Volunteer Welcome & On-Boarding Agreement
Thank you for volunteering for Seed the Vote, a project of Everyday People PAC. We are so excited to have you on the team! Seed the Vote is committed to ensuring our volunteers stay safe during their time in the field. Please review the information in this document for our policies and safety protocols. Once you have reviewed the Packet, please sign each of the documents included in the Packet to acknowledge that you have reviewed the policies and that you agree to abide by them.
This agreement includes the following documents:
- Seed the Vote
- Volunteer Code of Conduct
- Guiding Values
- Our Volunteer Code of Conduct
- What happens if you violate the code of conduct?
- COVID-19 Policy
- Firewall Policy
- Waiver of Liability & Assumption of Risk
SEED THE VOTE - VOLUNTEER CODE OF CONDUCT
Seed the Vote, a project of Everyday People PAC, is a social justice civic engagement organization that brings added capacity (particularly with out-of-state volunteer mobilization and management) to grassroots groups in battleground states who organize to build power in working class communities and communities of color year-round.
Our Guiding Values
We are guided by a social and environmental justice vision. We believe that everyone deserves dignity and respect.
We know that organizations in battleground states are often overwhelmed with outside volunteers and outside organizations coming in. We are committed to respecting the leadership, strategies, and time of our local partners. We work together with local partners to create a positive and powerful volunteer experience, where volunteers are able to make a meaningful contribution to the immediate election and the long term goals of the organization. We prioritize keeping our eyes on the prize - to keep our shared goals central, and use everyone’s time & energy wisely toward the immediate work of winning.
Our Volunteer Code of Conduct
- Seed the Vote / Everyday People PAC has a zero tolerance policy for harassment. If you see or experience something, speak to a member of the Seed the Vote team as soon as possible.
- Do not disparage, judge or discriminate based on any protected class - race, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disabilities, veteran status, national origin, citizenship, religion, color or any other status protected by law. Stay focused on the mission and uphold the values of Seed the Vote.
- Practice honest & direct communication.
- Practice empathy - assume that everyone is doing their best. If there’s a problem, challenge the behavior, not the person.
- Practice good self-care: Take responsibility to care for your mental, emotional and physical well-being.
- Acknowledge your own biases and how they might influence you. Biases can influence our decisions, thoughts, and behaviors without us even noticing, until we make a conscious effort to do so. If you are unsure as to whether or not bias is leading your decision making or influencing your thoughts or comments regarding others, please save yourself the drama and have 1 or 2 other people join your review process, decisions, etc.
- Act with integrity and follow through on commitments. Be a person of your word and do what you say you will do.
- Foster a team environment where everyone feels comfortable raising questions and concerns.
- Do not use profanity, insulting or condescending language, or trade barbs with other volunteers, partner canvassers, or voters.
- Be flexible and open to take on roles and tasks requested from partner organizations or Seed the Vote.
- Bring any concerns, questions or critiques of Seed the Vote’s work directly to your supervisor or team lead. Practice a culture of directness, not of talking behind backs or gossiping.
- Do not speak to the media/accept interviews on behalf of Seed the Vote unless you are designated as a spokesperson by your supervisor or team lead.
- Do not show up for volunteer shifts under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
What happens if you violate the code of conduct?
The relevant Seed the Vote staff member will have full discretion as to the severity of the offense. Offenses will be categorized as either severe or nonsevere.
If the offense is considered to be “non-severe,” your ability to participate in volunteer activities will be temporarily suspended until you have a conversation with a member of Seed the Vote staff. If, after the conversation, the relevant Seed the Vote staff member feels comfortable lifting the suspension on your volunteer activity, you will be permitted to return.
If the offense is considered egregious enough to be considered “severe,” you will be permanently suspended from the ability to engage as a Seed the Vote volunteer. In these instances, you will be removed from shared communication channels (such as Slack or whatsapp groups) , and emailed a notification of your removal. If you are interested, you may request a restorative justice conversation with a Seed the Vote staff member.
If you have an issue with the determination of the Seed the Vote staff member, please contact doorknocking@seedthevote.org.
* This code of conduct is adapted from People’s Action
SEED THE VOTE COVID-19 POLICIES FOR 2022 POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS:
In order to keep employees, volunteers, and voters safe in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Seed the Vote and our partner organizations have adopted health and safety protocols designed to prevent coronavirus exposure and transmission. In this pledge we ask all volunteers to commit to this baseline set of health and safety protocols. In addition, many of our partner organizations have their own COVID-19 protocols, which will be provided to you.
GENERAL CODE OF CONDUCT
We are all responsible for keeping each other safe. When any one of us takes a shortcut, we jeopardize not only ourselves but others. At a time when employers and government officials are not taking working people’s lives seriously, we have an added responsibility to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities – especially those who are most at risk to COVID-19. If you have concerns about someone else on the campaign not following these protocols, please talk to your door knocking lead.
ESSENTIALS OF COVID SAFETY
- VACCINATIONS: All Seed the Vote staff and volunteers must be fully vaccinated and have received a booster.
- MASKING INDOORS: You must wear masks at all times indoors.
- This means that you must wear a mask indoors in campaign offices, field offices or any other indoor campaign space. The only time masks aren’t required indoors is if you are in a private room with the door closed or in a car by yourself.
- You cannot eat in the campaign office or field team meetings unless you are alone in an individual office with the door closed, or in a designated space where the number of people and ventilation are accounted for.
- Your mask must cover your nose and mouth.
- N95/KN95/KF94 masks are preferred, surgical masks are ok. If using a surgical mask, the recommended best practice is to change your mask every 2-3 hours. Cloth masks and bandanas are not acceptable. (Masks will be provided at your volunteer site)
- MASKING OUTDOORS: Masks are not required outdoors; however, we encourage masking outdoors if you can not maintain a distance of 6 feet from another person.
- MASKING WHILE DOOR-KNOCKING: you do not need a mask while door-knocking if you can maintain a distance of 6 feet. If the voter is masked at the door, please keep your mask on or confirm that they are comfortable talking without masks. (Except in Durham where our partner org has requested that people wear masks while door knocking)
- CARPOOLING: If you are in a vehicle with anyone else who is not in your pod, everyone must be masked with the windows cracked open and AC on to allow for air exchange. There can be no eating in the vehicle if there is more than one person in the vehicle.
- RESTAURANTS: We encourage you to eat outdoors.
- STORES: We encourage you to wear a mask any time you are entering a store while volunteering with Seed the Vote.
- HOTELS & LODGING: Make all efforts to socialize outdoors, and please comply with indoor masking policies anytime you are sharing indoor space with others.
- COVID-19 EXPOSURE: Exposure is defined as having 15 minutes or more of contact within a 24 hour period, and within 6 feet, of a person who tests positive for COVID-19. If you have been exposed to COVID-19, please contact the COVID point person on the ground and your door knocking lead who will help you decide next steps.
- DAILY SELF-ASSESSMENT: Please review COVID-19 symptoms daily and assess yourself each morning before coming to your door-knocking shift. If you are experiencing typical symptoms of COVID-19, even if you think those symptoms may be from allergies or something else, you must contact the door knocking lead who may then recommend that you stay home and/or get a test.
- Fever greater than 100.3°F or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you are exposed to COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or test positive for COVID-19, please isolate yourself and contact your door knocking lead right away.
SEED THE VOTE / EMPOWERED PEOPLE PROJECT FIREWALL POLICY
Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project will be working this year to support a number of political candidates and campaigns that reflect our values as a workers’ rights and social justice organization. Specifically, Seed the Vote will be engaged in independent expenditure efforts on behalf of multiple candidates running for local and federal office.
As an independent-expenditure-only PAC, we have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that our election work complies with all federal and state regulations regarding campaign finance and coordination of expenditures. In simple terms, Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project is prohibited from coordinating our efforts with any of the committees run by the candidates for whom we advocate. If we were to coordinate with any campaign for which we are conducting an independent expenditure effort, our work would no longer be considered independent and therefore every money spent on the independent expenditure will count as a contribution to that campaign. Rendering Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project in violation of campaign contribution limits and thus in violation of the law.
We are also prohibited from coordinating with 503(c)(3) registered nonprofits, on partisan political activity, including on independent expenditure efforts.
To the extent that any of our employees or volunteers have worked or volunteered for any of the covered entities (defined below), it is essential for us to establish a “firewall” policy to block any potential coordination between our campaign efforts and those of the covered entities.
Below are the tenets of the policy:
- This policy covers all employees, volunteers, and consultants of Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project.
- All Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project employees, volunteers, and consultants are prohibited from seeking employment or volunteering with any candidate, authorized committee, political party committee, or agents thereof until after Election Day.
- Any Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project employee, volunteer or consultant who has worked for or interacted directly with a candidate, authorized committee of a candidate, political party committee, or agent thereof whose campaign Seed the Vote either supports or opposes, or organizations (“covered employees” or “covered volunteers”) and (“covered entities”) must inform Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project immediately.
- Covered employees, volunteers, and consultants are prohibited from communicating any information acquired from their work or interactions with a covered entity to other Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project employees, volunteers or consultants about their work or interaction with the covered entity in any way, including but not limited to information about the creation, production, planning, or distribution of a political communication or political activity funded by Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project.
- Covered employees, volunteers, and consultants must abstain from any Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project decisions or related deliberations concerning the creation, production, planning, or distribution of a political communication or political activity funded by Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project if said employee or consultant has acquired information from the covered entity about that communication or activity.
- Covered employees, volunteers, and consultants must refrain from communicating any information acquired from their work with Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project to a covered entity.
Provided that these prohibitions shall not be construed to apply to information acquired through public communications by a covered entity.
- If any employee, volunteer or consultant of Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project witnesses or suspects a probable breach of this policy, either by themselves or by another employee, volunteer or consultant, they are required to notify Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project immediately.
Failure to abide by these policies will constitute grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination. By following these steps collectively, we can ensure that Seed the Vote / Everyday People Project can continue to promote progressive, pro-worker policies this year while abiding by state and federal tax and campaign finance laws.
Waiver of Liability and Assumption of Risk
Thank you for signing up to door-knock with Seed the Vote and our partner organizations. Seed the Vote is a project of Everyday People PAC. Participation in door-knocking and other canvassing activities may involve walking around outside, meeting with voters, and other campaign staff and volunteers indoors or outdoors, and driving or riding in vehicles. These activities carry risk of injury. Measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of all event participants, including COVID safety protocols and codes of conduct for all staff and volunteers.
Assumption of Risk: I have read and understood the above warning regarding the risk associated with participation in canvassing. By signing this agreement, I acknowledge and voluntarily assume the risk that I may be injured during my participation. I understand that the risk of injury may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to, Seed the Vote employees, contractors (including but not limited to staff of Resilient Strategies), volunteers, and program participants and their families. I voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to myself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that I may experience or incur in connection with my participation in canvassing and associated canvassing events (“Claims”).
Waiver of Lawsuit/Liability: I hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless Everyday People PAC, its employees, agents, and representatives (including but not limited to staff of Resilient Strategies), of and from the Claims, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto. I understand and agree that this release includes any Claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of Everyday People PAC, its employees, agents, and representatives (including but not limited to staff of Resilient Strategies) during my participation in any Seed the Vote programs.