We'll Give You $500 to Host a Ballot Party

While your vote is distinctly yours, deciding who to vote for is, for most of us, a team sport. 

I supply the school board recs. My college friend studies up on ballot measures. We use her friend’s spreadsheet for judges.

I’m lucky to know who to ask. Sway wants to take luck out of the equation.

Today we're launching Sway Ballot Parties: bring together 25 friends and neighbors in a voting group, and we'll send you up to $500 to throw a gathering where you talk through the ballot and text others reminders. Voting in midterms is so important, yet roughly half of eligible folks actually do it. We want to make the process less intimidating, particularly down-ballot, where candidates are less known and the offices they’re running for are less understood.  

$500 is a substantial investment in you and your party, and we’re happy to make it. Here’s why:

• We believe grassroots power is built with neighbors and friends.
• We want you to cover races in your local community, which often suffer from the largest information gap.
• We know once you start using Sway, it’ll become your favorite way to build your movement.
• Parties are fun, and we know you’ll throw a good one.

Here’s how to get started: Head to sway.co/party and apply to host. Once done, you’ll be asked to build a voting group on Sway. A voting group is a community of people who share values and make voting recommendations so that they can swing elections. As soon as you’ve added 25 new-to-Sway verified voters to your voting group, we’ll send you a card to spend up to $500 on food, venue, and whatever else you need to host an incredible event.

In addition to the cash, we’ll support you with planning and logistics, all designed to make this process approachable, empowering, and fun.

Before launching in, it’s important to name a few rules. A ballot party is not a campaign event. It’s not a place for fundraising or voter registration drives. It’s also nonpartisan, and nobody has to vote one way or another — or even commit to voting at all.

If you’re a person like me, who has been an unofficial political whisperer to my friends for years, I truly hope you apply to host a ballot party. You’re ready. And if you’re growing into the role, apply too! Applications are approved on a first come, first serve basis.

Your vote is yours, but the civic responsibility to get people ready and excited to vote is ours. Thanks for playing your part — by partying!

Apply to host at sway.co/party.