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This week, every issue of The Stranger comes wrapped in a legal voter registration form. It’s a new project for the paper, done in coordination with Washington Bus, and it has the potential to reach tens of thousands of potential new voters.

The idea is to make it so easy to register that all the usual excuses fall away.

Pick up a Stranger each week? The form is right there in your hands. Can’t deal with the envelope-licking and stamp-buying that it would take to mail the form in? Fine. Drop the form off by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, at any of the locations listed in the paper (Havana, The Saint, Sonic Boom Records, Cellophane Square, Cafe Vita, Easy Street Recrods, and Hidmo Eritrean Cuisine) and the people at Washington Bus will drive around, pick up your form, and take it to Olympia for you in time to meet the registration deadline.

What? You still think you have a good excuse for not registering? Turn one page and read my piece on the subject. Because you don’t have a good excuse, I assure you.

Or turn one more page and read Dan Savage’s piece, in which he holds your hand and walks you through the process. Dan Savage hates holding people’s hands. And he’s holding yours! How can you not get registered?

And then, once you’ve abandoned your lame excuses and registered, read Erica C. Barnett’s piece on the glamorous election-night parties that await you—if you get registered and vote.

Eli Sanders was The Stranger's associate editor. His book, "While the City Slept," was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He once did this and once won...

12 replies on “What, Do We Need to Print a Registration Form on the Cover of The Stranger to Get You to Vote? OK, Done. Now Get Registered. And Vote.”

  1. Brilliant cover, well done.
    Please note the following for Election night:
    David Meinert, Kerri Harrop, Peter Steinbrueck, Dow Constantine, and the SEIU present: ELECTION NIGHT BLOW-OUT
    Tuesday, November 4, 2008
    6:00pm – 2:00 am
    Spitfire
    2219 4th Ave
    Seattle, WA
    22 screens with all the national and local coverage, free wifi, and ridiculous drink specials.

    This is the official WA State Democrat After Party hang out, where all the fun Dems will be once the Westin parties end.

  5. Awesome idea! I brought the paper back with me from lunch and gave it to a co-worker. He’s filling out the form now.

    +1 guys, +1.

  9. #6 I like Kerri’s comments in slog but I agree that this is marketing and shouldn’t be in comments. If anybody else did that on Slog besides Kerri Harrop and David Meinert I guaranteed the stranger would take it down for the spam that it is. I’ve seen at least 5 posts that are just like this. “Drink Specials” ?!?! That’s bullshit.

  10. Dunno how posting the Election Night party info is any different from folks posting their debate watching party info, but, duly noted.
    Sorry for offering up another free place to watch the results roll in.

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