Resources
How-To Guide
Check out our easy peasy How-To Guide for writing postcards to Virginia voters.
Messaging Ideas
You need ideas? We have them. Download this terrific list of messaging ideas by the Old Town postcard group.
Postcards
Whether you want to print your own postcards or purchase postcards from a vendor, we have options for you.
Do Postcards Work?
Check out recent studies that found postcards help with voter turnout and engage volunteers.
Messaging Suggestions
People always ask “what should I write on my postcards?”
Handwrite a positive and upbeat message that only you could write. Tell the story of why you are investing your time and money to handwrite this postcard. Share your thoughts on why this election is important. Add humor. Show some heart.
We purposely don’t provide a generic script because we know a personal message composed and handwritten by you will be more impactful. We’ve compiled a list of messaging ideas to get you started. We suggest you print the messaging ideas on card stock or put it in a plastic sleeve so you can reuse at your postcard parties.
Postcard
New Postcard Designs
Visit Network NOVA’s Badass Boutique for the full 2021 collection of postcard designs. Here are a few of the postcards designs made exclusively for 2021.
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Postcard Templates
Our templates are designed to be printed on a home-printer.
New for 2021
Download this new design for 2021 formatted to print on a home printer (four images per page) – click here. This design is made to go with our Messaging Ideas sheet that lists specific items the Democrats have delivered in Virginia.
Classic Designs
Download this popular design formatted to print on a home printer (four images per page) – click here. We also have a version that can be used for online printing (single image), click here.
Download this template formatted to print on a home printer (four images per page) – click here.
Download this template formatted to print on a home printer (4 per page) – click here.
Download this classic template formatted to print on a home printer – click here
Download this template formatted to print on a home printer – click here
Download this fun template of four color-in postcards to print on a home printer – click here
Postcard Templates & Supplies
Here’s a list of resources from the community of postcard writers where you can find more postcard templates and supplies. Please note that since these postcards are used for different purposes, you are responsible for providing a disclaimer when needed.
- Network NoVA’s Badass Boutique – A Postcards4VA favorite. They always have some of the most up-to-date Virginia designs.
- Where to get Postcards to send to Democratic Voters – Geri from California put together an amazing list of where to purchase already made postcards and supplies.
postcard writing
Studies
The Impact of Postcards
Read our 2-part series on DemCast that looks at the power of postcards to boost voter turnout and build and create communities of activists.
PART 1: Yes, Postcards to Voters Do Boost Interest and Turnout!
MAY 12, 2021 | 13 MINS READ
There’s a new type of card joining the ranks of Mother’s Day, holiday, and birthday cards. When an election is coming up, volunteers get together and handwrite postcards to mail to voters asking them to register to vote and providing important candidate and election information. This wildly popular activity started among grassroots activists in 2017 and has been used in every election since. In a time when most people get their information on their phone or computer, is something as low-tech as a handwritten card that arrives in your mailbox an effective way to boost voter turnout? [Read full article]
PART 2: Handwriting Postcards to Voters Creates Communities of Activists
MAY 20, 2021 | 8 MINS READ
Following the 2016 election of Donald Trump, one of the activities that will forever be associated with the rise of grassroots activism is writing postcards to voters. These catchy cards with handwritten personal messages about the importance of voting have grown in popularity with each campaign and election cycle. Along with examining whether postcards boost turnout (they do!), Postcards4VA, one of the earliest statewide grassroots postcard writing groups, has been asking the question: What is it about handwriting postcards that appeals so much to volunteers? [Read full article]
Read about Postcards4VA and CitizenBe’s 2017 study that found that handwritten postcards to voters were a powerful volunteer engagement tool for meaningful and longterm political involvement. To read about this research CLICK HERE
Read about a new study conducted by the Analyst Institute and commissioned by the Women’s Effect Fund that found postcards as effective as canvassing. To read about this research CLICK HERE.
Our friends at Sister District recently announced the findings of their voter registration study where they examined if receiving a handwritten postcard after receiving a voter registration form increased the likelihood of a person returning the form. Study findings concluded that postcards increased the return rate by 20%. To read about this research CLICK HERE
Postcards4VA
Video
The Power of Postcards
Check out our new postcard video that premiered at the 2020 Women’s Summit EXPERIENCE.
