The Greater Charlotte Apartment Association (GCAA) knows how to get out the vote.
Last year GCAA teamed with THS National to create the “Get Out and VOTE” promotional video to educate apartment industry employees on the significance of being involved in the voting process and how encouraging community residents to vote is good for the industry and the community as a whole.
The video has won the prestigious 2015 PARAGON Award in the government affairs category.
The GCAA’s Government Affairs Committee has been focusing on educating the local industry on the importance of interacting with the elected officials and leaders of the Charlotte Region.
“There are changes on a local, state and federal levels that impact our industry every day,” says Lisa Higgins, a property manager with Greystar and Chair of the GCAA Government Affairs Committee. “It is important that we have established relationships with our elected officials so they are familiar with us as individuals and collectively as an industry and that they see us as a viable resource to them and the district they represent.”
The video’s theme of being civically active also addresses the importance of creating voter awareness within the apartment communities. This is achieved by encouraging residents to update their voter registration upon move-in and through voter registration drives as well as by informing residents about upcoming elections and how to find information about the elected offices and candidates.
This video is part the GCAA’s Vote Tuesday Project, an effort by the GCAA to increase voter turnout for apartment residents, by providing a simple reminder that an election is taking place on the upcoming Tuesday. Information on voter registration, voting locations, candidate bios and Election Day information is provided on the GCAA’s website www.ApartmentVoters.com.
“Vote Tuesday” yard signs are distributed to the participating properties along with window stickers and table tents. In the initial pilot program the overall voter turnout increased by 57 percent for the current resident population, compared to previous municipal election. Since then the program has continued to grow in both scope and success.
“Just imagine the impact we could have on our cities and states if all apartment residents were educated and engaged as voters. As and industry we should work to make this a reality,” Higgins says.
Will Fisher, vice president of THS National, says that “we aspire to use film and social media as a means to encourage community engagement. The structure of the apartment industry inherently connects apartment professionals to millions of residents in cities across the U.S. The potential to engage residents in a positive way is endless. We are proud to partner with the GCAA in an effort to inspire on-site managers to rally their residents to Get Out and Vote! “ Watch the video
If you’d like to learn more about GCAA’s Vote Tuesday Project, contact Bryan Holladay. By Bryan Holladay, GCC’s Government Affairs Manager