How to Get Involved in Politics as an Introvert

No matter your political opinions, how to get involved in politics as an introvert can be tricky. You want to help your favorite candidates or causes but it’s hard to put yourself out there. If you’re not the sort who is going to canvass door to door but you still want to feel like you’re doing something, here are some ways to help.

Donate

I know making monetary donations is not something that’s available to everyone, but if you have the means, money is a big help to political campaigns, and you don’t have to leave the house.

I will say that the presidential candidates probably have enough money. They have plenty of big donors and people they can turn to if they need more funding, so if you do want to donate, think locally.

Learn who is running in your national and statewide legislative races, for mayor, city council, school board, etc. Find a candidate or two to support and send a little money.

Your donation will go farther and mean more to a local candidate than it does to a nationwide candidate. Plus the effect of having someone who you agree with in a more local position of power is probably going to more directly impact your daily life.

Put out a Sign

Again, this is way more important for local candidates who might not have name recognition. If you support someone running for mayor, city council, county government, state legislature, etc., get a sign and put it in your yard or your window.

Many counties have a Democratic Party or Republican Party office in election season where you can grab signs for multiple candidates at once. If you have a hopping local farmer’s market like we do, you can probably snag some signs along with your tomatoes on a Saturday morning.

Or you can reach out to candidates directly through their websites or social media pages. If they’re really locally they may drop a sign off for you personally or have a local volunteer who can help.

Write Postcards

Get out the vote postcards are a great way to get involved in politics as an introvert. These may be sent locally or to voters in swing states reminding them to vote.

I have 200 of the 36 million postcards being sent on behalf of Postcards for Swing States, but you can still sign up to help MomsRising send 3 million postcards to moms, or search for local or state efforts where you live or with organizations you are already familiar with to see where you can help.

Text Banking

One of my favorite ways to get involved in politics as an introvert is text banking. In Arkansas I volunteer with Get Loud Arkansas, which sends text reminders to registered voters in election seasons, as well as contacting people who might be in danger of being purged from voter rolls.

This is non-partisan work, but there are plenty of opportunities to send texts on behalf of candidates as well. Search Mobilize or sign up at the Democratic Volunteer Center to learn about ways you can help. (I’m sure there are conservative projects that do text banking as well; this is just what came up when I searched.)

If the idea of texting random strangers makes you feel icky, you should know that you never use your own phone number. There are lots of different apps (Get Loud uses Impactive) that make sending texts as easy as pushing a button. They even have canned responses in the event someone replies (the vast majority of people do not).

Learn and Share

Perhaps the most important thing we can do to get involved in politics as introverts is just to take the time to learn about the candidates we plan to vote for and share that information with others, online or in person.

Lots of people vote straight party line, but others might skip contests they don’t know anything about (or pick someone random if it’s a non-partisan race). It can be hard to know where to look to find information about local candidates, but I’ve got a few ideas for you:

• Secretary of State: your state’s Secretary of State is in charge of elections. Their website will have a place for you to check that you’re registered and get a sample ballot for your precinct so you know for sure what and who you are voting for.
• Your local newspaper: newspapers often publish stories about all the people running for different positions (as well as ballot initiatives if you have them) before the election so it’s an easy way to learn about them.
• League of Women Voters: this nonpartisan organization is all about protecting and expanding voting rights and making sure everyone’s vote is heard. Your state or local chapter (find yours here) may produce a voting guide with local candidate information.
• Cooperative Extension Service: Arkansas’ Cooperative Extension Service publishes great information on statewide ballot initiatives. If this is something you have in your state, check to see if they have voter information available.
• Social media: individual candidates usually have Facebook pages and may be on other social media as well. You can also find websites for the candidates to help with your research.

Leveling Up on Getting Involved in Politics as an Introvert

I’ll admit these ideas are about as far as I have gone to get involved in politics, but there are a few other things you can try if you’re feeling more outgoing.

Just about any public event in the months before election day is going to have a candidate or two (or their volunteers) present. Talk to them, or grab some literature to look at later.

Go to local meetings, such as your local League of Women Voters, county party meetings, or even candidate debates. People are generally friendly, and you can just listen.

Or just hit up an online campaign event. There have been a ton of interest groups for Harris events, and I’m sure other candidates do stuff like that, too. You can feel the excitement of being around like-minded people without even leaving the house!

Volunteer for a campaign. If there’s someone you really like who is running, or an issue on the ballot you’re really passionate about, you can check out volunteer opportunities that don’t involve canvassing or talking to strangers. Again there may be texting or mailer opportunities, social media work or other things you can help with that better suit your style. Where I live holding a sign and waving near a polling place is a big thing, and you don’t have to talk to anyone.

What would you add to this list? I really hope that everyone can get involved in a way that feels comfortable for them.