Endorsement Process

Inwood Indivisible Endorsement Process

Inwood Indivisible has created a process to officially endorse candidates (as well as amendments, bills, etc. that may be included on ballots) in selected elections. After the February 2022 meeting the following volunteers agreed to help craft the process: Nick, Trish, Gabby, Sam, Carol, and Maryellen. Some of the volunteer members attended Indivisible trainings and read through the Indivisible endorsement guidelines. The endorsement process was drafted and the proposal was shared during the March 23, 2022 Inwood Indivisible membership meeting. Members who attended the meeting provided feedback and critical insight via lively debates which resulted in the following final version. One of the objectives to this methodical approach was to welcome and encourage feedback so that members’ perspectives could be considered and included.

Why Endorse Candidates

1. Wield power
2. Build shared purpose
3. Help clarify core values
4. Candidates care
5. Build power across the movement
6. Help define areas of focus during voter outreach and/or candidate support
7. Increase awareness of Inwood Indivisible throughout the community for outreach/recruitment efforts

When to Endorse Candidates
Primaries are a good time to endorse candidate – can be powerful 

1. Generate a healthy debate of ideas
2. Strengthen the candidate
3. Ensure elected officials are more responsive 

Endorsement Recipe—Tips for a successful endorsement process
Create a fair and transparent process

1. Who makes the decisions: A committee of Inwood Indivisible volunteer members
2. Who can vote and how: For 2022 we will allow anyone on the mailing list to vote on endorsements
   • For 2023 and beyond, requirements may change such as validating a certain number of meetings, actions, and/or events for membership participation. Inwood Indivisible leadership will manage and track members’ 2022 activities.
   • A checkbox will be added to the 2022 endorsement ballot that will ask the person to affirm they are a member of Inwood Indivisible and to give one example of their involvement in the club (for 2023 and beyond, there will be better records of members’ activities).
   • Membership is not limited to people who only live within Inwood.
   • Level of consensus: 70% of the total number of people who vote by submitting completed endorsement ballots.
   • Other considerations
     • Ranked choice voting is not available during the 2022 endorsement process. For 2023 and beyond, rank choice voting may be considered at least potentially for two rounds. 
     • “No Endorsement” and “Abstention” options will be included for each candidate section of the endorsement ballot.
     • Once a nominee has been selected via the group consensus, Inwood Indivisible will support the candidate. However, individual members can support/work for any candidate.
     • Races that will be open for endorsement during 2022 are: Governor, Senate, Assembly Member, Attorney General.
     • Candidates located beyond the Inwood Indivisible district may be endorsed.
     • If an endorsed candidate withdraws from an election or is involved in a scandal before the vote takes place, Inwood Indivisible will create a unique plan of action that includes member outreach for feedback and critical insight. The plan of action may include un-endorsing the candidate, selecting a replacement, or no change.
     • At least one Inwood Indivisible member meeting will be scheduled to discuss endorsements.
     • Promotion of the endorsement process is strongly encouraged. Members should amplify the endorsement opportunity everywhere such as Facebook, Twitter, email, and posting to relevant websites. We may need people to volunteer to help with this.
     • Only one candidate per race will be endorsed. If there is a ranked choice race we can endorse a ranking. Rank choice races are not relevant to the 2022 primaries.
     • There will be a two-stage process. First, relatively early in the election season, we will endorse candidates we plan to support with canvassing, leafletting etc. Then later in the process we may also issue recommendations for other candidates. 

Interacting with candidates

1. Research: Volunteers will research and create a one-pager about each candidate. A rubric will be available so each one-pager covers the same information such as, where the candidate stands on issues important to Inwood Indivisible, donation sources and endorsements, and how they’ve behaved in terms of political life.
2. Selecting Candidates (viability)
   • Money: not just how much money, but also who is donating, and how many small donations
   • Endorsements
   • Polling
   • Candidates can reach out to Inwood Indivisible to request endorsements
   • Individual meetings or forums with the candidates: (ALL candidates will be invited)
   • Group forums can be tricky to ensure they’re fair and include positive dialogue. Individual meetings can be more meaningful.
   • We recommend individual meetings for the 2022 endorsement round. Members can attend forums in addition to Inwood Indivisible candidate meetings. Co-sponsor forums will be considered, when possible. 
   • For big races such as governor, members may attend other forums since the candidates’ schedules may be at capacity with little or no opportunities to meet with regional grassroots organizations such as Inwood Indivisible.
   • Meeting with the candidate is essential. If a candidate does not agree to have a forum or meeting, or attend forums planned by other groups, Inwood Indivisible will not consider them for endorsement.
   • When possible, meetings will be recorded so absent members can still benefit from the discussions.
3. Optional questionnaire
   • This can be a useful process so that we can solidify what is important to our group.
   • Can take work to create, allow candidates to skip a question but follow up in conversation. 
   • Questions need to be specific, neutral in wording. But do candidates just say what they think we want to hear?
   • Ask candidates about availability for meetings once elected