Election House Party Home Host Your Own House Party Election/Ballot Information House Party Guide [pdf] Guía para la reunión [pdf] One Page Flyer [pdf] Folleto de una página [pdf]

1. Pick a date
   

   The last week in October or first few days of November will be best because more information on your Ballot will be available by then - but anything between now and November 7th can work (as long as you and your guests are not mailing in absentee ballots).
   
   You might check your intended date with a few of the people you plan to invite to be sure it's going to work for them before you get too far in your planning...
   

2. Decide where the party will take place and whom to invite
   
   Where: Inviting people to your home is often a good option, but if you don't have the space consider co-hosting with a friend who does, or arrange to use space at a church, local library, coffee shop with plenty of seating, etc.
   
   How Many: After determining how much space you have, think about how many people to invite. You want enough people to get the benefit of different views, but not so many that folks don't have a chance to offer them. That probably means in the range of 4 - 12.
   
   Whom: Some House Parties are for friends who all know each other, and in other cases people invite people they don't know but who, for example, live in their neighborhood, have kids at the same school, etc. Do what you are comfortable with. One thing to keep in mind as you make your list is that including people with a range of views will be more likely to challenge participants to think about issues in a new light. If your list is longer than you have space for, consider having more than one party, or encourage others to host additional parties - this is a valuable and important civic service you are providing!
   
   
3. Invite your guests - be sure they understand the purpose of the party
   
   You can do this with a formal invitation, an email, or a phone call, but be sure to confirm whether they are coming!
   
   
4. Prepare for the Party
   
   In addition to deciding upon refreshments for your guests (consider asking friends to share in providing refreshments if that's easier), you should get a copy of your ballot and think about the topics you want to cover while they are present.
   
   The better prepared people are for the House Party discussion, the more interesting it will be - so encourage your guests to review their ballot and voter guides before the party, and provide them the questions in #6 (below) ahead of time.
   
   Also encourage them to share any information they come across with you or the other guests directly, and remind them to bring their sample ballot, voter guides, scratch paper and a pen (which you also might have on hand) to the party.
   
   
5. Double checking attendance
   
   To avoid any surprises, you might email or call your expected guests a few days before your Party Date to be sure they still plan to attend.
   
   
6. Party Day!
   
   The main thing to keep in mind for the Party itself is to know what topics you want to cover, allocate a certain amount of time to each, and watch the clock. It's very easy to lose track of the time when these discussions get going. Additionally, you might approach the issues you intend to discuss in a systematic manner. For example, in the case of ballot initiatives you might ask the group the following questions for each measure:
   
   
   1. What is the purpose of the proposal?
   2. What problem does it seek to address? (do you agree with the problem?)
   3. Who supports the proposal?
   4. Who opposes it?
   5. Who will benefit from its adoption?
   6. Who will suffer?
   7. What will it cost and how will it be paid for?
   8. On balance, do you think it would make the public better off?
   
   Finally, you might ask people whether they have any questions about voting day, absentee ballots, etc. before they leave. You'll find answers to most of these questions in the California Voter Foundation's Voter Guide or call Voices of Reform.
   
   

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