE STAMP HERE #Postcards4VA #WeVoteWeWin #HearOurVote PLACE STAMP HERE #Postcards4VA #WeVoteWeWin #HearOurVote PLACE STAMP HERE #Postcards4VA #WeVoteWeWin #HearOurVote PLACE STAMP HERE

Postcards & Postcard Parties

Postcards4VA s Guide To Postcards & Postcard Parties By Robbin Warner, Lisa Howard, Krystal Henson, Dianne Holland & Kevin Holland www.postcards4va.com Version 1 April 2018 Postcards All About Postcards