Voter Education
At this year’s Mid-Winter Conference, National Commander Donald L. Samuels urged
our members visiting Capitol Hill to send a strong message to their lawmakers that
veterans vote. I believe the same advice holds true back in your communities as
well, especially during such an important election year.
Sure, voting for the candidates of your choice is one of the most important rights
we have in this great country. Some even call it a civic duty. But before you pull
the lever, or push the button in these modern times, you need to know where the
candidate stands on important issues. And a good way to get to know the candidates
is by attending or hosting candidate forums.
Those events offer candidates for public office an opportunity to express their
views openly so audience members can understand their positions and make informed
voting choices. They also provide you with a great opportunity to ask important
questions about the issues, such as those affecting disabled veterans and their
families. Candidate forums and town hall meetings also are good ways to give the
DAV increased visibility as an important organization in the community.
While IRS regulations prevent tax-exempt organizations like DAV Chapters and Departments
from supporting or opposing candidates, they do allow such organizations to host
nonpartisan candidate forums. According to the IRS, those forums are an acceptable
form of voter education.
A candidate forum could include speeches by office seekers, a panel discussion,
or an audience question and answer session. But regardless of the format, the forum
must allow each invited candidate an equal and fair opportunity to express his or
her position on issues.
Remember, all candidates registered with the secretary of state, or other election-certifying
body, and seeking an elective office should be invited to attend and be informed
about the presentation format. Candidates do not have to attend for the forum to
meet IRS rules, but all candidates must be invited to attend. The IRS can penalize
tax-exempt organizations that host a forum that favors or opposes any candidate.
It’s critical we remember that the DAV, its Chapters and Departments are nonpartisan.
That means that while DAV members can campaign for or support a particular candidate
or political party as an individual citizen, they cannot do so in the name of the
DAV. And if your Chapter or Department is hosting the forum, DAV members are not
allowed to wear campaign buttons or otherwise endorse a candidate at the organization’s
event. Regardless of how you might feel personally about a particular candidate,
our cause is too imprtant to be seen as partisan.
If your Chapter or Department is considering hosting a candidate forum, either alone
or in cooperation with other nonprofit organizations, information and guidelines
for hosting such an event are available from organizations such as the League of
Women Voters (www.lwv.org) and Nonprofit Vote (www.nonprofitvote.org).
I encourage you to attend candidate forums to learn about the candidates and to
educate them on the issues affecting disabled veterans and their families and survivors.
If you have any questions or concerns about attending or hosting a candidate forum
or town hall meeting, Executive Director Barry Jesinoski or National Legislative
Director Joseph A. Violante at National Service and Legislative Headquarters, 202-554-3501,
are available to give guidance.
