BYOBallot

What it is

Voting is usually framed as a chore. BYOBallot turns it into a party. Friends and neighbors come to your home for an evening of food and political dialogue. They bring their ballots and voting materials as a way to spark conversation.

It isn't a debate, which is one-way communication. It's about sharing information, including lived experience, about the issues people are thinking about when they cast their ballot.

Why it works

People are more likely to do something slightly inconvenient if their friends are doing it too. And there are precious few spaces for discussing elections *in community*. A living room, a plate of food, and a few ground rules make one.

The ground rules do the real work:

• No politicking. Nobody is asking anyone to vote for a candidate or ballot measure. Instead, talk about *why* you are voting the way you are.
• Be nice. If someone is voting differently, be curious and ask questions.
• Don't assume. There may be people in the room with very different political opinions.

Small rotating groups mean everyone talks and everyone meets someone new. And because it comes back every election, it becomes a civic rhythm rather than a one-off.

What you need

• Time: A few weeks of light planning before voting begins. About 2 hours for the event itself.
• People: A host. 8 to 15 guests is the sweet spot; invite as many as your space can hold.
• Space: A living room where everyone can sit as a large group, plus a few corners for breakouts. Groups of 20+ could rent a space at a local business.
• Materials: Food and drinks to match the time of day (on a tight budget, make it a potluck). Printed breakout questions, or a QR code that points to them. Guests bring their own ballots and voting materials.
• Skills: Hosting. Keeping time. Holding the ground rules gently.
• Energy level: Moderate.

How to host it

Before

1. Pick who to invite. Think about a cross section of your network: people with different jobs, backgrounds, and life experiences. The goal is a group that doesn't think exactly the same but has enough in common to trust each other. Avoid people who are argumentative or get heated about politics.
2. Pick the date. A few weeks before voting begins, choose a day and time that will likely work for your group. Set a start and an end time. Ask people to RSVP.
3. Send the invitation. Sample:

> Hey [NAME]! > > I'm hosting a BYOBallot gathering on [DATE/TIME]. This is my attempt at making mail voting fun. A group of folks gather, talk about what issues we're thinking about this election, ask questions, and chat. There is no pressure to vote any sort of way - I just want people to vote. LMK if you're interested and I'll send more details.

1. Send details to people who RSVP. Sample:

> Great! I'm so happy you can join us. Here are some additional details: > > - We'll meet on [DATE/TIME] at [LOCATION]. [INCLUDE TRANSIT / PARKING INSTRUCTIONS]. > - As the name implies: bring your own ballot, if you still have it! We'll review what we're thinking and feeling about this election, what questions we have, and what has informed our decision making. > - Please plan to arrive at [START TIME] so we can do intros and dive into conversations. We will wrap up by [END TIME]. > - [INFORMATION ABOUT FOOD AND DRINK; REQUEST FOR ALLERGIES]. > - If you can't make it, please let me know in advance. > > Reach out with questions - looking forward to seeing you on [DATE]!

1. Send a reminder the morning of. Text everyone who RSVP'd, with all the details from the RSVP message.
2. Prepare the space. Print the breakout questions (or post a QR code). Put out food and drink. Make sure everyone coming has a comfy place to sit.

During (times are from when guests arrive)

1. Arrival and welcome (0 to 15 min). Invite people in and offer food and drink. Let them chat and get comfy. Once everyone has arrived, do the official welcome: where the bathroom is and other housekeeping, the purpose, the ground rules, and the structure of the evening. Then go around the room: name, pronouns, what neighborhood you live in, and why you came tonight. Short and sweet.
2. Breakouts (from about 30 min). With 6+ people, split into groups of 2 to 4. Ask people who know each other to split up; the point is to meet new folks and hear different perspectives. Each round runs 15 to 20 minutes, then shuffle into new groups. Shoot for 2 to 3 rounds. Groups discuss:

• What are the issues you're thinking about this election? Public services, community safety, and so on.
• What is informing your voting? Your own lived experience, or an outside source like a newspaper or a local political organization.
• What questions do you have? About what's on your ballot, or about how to vote.

1. Short break (about 1:30). Stretch, refill, dessert.
2. Share outs (about 1:45). Back together as one group. What did you learn? What questions are you still holding?
3. Close (about 2:00). End before the energy is depleted; don't let it drag on. Let people leave at the time you said in the invitation, thank everyone, and invite anyone who wants more conversation to linger. Take a group photo before people leave, with folks holding their ballots or voting materials.

After

1. Send a follow-up text. Thank people, ask for candid feedback, and remind them to return their ballots (or vote in person) by the deadline, with when-and-how-to-vote info. Sample:

> Thank you for attending BYOBallot last week! Being in political dialogue with such smart, thoughtful folks really made my whole month. > > I welcome your honest feedback. What resonated? What would you change? This will help me make the event better next year. > > Lastly, don't forget to drop off your ballot by 8 PM tomorrow evening! You can find a list of drop boxes [here]. Happy voting!

Variations

In-person voting places. Where people vote at a polling place instead of by mail, bring sample ballots and voter guides instead, and hold it a week or two before election day.

Larger groups. At 20+, rent a room at a local business and add a second host so each breakout round has someone keeping time.

Potluck BYOBallot. On a tight budget, everyone brings a dish. See [Reinvent the Potluck](../04-gathering-design/reinvent-the-potluck.md) for coordinating it.

Every election. Run it each cycle, primaries included. The feedback from the last one shapes the next, and the guest list grows by whoever people bring.

Stories from neighborhoods

Make Salem Awesome. Caroline Fry and Make Salem Awesome built BYOBallot as a way to make mail voting fun: a living room full of friends and neighbors, ballots in hand, talking through what they're weighing and why. This recipe is their event template, shared back to the commons so other hosts can run it.

Where to learn more

• Original source: the BYOBallot event template by Make Salem Awesome (Caroline Fry)
• Adjacent recipes in this book: [Reinvent the Potluck](../04-gathering-design/reinvent-the-potluck.md), [World Cafe](../04-gathering-design/world-cafe.md), [Community Agreements](../04-gathering-design/community-agreements.md), [Civic Saturday](../05-bridging-difference/civic-saturday.md), [Deep Canvassing](../05-bridging-difference/deep-canvassing.md)

Details

• steps: **Pick who to invite.** Think about a cross section of your network: people with different jobs, backgrounds, and life experiences. The goal is a group that doesn't think exactly the same but has enough in common to trust each other. Avoid people who are argumentative or get heated about politics., **Pick the date.** A few weeks before voting begins, choose a day and time that will likely work for your group. Set a start and an end time. Ask people to RSVP., **Send the invitation.** Sample: > Hey [NAME]! > > I'm hosting a BYOBallot gathering on [DATE/TIME]. This is my attempt at making mail voting fun. A group of folks gather, talk about what issues we're thinking about this election, ask questions, and chat. There is no pressure to vote any sort of way - I just want people to vote. LMK if you're interested and I'll send more details., **Send details to people who RSVP.** Sample: > Great! I'm so happy you can join us. Here are some additional details: > > - We'll meet on [DATE/TIME] at [LOCATION]. [INCLUDE TRANSIT / PARKING INSTRUCTIONS]. > - As the name implies: bring your own ballot, if you still have it! We'll review what we're thinking and feeling about this election, what questions we have, and what has informed our decision making. > - Please plan to arrive at [START TIME] so we can do intros and dive into conversations. We will wrap up by [END TIME]. > - [INFORMATION ABOUT FOOD AND DRINK; REQUEST FOR ALLERGIES]. > - If you can't make it, please let me know in advance. > > Reach out with questions - looking forward to seeing you on [DATE]!, **Send a reminder the morning of.** Text everyone who RSVP'd, with all the details from the RSVP message., **Prepare the space.** Print the breakout questions (or post a QR code). Put out food and drink. Make sure everyone coming has a comfy place to sit. ### During (times are from when guests arrive), **Arrival and welcome (0 to 15 min).** Invite people in and offer food and drink. Let them chat and get comfy. Once everyone has arrived, do the official welcome: where the bathroom is and other housekeeping, the purpose, the ground rules, and the structure of the evening. Then go around the room: name, pronouns, what neighborhood you live in, and why you came tonight. Short and sweet., **Breakouts (from about 30 min).** With 6+ people, split into groups of 2 to 4. Ask people who know each other to split up; the point is to meet new folks and hear different perspectives. Each round runs 15 to 20 minutes, then shuffle into new groups. Shoot for 2 to 3 rounds. Groups discuss: - What are the **issues** you're thinking about this election? Public services, community safety, and so on. - What is **informing** your voting? Your own lived experience, or an outside source like a newspaper or a local political organization. - What **questions** do you have? About what's on your ballot, or about how to vote., **Short break (about 1:30).** Stretch, refill, dessert., **Share outs (about 1:45).** Back together as one group. What did you learn? What questions are you still holding?, **Close (about 2:00).** End before the energy is depleted; don't let it drag on. Let people leave at the time you said in the invitation, thank everyone, and invite anyone who wants more conversation to linger. **Take a group photo before people leave, with folks holding their ballots or voting materials.** ### After, **Send a follow-up text.** Thank people, ask for candid feedback, and remind them to return their ballots (or vote in person) by the deadline, with when-and-how-to-vote info. Sample: > Thank you for attending BYOBallot last week! Being in political dialogue with such smart, thoughtful folks really made my whole month. > > I welcome your honest feedback. What resonated? What would you change? This will help me make the event better next year. > > Lastly, don't forget to drop off your ballot by 8 PM tomorrow evening! You can find a list of drop boxes [here]. Happy voting!
• file path: recipes/11-civic-rhythms/byoballot.md
• variations: **In-person voting places.** Where people vote at a polling place instead of by mail, bring sample ballots and voter guides instead, and hold it a week or two before election day. **Larger groups.** At 20+, rent a room at a local business and add a second host so each breakout round has someone keeping time. **Potluck BYOBallot.** On a tight budget, everyone brings a dish. See [Reinvent the Potluck](../04-gathering-design/reinvent-the-potluck.md) for coordinating it. **Every election.** Run it each cycle, primaries included. The feedback from the last one shapes the next, and the guest list grows by whoever people bring.
• contributor: {"name":"Caroline Fry","organization":"Make Salem Awesome"}
• ingredients: {"time":"A few weeks of light planning before voting begins. About 2 hours for the event itself.","space":"A living room where everyone can sit as a large group, plus a few corners for breakouts. Groups of 20+ could rent a space at a local business.","people":"A host. 8 to 15 guests is the sweet spot; invite as many as your space can hold.","skills":"Hosting. Keeping time. Holding the ground rules gently.","materials":"Food and drinks to match the time of day (on a tight budget, make it a potluck). Printed breakout questions, or a QR code that points to them. Guests bring their own ballots and voting materials.","energy_level":"Moderate."}
• where to learn more: - Original source: the BYOBallot event template by Make Salem Awesome (Caroline Fry) - Adjacent recipes in this book: [Reinvent the Potluck](../04-gathering-design/reinvent-the-potluck.md), [World Cafe](../04-gathering-design/world-cafe.md), [Community Agreements](../04-gathering-design/community-agreements.md), [Civic Saturday](../05-bridging-difference/civic-saturday.md), [Deep Canvassing](../05-bridging-difference/deep-canvassing.md)
• stories from neighborhoods: **Make Salem Awesome.** Caroline Fry and Make Salem Awesome built BYOBallot as a way to make mail voting fun: a living room full of friends and neighbors, ballots in hand, talking through what they're weighing and why. This recipe is their event template, shared back to the commons so other hosts can run it.