No Time To Fail: Screening Toolkit

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Screening Toolkit
• Sample Panel Agenda & Questions
• Digital Guidance
  • Promotional LWV Graphics & Captions
  • League In Action Resources
• Evaluation
• Additional Resources

Overview

Election workers have always been instrumental in our democracy. Every year our community members ensure our elections run smoothly and everyone’s vote is counted. In 2020, our election officials and workers pulled off the most secure election in our history; and they did it amidst a global pandemic and record shortage of poll workers.  

Today, our work of empowering voters and defending democracy is more critical than ever. To ensure we grow the support for elections officials and the election process, the League of Women Voters encourages interested state and local Leagues to host a "No Time to Fail" screening and invite election officials/workers.  

"No Time to Fail" is a documentary that follows Rhode Island election officials as they administer the 2020 election amid a global pandemic. The film gives voice to the experiences of this largely invisible yet completely indispensable workforce at this critical time in our country’s relationship with election management. "No Time to Fail" is an opportunity to galvanize public awareness and support of election administrators, poll workers, and beyond.  

Host a “No Time to Fail” screening in your community to bring awareness and grow support for election officials and the election process! Leagues can sign up to host a screening by clicking the button below:

HOST A NO TIME TO FAIL SCREENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY

 

Screening Toolkit

The No Time to Fail team created a screening toolkit, which includes logistical instructions for in-person and virtual screenings, promotional materials, social media graphics, swag information, tips, and ideas for hosting a great event.  

VIEW NO TIME TO FAIL SCREENING TOOLKIT

Questions, ideas, or don’t see something you need, please join us during our weekly organizing office hours hosted every Friday at 1PM +ET to give live support.

Sample Agenda & Panel Questions

As you begin your event planning for your League’s screening, we highly encourage your League to schedule a post-panel discussion with either state or local election officials and/or poll workers. A post-panel is an excellent opportunity to illustrate the tangible human component needed for the election process.  

Here is a sample panel discussion agenda with examples of prompt questions for your speakers:  

• The top-line reaction of the film to set the tone for the panel discussion 
• Introduction of panel speakers 
• Dive into the conversation; examples of prompt questions for speakers: 
  • What resonated with you about the film -? What are some of the similarities and differences between our state of what poll workers in Rhode Island faced?  
  • What are some challenges and threats facing poll workers and voters now? 2024? (themes of mis/disinformation; mistrust; pressure poll workers + election officials are facing) 
  • How can we be better prepared and equipped? What does support look like for you? 
  • How do we ensure that our polls in marginalized communities – Black, Brown, Immigrant, Trans and Queer, People living with disabilities – have the necessary support and that voters are empowered to go to the polls? 
  • What excites you and brings you hope/joy going into 2024?
• Thank the panelists and people, provide the call-to-actions (take a few minutes for people to take action right there), ask people to share the call-to-actions with friends. 

Also, if it makes sense for your screening event, let LWVUS organizing know if you’d like us to pitch your event and/or panel to the No Time to Fail staff and national partners, like Power the Polls, whom we’re working with to recruit poll workers, and National Voter Registration Day, whom we’re partnering up to have voter registration events. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the organizing team at [email protected].  

Digital Guidance

“No Time to Fail” has created a social media toolkit. This toolkit contains the film’s social media handles, official movie poster, graphics, and captions describing the documentary. Leagues are welcome to use this content when promoting their screening and tag the film in any social media content. View the toolkit here.

Promotional LWV Graphics & Captions

 

In addition to the toolkit from "No Time to Fail," LWVUS has created a graphic for Leagues to use as they promote the screening. This graphic can be used on social media, in email, League in Action, and other promotional mediums. Click the button below to download.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: LEAGUE PROMOTIONAL GRAPHICS

LWVUS has also drafted sample language for Leagues to use when promoting their screening. Leagues are welcome to use this language or use captions provided in the "No Time to Fail" toolkit: 

• Email, Facebook, Instagram, League In Action: Today, our work of empowering voters and defending democracy is more critical than ever. Join us for a screening of No Time to Fail, a feature-length documentary that chronicles the work of Rhode Island election administrators in 2020. Join us on [DATE] at [TIME] for a [IN-PERSON / VIRTUAL] screening and [panel discussion from the filmmakers?] as we uplift the essential work of our election heroes. RSVP here: [LINK] 
• Twitter, Threads: Our work of empowering voters and defending democracy is more critical than ever. Join us on [MM/DD] for a [IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL] screening of @notimetofaildoc, a film that uplifts the essential work of our election heroes. RSVP ➡️ [LINK]

League In Action

As your League begins promotion for your screening, the following actions are available for syndication for your League’s OutreachCircle/League In Action account:  

• RSVP Action: Supporters can RSVP to your League’s screening  
• Friends & Family Action: Supporters can invite their friends and family to your League’s screening. (email, text, share to any app) 
• Attendance Check-in Action: In-person supporters can check in to your screening as they enter. (Asking supporters to check in is a great way to recruit supporters and gather contact information for event follow-up)  
• Form Action: In-person or virtual supporters can submit their feedback about their experience with the screening.  
• Link to webpage: Supporters can sign up to be poll workers via our LWV recruitment link  
• Friends & Family Action: Supporters can share the sign-up link to their network to become poll workers (email, text, share to any app)  

If you are interested in any of these actions being syndicated to your OutreachCircle League account, please email [email protected]. If you have any additional questions, please email [email protected].

Evaluation

No Time to Fail Host

Thank you for hosting a No Time to Fail screening in your community. Please let us know how your event went and its impact on your community. We want to hear from you, so don’t forget to let us know what could be improved in partnership activities like this.

No Time to Fail League Leader Hosting Survey

No Time to Fail Screening Attendee

A key to a great event is participant feedback for the next event. We welcome you to use this attendee survey to get direct feedback from your attendees. If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]

No Time to Fail Attendee Survey

Additional Resources

• No Time To Fail Event Planning Document: Outlines pre-event, during event, and post-event steps for Leagues.
• Media Advisory Template: Leagues can invite reporters to cover their event with a media advisory.