Boost board election votes by asking and reminding members to participate

by. Laura Lynch

Most of us want to honor our word. If we make a promise, we want to keep it. If we are reminded of our commitment – given a little nudge in the right direction – we’re even more likely to keep our promise. This holds true from simple, everyday things like telling your spouse you’ll clean up the house to larger commitments like honoring a financial pledge to a cause.

This concept also applies to voting and could help your credit union increase participation in its elections. Ask members to exercise their member-owner rights, have them commit to do so and then remind them.

In the recent CUES webinar, “It’s Time to Commit … to Your Voting Success,” Melissa Michelson, Ph.D., author and professor of political science at Menlo College, joined Mike Tuteur, CEO of Votenet Solutions, Inc., to discuss the psychology behind keeping promises and how it influences voting behavior. Votenet is CUES’ strategic provider for CUES eVote: Elect and Educate.

“People are more likely to do something if they make a promise. But the big secret is what you do beyond that commitment. What do you do to make it more statistically likely that they follow through and vote?” said Tuteur.

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