Hosting your own Better Ballot Campaign house party is a great way to get your friends excited and spread the word about instant runoff voting on the November 2006 ballot in Minneapolis.  The campaign will provide a speaker and help with getting it organized.  It's fun and easy:

Before the Party: 

1. Hosting -- Find one or more co-hosts for the event to broaden the invitation list and share the responsibility - all the better if your city and/or state elected officials can co-host.

2. Dates -- Find a few dates on your calendar that you think would work and email the Better Ballot Campaign at info@betterballotcampaign.org to coordinate a date for a speaker.
3. Invitations -- Invite everyone you know!  Send out invitations by email or evite to friends, neighbors, elected officials representing your area, candidates running for office and others to inform them about an opportunity to learn about the Better Ballot Campaign. 
4. Advertising --  If you wish, the Better Ballot campaign can post the event announcement on its calendar, the Minneapolis Issues Forum, Progressive Calendar, and communications through our coalition partners.  Please forward announcement to info@betterballotcampaign.org.
5. Plan a Demonstration Election -- A demonstration election using food at the party is an excellent way to illustrate how Instant Runoff Voting works.  Desserts are good on the ballot, but you can vote on appetizers, wine, lasagnas, pastries (if you host a breakfast event), or whatever. Once you decide, ask 4 people to contribute whatever is on the ballot, cut into bite-size pieces in sufficient quantities for all attendees to sample each.  You will thus have four candidates on the ballot and guests will be asked to vote on the candidates in order of preference – 1, 2, 3, etc.

   Recruit a couple of people at the party to coordinate the demonstration election – make sure everyone completes a ballot.  Then collect and count the ballots and report the results.

The Better Ballot Campaign will provide training or on-site help if you need. Just contact us at info@betterballotcampaign.org.

1. Print forms -- Download and print the following forms to use at the party (email info@betterballotcampaign.org if you have trouble opening any of the documents).

• Sign-up Sheet (PDF)

• Presentation Handout
• Dessert Election Ballot (Word Doc)
• Dessert Election Tally Sheet (Word Doc)

At the party:
Following is a typical party format, but feel free to be creative and do something different.

Start time 6:30 (may vary): 

• Sign-in and sign petition
• Mingle, eat, and drink
• Sample desserts (or whatever is on the ballot)
• Vote in the demonstration election

About 7:15      

• 20 minute presentation and Q&A about Instant Runoff Voting and the Better Ballot Campaign (speakers provided)
• Demonstration election votes are tallied during the presentation and presented at the end.

Rest of the night   

• Continue the fun!
• Make sure everyone signed in and collect any additional signatures

After the Party:

1. Email a brief summary of the event (including attendance count and names of people who couldn’t attend but indicated they want to learn more or be involved) to info@betterballotcampaign.org.

2. Send sign-in sheets and notarized petition pages to
   Better Ballot Campaign
   3606 Harriet Ave. S.
   Minneapolis MN 55409
3. Bask in the glory of knowing you've done your part to improve democracy in Minneapolis!