A Voter Preparation Party Report from Texas

By Merinda Cutler, MWEG Member

I am a mother of six children, running around like a chicken with my head cut off most of the time, to be honest! So, last year when our local Williamson County, Texas, ballot was long and locally important, I decided to take MWEG’s challenge and enlist my friends and neighbors to help me focus my mind on making informed decisions at the polls on the many, many candidates and issues. Some of my friends are quite opinionated — on both ends of the political spectrum—so I was also excited to hold my own Voter Preparation Party (VPP) to get a group of them in the same room and see what happened.

I created a Facebook event, invited about 65 people (including my first-time-voting son), got the MWEG worksheet ready with some local edits and links, cleaned the public areas of my house, and waited to see what might happen. Before the party, a good amount of information sharing and healthy discussion commenced on the event page. Though just a handful of friends showed up to the actual party, the synergy in the room was even more thrilling as we discussed various issues and perspectives, enjoyed snacks and laughs together, and built a stronger community of local, diverse friends trying together to make a difference for the better.

This year our ballot was much simpler with just twelve propositions, but I again lacked the time/motivation to do my research alone. So I selfishly recycled that same party invite on Facebook. A handful of friends showed up that night after I’d tucked my littlest kids in bed, and we sat around the kitchen table sipping hot cocoa and munching on chips, salsa, and clam dip. Though the group was smaller and the ballot items less controversial, the delicious synergy was the same as last year. Engaging in local politics with my friends and neighbors feels more like how the founders of our country envisioned it, like how America should be.

I’m not exactly sure if my simple efforts got people to vote who wouldn’t have otherwise, but I’m pretty sure I helped several people go to the polls more informed (including myself and my family), and that feels good. I can’t wait for my next VPP for the 2020 elections!