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(From America’s Credit Unions’ Blog) — National Voter Registration Day falls on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and more than 2,000 partner organizations across every state have signed up to help people register or update their registration ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election. For credit unions, the day connects to something structural rather than seasonal. Members are also constituents.
Ryan Poulin has built that connection into an annual routine. The CEO of New Dimensions Federal Credit Union in Waterville, Maine, who started as a teller and has spent 32 years at the roughly 17,000-member cooperative, frames voter participation in terms that reach past the credit union itself.
“It’s our responsibility and our obligation as citizens,” Poulin said. “Not every country has that opportunity that we have today, and we just really need to take advantage of that.”
A playbook built on existing channels
New Dimensions’ annual push to get members registered and to the polls runs through the tools the credit union already operates. Poulin’s team publishes a newsletter article, builds a microsite devoted to voter participation, and posts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn with links back to it. Digital screens in branch lobbies carry a slide. In past years, the credit union has added a short reminder to member statements.
Internally, Poulin delivers the message at a staff meeting or through an email blast, and he offers to sit down with any employee looking to learn more and engage with the process. Board awareness runs as a line item on the agenda. Credit unions looking for a reference point on which federal candidates are identified as credit union supporters can consult the America’s Credit Unions PAC Elections Hub, which maps supported candidates by state for the 2026 cycle.
Poulin keeps the framing deliberately narrow, and he argues that discipline is what makes the work sustainable. “It’s not a huge demand of staff time and it’s not an uncomfortable thing because you’re not getting into the issues,” he said. “Don’t get into the issues, don’t get into parties, keep it high level.”
Why the case is a credit union case
The reasoning translates into terms members already recognize. Elected officials make decisions about taxes, consumer protections, lending regulations, and economic development that impact members and their families directly. Laws and regulations shape access to affordable financial services, consumer rights, and the ability of a credit union to serve the people who own it.
The governance parallel does much of the work. “Just as credit union members have a voice in their credit union’s governance, participating in public elections is an opportunity to influence the broader decisions that affect their community and financial future,” Poulin said. He also pointed to how thin the margins often are: “Many elections, especially at the local level, are decided by small margins.”
Poulin’s civic work extends well past September. He travels to the state capital of Augusta (only 23 miles from Waterville) to testify on bills affecting credit unions and members, has hosted town halls where candidates meet constituents over coffee, has participated in Washington, D.C. Hike the Hill events to meet legislators in person, and hands his card to elected officials and their staff so they have somewhere to call.
That groundwork paid off during the Paycheck Protection Program, when a member of Maine’s congressional delegation was hearing mostly about it being used fraudulently. Poulin gathered member testimonials showing the loans had saved local businesses and shared the testimonials with the lawmaker. “(Legislators’) constituents are our members,” he said.
Registration is only the first step
Deadlines, early voting windows, and absentee rules vary by state, and Poulin notes that absentee voting has grown quickly among Maine voters who would rather not wait in line. America’s Credit Unions maintains Credit Unions Vote, where members can confirm registration status, request an early or absentee ballot, and locate their polling place.
The reminder matters because attention is scarce. “People’s faces are stuck in their phones and (that can lead to realizations) like, oh, Election Day was yesterday, I guess I missed it,” Poulin said. His credit union keeps ready-made copy on hand for the push, including a message built directly on cooperative structure: “Credit unions are built on democratic principles and member participation. Voting is one more way to make your voice count and help strengthen the communities we serve.”
For Poulin, the responsibility sits with leadership. “As leaders in the credit union movement, it’s also our obligation to provide that awareness and the importance of our members’ civic duties to make sure that we’re electing credit union-friendly candidates to ensure that our movement continues and is successful and thrives in years to come,” he said.
America’s Credit Union members can log in to access downloadable resources to share with their staff and members to prepare for the November election, including:
- Credit Unions Vote flyer
- Social media posts and copy
- Outreach to staff and members you can personalize for your credit union
- FAQs for staff