National Council on Independent Living Voting Rights Subcommittee 2015 Annual Conference Workshop Election 2016: Increasing the Disability Vote for Impact Get-Out-The-Vote Manual IMAGE BELOW: A polling place. A row of voting booths with voters standing at them and a voter in a wheelchair at a voting booth at the end of the row. Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction Section 2: Background and 2016 Election Landscape Section 3: The Director Section 4: The Program Manager Section 5: The Advocate or Organizer Addendum A: The Care and Feeding of Volunteers Addendum B: Final Push GOTV Materials Addendum C: Social Media Tool Kit Section 1: Introduction “My hands may tremble, my heart does not.” – Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence with cerebral palsy. A good Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) effort increases measurable political power for the organization and community that engages in it on a consistent basis. Many mass movements for social justice such as the Women’s Suffrage, African American Civil Rights and recently Marriage Equality movements have prioritized election engagement. This type of community power-building activity allows your organization to increase its capacity through volunteer recruitment, fundraising, training, leadership development and coalition building. And most importantly, a good commitment to conducting GOTV campaigns will increase your community’s participation rate from election cycle to election cycle – a noticeable factor for elected officials who make decisions. GOTV is a term that refers to the consistent and organized ways of contacting eligible and registered voters to motivate and remind them to vote. GOTV is used by many other communities to not only encourage voting, but also to draw connections for the membership between the issues they care about, the organizations who represent them, and the importance of every vote. Take a moment to list the issues that are important to your advocates, consumers and community members and allies. What are the issues that you work on the most, and who makes the final decision for policies regarding these issues? Most disability-related organizations will have a list of priorities and the corresponding decision-maker that look similar to this list below: - Public Transportation: Local Officials - Affordable Accessible Housing: Federal and Local Officials - Employment: State Officials - Education: State and Local Officials - Funding for Community/Independent Living Services: State and Federal Officials - Community Accessibility: Local Officials - Voting Accessibility: Local and State Officials - Affordable Health Care: State and Federal Officials - Funding for your organization: State and Federal Officials Looking at this list, how many of these priorities do the decisions of your local, state and federal policy-makers impact? Chances are that legislators make decisions on nearly all of the issues important to your organization and constituents. And even when strong policies exist to protect our rights and benefits, these policies rely on recurring funding measures for their sustainability. The need for continual civic engagement never ends for any community that is relies on government programs. A nonpartisan GOTV campaign builds demonstrable, sustainable power that will increase your organization’s ability to gain access to policymakers and to impact public policy. This influence is sometimes indirect, a result of noticeable grassroots power, which helps non-profit seeking to stay within guidelines on lobbying. Now that you have made the commitment to engage your community to increase voter turnout…let’s get started on discussing your plan. This handbook will explore the tools, skills and tactics you and your organization will need to prepare for a GOTV campaign. It will also separate functions of the GOTV campaign into sections mirroring the type of typical jobs at a Center for Independent Living. Each type of person such as a director, program manager, advocate or organizer and volunteer leader will be able to see their place in the campaign. The division of labor and ability to focus on your part of the campaign will make it successful. The same GOTV tactics and strategies used by the AARP, NAACP, labor unions, the Christian Coalition and others are also effective when applied to the disability community. Turning out your vote is a simple, straightforward process that requires only planning, follow-through...and effort. No special skills or experience are required beyond following a set plan to identify and mobilize your people. Any kind of election related campaign has just three resources: Money, Volunteers and Time. Money can be raised at any time, several campaign operatives have been in the situation of raising money on Election Day for one more set of robocalls. And you can always get more volunteers by prioritizing recruitment, which will result in more voter contact and votes. However, time is the one resource that ticks down to zero. So in order to maximize this important resource you will want to begin your GOTV process by planning early – beginning stages should be at least one year in advance of Election Day. This manual details and gives resources on how to begin and implement a nonpartisan GOTV campaign that will help your organization build the disability voting bloc. It is designed to digest easily, not scare away the voting advocate with too many facts and figures. Yet set a realistic approach to the work that demonstrates board member and volunteer engagement through the functional view of three community non-profit staff: Executive Director, Program Manager and Advocate or Organizer. Section 2: Background and Landscape The 2016 Election will provide opportunities for the disability voting bloc to take center stage. Already we have seen presidential candidates lay out attacks on the Americans with Disabilities Act, benefit systems and our rights – as well as some candidates courting the disability vote. There are an estimated 37 Million eligible voters with disabilities in America – one the largest voting blocs nationwide. Yet, the participation rate of voters with disabilities has often been as low as 40%. According to research conducted after the 2012 Election by the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations there was only a 2% gap in voter registration between disabled and non-disabled voters. However, the performance gap showed voters with disabilities performing 6% lower than non-disabled voters. Interestingly, employment was a major factor in increasing turnout for voters with disabilities: employed voters with disabilities voted at a slightly higher rate than employed non-disabled voters. Even with lower than desired election performance rates, voters with disabilities are the second largest minority community showing up at the polls in 2012: 1) African Americans (17.8 Million), 2) People with Disabilities (15.6 Million), 3) Latinos (11.2 Million). We often hear about the first and third place turnout minority communities on news shows and from the pundits, but when do we hear from them about voters with disabilities? What can we learn from fellow communities seeking social justice about maximizing our exposure? Think about the political impact other advocacy constituencies have achieved: - Older Adults comprise 14% of Americans and are most notably represented by the AARP. Through this organizational relationship they gained national attention from efforts to pass a prescription drug bill that will reduce drug costs. - Labor Unions represent only 8% of Americans, are some of the most highly sought after voting blocs by many candidates. People with disabilities, who are by far the largest American minority at 20% of the population, have had similar victories from section 504 to the Americans with Disabilities Act to the recent ABLE Act. Yet we struggle for equal recognition of our civic engagement. Previously it was noted that there are higher rates of voter performance for employed voters with disabilities. So let’s look at a comparison of our own community to others using the lens of employment. About 85% of people with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed, and two-thirds live below the federal poverty level. Can you imagine what would happen in this day and age if 85% of African-Americans were unemployed because of their skin color? Or if two-thirds of older adults were living below the poverty level because of their age? Applied to any other minority constituency, these statistics would cause a public outcry for change. So why are they acceptable for the disability community? The answer is directly related to the number of people in these constituencies who vote. Among older adults 85% of them generally vote in a presidential election, 90% of labor union members vote, and 70% of NAACP members vote. People with disabilities typically vote at a 40% rate. Politics and politicians respond to demonstrations of power; typically in two forms: money or votes. All other minority communities who have sought to increase voter participation and establish a voting bloc have been able to influence their policymakers. These elected officials have in turn produced policies that level the playing field for minorities and created nondiscriminatory, equal opportunity systems for jobs, housing education and so on... And certainly, as employment increases within a community so does that groups ability to bundle money for increase capacity and power building. Even more than the positions of current presidential candidates or analysis and comparison of community performance, the way we actually vote is changing fast which may have drastic effects on disabled voter turnout. Throughout the nation we are seeing increased focus on vote by mail, accessible-electronic vote by mail, mobile voting accommodations and vote centers. In states like Washington and Oregon vote by mail has increased voter participation to record heights. The mailed ballot serves as the GOTV reminder, ballot and educational mailer. Some folks have the convenience of voting at home at their leisure and returning the ballot either by postal service or a drop off location. But this form of voting is not equitable for many people with disabilities who could be blind, experience dexterity issues or cognitive disabilities. For these folks the mailed ballot does not provide an opportunity to cast a private and independent ballot as protected under federal law. The fast increasing popularity of this form of voting should be of great concern to disability advocates. One answer to bridge the vote by mail equality gap is accessible-electronic vote by mail. This form takes on various different forms in a handful of states with even more states investigating electronic solutions. And it has become the subject of a controversial series of court cases in the state Maryland. Essentially there is an electronic transmission of the voter’s ballot either through email or download from a website or application. Then the voter can vote privately and independently on their computer using assistive technology like a screen reader or sip and puff device. The ballot must still be printed out, signed or stamped and delivered by postal service or drop off to the county registrar of voters. Also being used in many states that have increased vote by mail is a mobile option. County registrars bring ballots and accessible voting machines to locations where seniors and people with disabilities gather. And some will either go to a person’s home or pay for them to ride to the county election office to use an accessible voting machine. New technology, like the use of accessible voting tablets in Colorado, is making this system easier and more possible. As technology gets better it also gets smaller and easier to carry around as well as cost efficient. But, these systems are subject to an approval and certification process in each state. And last we are seeing a move to Vote Centers. This voting model replaces the age old polling place, one per every one thousand voters on Election, with a Vote Center servicing an area of 30,000 registered voters and open for up to two weeks in advance of Election Day. Support behind these centers is being driven by cost savings and demonstrated overall increased voter participation. A vote center must meet the requirement for a polling place under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A voter may surrender a vote by mail ballot and vote on a replacement ballot using a voting booth or an accessible electronic voting machine. With less polling places, people with disabilities can also expect multiple accessible voting machines at each location – a definite plus for CIL’s seeking to do GOTV trips with multiple voters. And a person may experience same day voter registration and voting at a vote center. Colorado has engaged this model with great results; however large questions remain about how it will provide equal service for people with disabilities. These centers punctuate a new Election access issue: geography. There are big questions for many voters with disabilities about how far these centers will be from public transportation routes that connect to transfer points. And in rural counties one center per every 30,000 registered voters could be 50 to 100 miles apart without any transit options for voters with disabilities who do not drive. These advancements in assistive technology or processes for voting, like any policy change, will need to go through a legislative process in each state. As already demonstrated in this section, to ensure passage of these new policies or to advocate for their accessibility, the disability community will need to demonstrate it has the election turnout capacity to achieve the change that is best. We will need to organize our communities to elect the officials who will consider our best needs and desires when choosing whether or not to engage these devices and systems. Increasing inclusion for people with disabilities has a direct connection to increasing turnout of voters with disabilities. There are many factors playing together on the national, state and local election stages which are focusing the spotlight on voters with disabilities. Opportunities are increasing for advocates to engage voters and candidates in important discussions about the future of access. And we can learn from our partners in social justice that increased voter participation results in increased policymaker attention. For the Director The success of your organization’s GOTV campaign begins with the director. While you may not be involved in the daily operation of your center’s voter motivation and retention effort, you will make the early decisions and assignments. Rule number one of campaigns is “the decisions you make early on will most affect your outcome.” The irony of this rule is that you won’t know until the end if you made the right decision. So we suggest that the director carefully considers each stage of the GOTV campaign, staff assignments, organization capacity and opportunity to increase capacity and last but certainly not least funding. In addition to the tactics explained in this manual, there are two things are important to have a fully comprehensive and successful effort: 1) Make the GOTV campaign an organizational priority. - Identify a staff person to coordinate your organization’s GOTV activities - Develop a budget and calendar for GOTV - Pass a board and/or staff resolution committing your organization to GOTV - Work on voter registration and GOTV goals and tactics all year, every year, even in years when there is not a major election. 2) Work in coalition with other disability-related organizations - The greater the effort in terms of organizations and numbers of voters represented, the more powerful and effective your GOTV campaign will be. It doesn’t matter what the individual organization’s policy issues are, increased voter turnout will positively impact all of them. - Create a Memo of Understanding with partner organizations. It will be necessary to be clear about the roles and responsibilities of staff at each organization. This includes shared financial responsibilities. - Match staff counter parts from coalition organizations that equally share in the responsibility for pieces of the campaign. Board Approval For many organizations, the director will need to get approval from the board of directors to engage in such a large project and commit the organization’s funds. It is also recommended that the director seek a resolution from their board approving a commitment to on-going GOTV work. A GOTV campaign can bring many benefits to an organization such as growing the capacity of your membership, volunteers, funding and political power. The basic equation for growing your capacity is Organized People + Organized Money = Power. A GOTV campaign presents all of the elements to achieve power through this relationship of resources. However, it won’t happen in one election cycle. Increased capacity and community power is developed over time by engaging successive GOTV campaigns – each one builds up to the next. Thus, in order to achieve these advantages your organization must make the long-term commitment to engage voters for turnout in successive election cycles. The board must also approach this commitment with a reasonable expectation for growth. Your articulated goals and objectives should reflect the organizations current resources. And the campaign’s measurable results compared to percentage of growth for other programs within your organization. Below is a chart demonstrating the long-term benefits that can be derived from a consistent GOTV effort. This chart may be a useful resource for approaching and educating your board on the positive effect of GOTV campaigns: How Movement-Building Electoral Strategies Benefit Your Organization Adapted from The Western States Center Activity / What it does to get voters / What it does to build your organization Registration - Voter registration increases the pool of potential voters. - Registration activities may bring new people to your organization—provides them - The new voters you register can be added to a list for follow up closer to the election. The more times you follow up with voters, the more likely they are to vote! - New voters may be more likely to register when assisted by a trusted source. with a first conversation about issues your organization works on & an action step they can take. - Registration activities can help you recruit volunteers, spread the word about your work, and build a list of people in your community you can follow up with on a variety of issues. Education - Voters need information. For first time voters, demystifying the voting process is a crucial step. - Providing easy to understand information about the issues on the ballot in the language spoken in your community also helps break down barriers to participation in the electoral process. - As a trusted source, your organization can help link election issues to people’s everyday lives. People are more likely to vote if they can see how it will affect them! - Visibility & relationship building: Providing quality educational opportunities and materials helps build a relationship between your organization and your community. - You may identify voters who can work with you on other issue campaigns or other activities that are ongoing year-round. - Voter education activities are a good opportunity for volunteers to increase their leadership by helping to organize events & presenting information. Mobilization – Get Out The Vote (GOTV)! - Voters need reminders! GOTV activities really work to increase voter turnout. - Voters are most likely to respond to a message - Building the capacity to get out the vote demonstrates the power of your organization - from a source they know & trust. - for both that electoral cycle & beyond. - Every time you contact a voter as a part of your electoral work, you can give additional information about your organization & your issues – you build relationships with contact! Volunteer Recruitment - Volunteers can be voters. - Volunteer have circles of friends & family that may also be voters. - Volunteers help reach more voters by participating in registration & mobilization activities. - Volunteers who participate in electoral activities can stay involved in your organization after the election. - With trained and dedicated volunteers, your organization may be able to do more in your programs and make more efficient use of organizational resources. Leadership Development - Trained volunteers that take leadership on specific voter mobilization tasks help increase your capacity to reach more voters by taking some of the burden from staff. - Proven leaders can stay involved in your organization, taking on additional responsibilities to support your community work. Visibility: Actions & Media - Visibility through public actions or media coverage can help spread the message about a specific issue or the importance of voting to a broader - Public actions and media coverage get your organization’s name and mission out to a bigger audience. - Might even help with audience. - fundraising! Collaboration & Alliance Building - Collaborating with other organizations increases the pool of voters you can reach. Other organizations also might have specific skills or resources you need. - Relationships with allied organizations increases our overall capacity to create change in our communities. We can’t do it alone! Staff Assignments Assigning the right staff to different GOTV campaign positions is important for clarity of responsibility and communication within your organization. You should work with your staff to develop of job descriptions, especially since the advocate or organizer may often be the lead staff person. This means that their supervisor could actually be reporting to them for matters concerning the GOTV effort. You will want to match the staff person’s job to the tasks needed for the GOTV campaign. This will allow you to justify their activities within the structure of funding for the position. But it also allows the overall work for your organization to continue. You may also want to think about the policy issues that are getting a lot of attention in your community and match folks by those issues. For example if your community is experience threats to the sustainability of the In Home Support Services program, then the person who works on IHSS might be good as the Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator. This will give them reason to do more education on this subject in your community while also capitalizing on the consumer’s passion and turning it into action on the GOTV campaign by volunteering. Also consider how this may be an opportunity to promote a volunteer to a position of community leadership. In fact, by engaging volunteers in this way you may find that you are developing the skills of a future employee. Here are some examples of job descriptions for your GOTV campaign: - Field Director or Organizer (Staff) - Works with director and organization senior staff to develop campaign field plan - Acts as the GOTV campaign lead - Tracks progress of goals and objectives (numbers driven) - Reports progress to director - Supports other teams member with resources, training and technical assistance - Makes team assignments - Develops volunteer training for all types of shifts - Conducts train the trainer sessions with other team members - Leads regular team debrief - Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator (Staff or Volunteer) - Develops volunteer recruitment script - Trains volunteer recruitment team members - Recruits new volunteers through phone banks or in person opportunities and outreach - Recruits volunteer shifts for GOTV phone banks and other activities - Reports progress to Field Director - Voter Registration Team Coordinator (Staff or Volunteer) - Develops voter registration outreach script - Trains voter registration team members - Registers voters through in person opportunities - Recruits new volunteers - Reports progress to Field Director - Turns in cards to county registrar (same week) - Phone Bank Leader (Staff or Volunteer) - Trains Phone Bank volunteers - Leads GOTV phone banks - Debriefs with phone bank volunteers - Tallies results and reports progress to Field Director - Data Entry Leader (Staff or Volunteer) - Trains Data Entry Volunteers - Leads Data Entry shifts - Responsible for phone bank data entry - Reports progress to Field Director - Direct Mail Coordinator (Staff) - Vendor Option -- Works with vendor to develop message and design of direct mail -- Identifies parameters for vendor list mail query -- Communicates with vendor -- Tracks and tallies returns -- Reports progress to Field Director - In House Option -- Works with Field Director to develop voter universe -- Communicates with consultant on voter match and/or list enhancement -- Organizes Direct Mail Label and Stamp shifts -- Delivers stamped and sorted mail bundles to post office -- Tracks and Tallies returns, updates voter universe -- Reports progress to Field Director Building the Budget Clearly articulating your GOTV effort budget is key to the success of the campaign. As the project progresses, you or your staff will need to make decisions about the most effective methods for contacting voters. Some of these methods can be done at little no cost, but other may have some financial value – remember even organizing volunteers requires pizza! You may also want to shift the concentration from one tactic to another more efficient one once campaign analysis or feedback is collected. The worst thing for a GOTV campaign is to be in this situation and not have a clear understanding of how much money you have left or have spent. This also means that you will want to build in a contingency fund. The GOTV campaign budget should serve as a map for your effort’s progress. The major categories reflect the major stages in the campaign’s field plan, and specificity of item costs and quantities mirror the daily and weekly voter contact goals. For this reason it is advisable that your center develop its field plan while developing the budget. The two documents should really be the same, one is communicated in money and one is communicated in numbers of volunteers and voters. It is recommended that the director oversees the program manager and advocate or organizer to develop the campaign field plan. Once the field plan is developed, then translate it into a budget. This will allow your staff to investigate all options for voter motivation available. But you can then limit the activities to fit within your organization’s capacity as determined by the budget. Typical budget categories could: - Voter Registration - Pens - Transportation – Mileage - Phone Banks - Cost per phone call X number of calls - Food (Pizza: number of volunteers X 1/3 pizza) - Soda and water - Paper for call lists, scripts and tally sheets - Pens - Large Paper Tablets for training and debrief - Consider Rounds of Calls -- Voter Education Materials Ask -- Vote by Mail reminder -- Motivational Call -- Election Day Reminder - Campaign Collateral - Pens - Hats - Wristbands - T-Shirts - Consider how many shifts a volunteer serves to earn collateral – this will motivate your volunteers and make sure you don’t run out of stock too soon - Direct Mail - Cost per Card X Number of Voters - Postage X Number of Voters - In-House Option -- Same food and refreshments for volunteers as above in Phone Banks - Outsourced Option -- Apply mail consultant mark up / get quote based on voter universe number - Consider Rounds of Direct Mail -- Vote By Mail Reminder -- Motivational Mailer -- Election Day Reminder - Voter Match/List Enhancement - Developing your voter universe (staff time) - Purchasing Voter List (SOS or County Elections) - Voter Match -- In House Option: Staff Time -- Out Sourced Option: Consultant - List Enhancement (Micro Targeting Data) -- Own Voter Universe Option: Consultant Fees -- Renting Voter Universe Option: Vendor - Election Night Party - Per typical party cost at your organization - An Election night party is important for volunteer moral, it will help to retain volunteers and maintain relationships for success Now that you have received approval from your board, developed your budget, approved the field plan written by your staff and assigned the roles and responsibilities for the GOTV campaign – you are ready to go! The Program Manager Your organization’s Program Manager or mid-level management position has a unique interaction with the GOTV campaign. Because this person is often the glue holding the programs together, they aren’t able to spare too much time away from current work for a GOTV project. For that reason we often suggest this person not be the lead organizer or Field Director, that role should be filled by your organizations community organizer or advocate. Since the Program Manager will often be supervising the community organizer or advocate, there should be a clear understanding for communication regarding the GOTV project. While the supervisor may play a smaller role and take instruction from their subordinate, they are still the supervisor. Two options for roles that would be great for the mid-level manager are the Direct Mail Coordinator or Phone Bank Coordinator as described in the previous section for directors. Direct mail coordination requires work that can be done during regular business hours and easily folded into the office work schedule. And coordinating phone banks can also be done during the regular business day with little distraction from their work once the volunteers are set and ready to make calls. Also if the phone banks are scheduled for evening or weekend hours it would be good to have a manager on site. But the most important role this person will play is to offering supervisorial support for the advocate or organizer who will serve as the GOTV campaign Field Director. Like your director, who has the most focused activity at the beginning of the GOTV campaign, your most active stage is early on to help your advocate and organizer develop the field plan. For that reason this section is where this manual will highlight the GOTV timeline which will become the field plan. This calendar of actions will be a good guide for the program manager or supervisor to keep their staff on schedule and accountable to the leadership responsibilities. ELECTION DAY TIMELINE AND TACTICS 9-6 Months Before Election Day - ID list enhancement consultant to work with organizations on list conversion and timelines - Voter registration cards requested from Secretary of State’s office - Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) and voter registration plan is developed for your organization - Budget developed - ID your organization’s staff for GOTV campaign roles o ID each staff who are responsible for specific GOTV tactics (i.e. phone bank coordinator, direct mailing coordinator, etc.) - Voter Registration Team Leader Train the Trainer - Voter Registration Team Volunteer Recruitment Begins 6 Months Before Election Day - Voter registration and GOTV plans finalized and approved by Board of Directors - Sign contract with list enhancement vendor of choice - Coalition Organization MOU Developed and Signed o Organizations in the Disability Vote Coalition decide on date for a coordination meeting or conference call; all organizations are informed of the date. - Voter Registration Team Begins - Train the Train for In Person Volunteer Recruitment - Train the Trainer for Data Entry 5-4 Months Before Election Day - Voter Universe Lists submitted to list vendor (On-going per new voter registration) - Voter Registration continues - Data Entry Begins (New Volunteer Recruitment and Voter Registrations) - In Person Volunteer Requirement outreach begins - Train the Trainer for Phone Bank Leader - Direct Mail design begins 4-3 Months Before Election Day - Enhanced List or Voter Match List Complete and Delivered - New Voter Registrations added in internally - Vendor Option: List available throughout - Voter Registration Continues - In Person Volunteer Recruitment Outreach Continues - Data Entry Continues - First Report to Director/Board - GOTV Introduction/Voter Education Materials Ask Phone Banks Begin (Large Voter Universe Lists) - Phone Bank Scripts Written 3-2 Months Before Election Day - GOTV Introduction/Voter Education Materials Ask Phone Banks Begin - Begin Voter Registration Final Push -- Identified Unregistered Voters Phone Bank (can be recorded) to inform them XX number of days left to register to vote in this Election. - Fall GOTV phone bank logistics are identified (list sweeps, volunteers needed, food and refreshments needed, schedule for final 2 months) - Data Entry Continues 2 Months Before Election Day - Voter Registration mailing dropped (Optional) - Volunteer Recruitment Continues In Person Outreach and By Phone - GOTV Introduction/Voter Education Materials Ask Phone Banks Continue - GOTV Vote by Mail Reminder Phone Banks Begins - Direct Mail Design and Message Finalized - Direct Mail Order Placed with Consultant (Outsourced) - Direct Mail Party Volunteer Recruitment Calls Begin and Shift Logistics (volunteers needed, food and refreshments needed, schedule for final 2 months) (In House Option) - Second Report to Director/Board - First Direct Mail Drops: Vote By Mail Reminder - Final GOTV Scripts Written - Data Entry Continues Final Month - Volunteer recruitment for all shifts continues including Election Day October phone banks continues; 50% of shifts should be filled - ID target members for GOTV (voters by propensity, all registered voters, etc.) - Second Direct Mail Drops: Election Day Reminder/Voter Resources - GOTV Motivational Phone Banks Begins - GOTV Election Day Reminder Phone Banks Begins - Third Direct Mail Drops: Election Day Reminder - Recorded /Robo Calls (Surrogate Only) - Data Entry Continues Election Day - All Day Final GOTV Phone Banks - Poll Check 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. -- Knock and Drag unreachable voters - Final Surrogate Recorded/Robo Call - Election Night Party 1-4 Months After Election Day - Meeting/Conference call with Coalition members to de-brief and evaluate GOTV efforts - In Person Debrief with Volunteers – Recommit - Data Entry and List Clean Up for next Election As a manager in your organization you have a unique position on the GOTV Team. Your greatest role is to be a support mechanism for the Field Director and keep them on track with the priority needs to get get folks out to vote. The Advocate or Organizer As one of the only staff persons in your organization that has a focus to reach out beyond your office, you are a natural selection for the Field Director position in the GOTV campaign structure. This is a lot of responsibility, but well worth the challenge and opportunity. With the help and support of your organization’s Director and Program Manager you will be the leader of a grassroots team seeking to increase disability vote participation in your community. This type of position can become hectic at times with so many moving parts circling around election organizing. The key to your success will be to begin early to build a larger team of volunteers. Seek out folks like you who have a passion for voting and that you can trust and give responsibility. The main objective of any kind of successful organizer is to grow their capacity by asking for the help of others. Any kind of election related campaign has just three resources: Money, Volunteers and Time. Money can be raised at any time, several campaign operatives have been in the situation of raising money on Election Day for one more robocalls. And you can always get more volunteers by prioritizing recruitment, which in turn will get more votes or voters by making sure you have a sizable volunteer pool to reach out to them. However, time is the one resource that tick down to zero. So in order to maximize this important resource you will want to begin your GOTV process by planning early – at least one year in advance from Election Day. This section will explore helpful Developing a GOTV Campaign Field Plan As part of your Program Manager and Director’s GOTV functions, they will be working with your to develop a GOTV Field Plan. You can read more detailed information, outlines and timelines about what should go into a Field Plan. But to get you started on developing your GOTV plan, first identify all the ways your organization already comes into contact with your members. Incorporate your GOTV message into these existing structures. Examples can include: - Newsletters - Phone Contact (incoming and outgoing) - E-mail - Websites - Meetings and Classes - Fax Cover Sheets - Workshops and Trainings - Events/Rallies - Additional Mailings - Face-to-Face - Walk-Ins If the above contact methods are already part of your regular outreach plan, they will help to easily and quickly establish your presence in the community to share the GOTV message. Building a Bigger Team No one can do everything all by themselves. Recruiting volunteers and promoting them into roles of responsibilities will make you a successful election organizer. Start by building a list of consumers and disability community members who you see often…folks who come into your organization frequently, attend advocacy team meetings, volunteer and never miss a good rally or protest. Invite these people to your office to sit down and have 30-60 minute One on One Conversation. The One on One Conversation allows you to get to know someone better and find out where their passion lies for voting. It will help you identify possible leaders who can take on responsibility for a part of the GOTV campaign like the Voter Registration Outreach Team or Phone Banks. This conversation’s technique uses probing questions to dig deeper and discover the person’s personal motivation for being involved with the project. The intention is to establish a transparent and truthful yet professional basis for involvement. After tapping into a person’s interests ask them “why” something is important to them. Keep asking “why” until you reach the source of their passion. And be reciprocal; tell them your own passion for doing social justice work. But keep the conversation respectful, when someone gives you the sign that they have told you all they want to, then stop and respect their limitations. Using this conversational technique will establish a truthful basis for your professional relationship. You should also take some time to explain your GOTV campaign to them, including the roles and responsibilities and time commitment. Then allow them to identify their own level of participation. This is essential you may be surprised when some who seems “super excited” just wants to be an occasional phone banker, but someone who is more laid back sees themselves leading voter registration. The Identification Pyramid demonstrates levels of interaction and responsibility. Show or explain the pyramid to your prospective leader and allow them to self identify their level of participation. Below is the Identification Pyramid: The Top-Leaders: Folks with responsibility – volunteer leaders and stakeholders who view their role in the project like a part-time job. The Middle-Regular Volunteers: Folks who interact with the project on a recurring basis-once or twice a month. They can be counted on to be consistent worker-bees but gravitate away from being decision- makers or holding responsibility. The Base-Campaign Participants: Folks who will interact with the project one or two times throughout the life of the project. These folks can usually be counted on to attend or participate in the final event. By letting folks self identify you are also building a clear and honest relationship that will allow you to hold volunteers accountable to commitment. The one on one conversation and identification pyramid are techniques that have been widely used by successful social justice and community organizers for decades. Building a volunteer base requires a lot of work, but once it is up and running you can move on to concentrating on other aspects of the GOTV campaign. That is why it is so important to prioritize this piece of the campaign early on. Addendum A to this manual is an article exploring thee best practices and advise for the care and feeding of volunteers. If you keep your volunteer force happy your GOTV campaign will run smoothly. Building a Voter Universe An early priority for your GOTV campaign is to begin developing your Voter Universe. This is the universe of people with disabilities and their allies in your community that you will push out to vote. They may be curr3ntly registered voters and folks that your team will register to vote. Once the process of organizing your voter universe has begun, you will want to consider options for creating a Voter Matched List or an Enhanced List. The Voter Matched List matches your data with the voter file in your county or state, so that you can verify which of your members are registered to vote and look up their propensity for contact strategy. The other option is to use an Enhanced List, which contains the same information as a voter matched list but also connects to market data for an enhanced ability to communicate with the voter – sometimes using this type of list is called micro-targeting. You have several options for creating these lists. If you have the staff or volunteer availability, you can complete this stage in-house. You would need to purchase a copy of the voter file from your county(ies) or Secretary of State. Then look up each voter and check them off, cataloguing their correct address, phone and propensity in your database. But if your organization has the funding this can be accomplished by campaign consultants. In fact they may also be able to furnish you with enhanced lists of much larger universes made up of voters who are likely to vote with the disability community. You may also consider using a vendor that give you access to an already developed database matched to the voter file and micro-targeting data. To begin creating your Voter Universe, identify and centralize your members into one main database. People to be included in your GOTV database can include: - Consumers/Clients - Board Members -- Donors/Funders -- Volunteers - Newsletter and mailing recipients - Parents and family members - Educators - Personal Attendants Because of privacy issues you may want to begin compiling this list by having a Pledge to Vote at the front desk of your office. Folks that come in to your office should be encouraged to sign the pledge by the front desk staff. This allows the individual to self select that voting is important to them, possibly sign up to volunteer and give contact information without violating their privacy. Here is a sample pledge below Yes! I pledge to vote in 2016 and help get my community out to vote Name Email Best Phone Address, City, St., Zip Volunteer? Developing the GOTV Message This message should make the connection between disability issues and voting (e.g. “if you care about independent living services, vote on November 2). This message should be made known to all staff in your organization, and all staff should incorporate your message into e-mail and voicemail signatures. You may want to conduct a survey of your local disability community members to discover which messages are resonated with them the most. This could be an online survey or during a phone bank. Many of the most successful campaigns use a survey as an excuse to call their voter universe early on and begin to engage voters. Coalition Building A GOTV campaign is a lot of work. It is wise to build coalitions with other social justice organizations who already engage in GOTV activities. A coordinated campaign will ease the pressure on your organization by sharing responsibilities. But it will also give your organization a chance to train more organizers and volunteers on your disability focused message. During any election cycle people are talking about a lot of issues, and you want as many folks talking about your issues from your perspective as possible. Here are some key points for building good coalitions: Coalition (activist definition): an "organization of organizations" united around a common issue and clear goal(s); however, sometimes the term “coalition” is used to refer to groups of diverse individuals or organizations of individuals who are involved in other groups as well. Issue: communicates what you are fighting for to help solve your problem; an issue is what activist organizations focus on. If the problem is name-calling and slurs, your issue could be to reduce slurs. Questions to ask when you are thinking about building a coalition with another organization: What would your unifying issue(s) be? What resources could come from this organization? What obstacles might you encounter? Guidelines for successful coalition-building: 1. Choose unifying issues. The most effective coalitions come together around a common issue. Make sure the development of group goals is a joint process, rather than one or two group representatives deciding the goals and then inviting others to join. 2. Understand and respect each group’s self interest. There must be a balance between the goals and needs of the coalition and of the individual organizations. Agree to disagree. 3. Respect each group’s internal process. It is important to understand and respect the differences among groups. These differences are often apparent in processes or chains of command for decision-making. Make a commitment to learning about the unique values, history, interests, structure, and agenda of the other groups and organizations. 4. Structure decision-making carefully. 5. Distribute credit fairly. Recognize that contributions vary. Appreciate different contributions. Each organization will have something different to offer. Each one is important, so be sure to acknowledge them all, whether they be volunteers, meeting space, funding, copying, publicity, leafleting, passing resolutions, or other resources. 6. Give and Take. It is important to build on existing relationships and connections with other organizations. Don't just ask for or expect support; be prepared to give it. 7. Develop a Common Strategy. The strength of a coalition is in its unity. Work together with other organizations to develop a strategy that makes sense for everyone. The tactics you choose should be ones that all the organizations can endorse. If not, the tactics should be taken by individual organizations independent of the coalition. 8. Be Strategic. Building coalitions in and of themselves requires a good strategy. Which organizations you ask, who asks them, and what order to ask them are all questions to figure out. 9. To ensure consistency, send the same representative to each coalition meeting. This helps meetings run more smoothly. These individuals should also be decision-making members of the organizations they represent. 10. Formalize Your Coalition. It is best to make explicit agreements. Make sure everyone understands what their responsibilities and rights are. Being clear can help prevent conflicts. Voter Registration Best Practices It is been shown that less than half of Americans with disabilities are NOT registered to vote. This is compared with and 85% voter registration rate for the general population. Here are tactics that are proven to increase the voter registration rates within the disability community: HAVE A STRONG MESSAGE - Instead of asking “Do you want to register to vote today?” or “Are you registered to vote?” Say, “We are registering voters today. What’s your last name?” - If someone declines to register to vote for reasons other than religious or legal, follow up with a short conversation with that person about how voting relates to the services they receive, the accessibility of their community, the everyday operations of your organization, etc. - Take the time to emphasize the connections between voting and our everyday lives - Don’t be afraid to be persistent and insistent. People are much more likely to make voter registration a priority if they see that it is a high priority for your organization. CONSISTENT OUTREACH - Most disability organizations who register their members only ask people to register only in the person’s initial contact with their organization. In order to ensure that people with disabilities get registered and STAY REGISTERED, you should make voter registration contact with every member before EVERY ELECTION. - List enhancement should be done every six months in an off-year and every three months in an election year to check people’s registration status MAKE REGISTRATION AN INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE - This means that every person involved with your organization is asked at some point to register to vote. Many organizations make filling out a voter registration card a regular part of their intake process - Document the process. For every member (consumer, advocate, etc.), have on file a copy of their signed registration card or a signed “declination form” that documents that the person was asked and declined to register. - Designate a staff person to be responsible for implementing internal voter registration practices and who can be held accountable for voter registration goals. - For staff who have direct contact with clients on a regular basis, make voter registration part of what their position is accountable for. Make voter registration AS IMPORTANT as filling out required paperwork and other direct service requirements. - Talk about voter registration goals and tactics regularly at staff meetings ELECTION YEAR OUTREACH - Make a phone call to every unregistered member offering them assistance in registering to vote - Follow up with all unregistered members who have received a voter registration card from you but have not yet returned it two weeks before the registration deadline. - Do a mailing to every unregistered member 4 to 6 weeks before the voter registration deadline. Additional tips for a mailing: 1. Put a stamp on the voter registration card 2. Put your organization’s mailing label on the front of the card 3. Send two registration cards so that your member can register another person GOTV Best Practices Your GOTV tactics are the direct contact you make with your members to specifically encourage voter turnout on Election Day. When members receive from your organization a series of organized contacts that talk about voting, their likelihood of voting increases substantially. Here are the best practices used by the disability community and other constituencies that have proven to be the most effective in activating voters. Timing: The frequency of contacts should increase as the election draws closer. If your organization is only able to place one phone call to your members, for instance, this call should happen as close to the election as possible. Frequency: You should plan to make at least 3-5 contacts with your members that talk specifically about voting. These contacts are most effective if they are a combination of direct mail and phone banks. The more contacts you are able to make, the greater the likelihood that a person will vote. Message: Your GOTV message should be short—no more than 1 or 2 sentences. Additionally, this message should make the connection between a disability issue and voting. Example: “If you care about protecting your rights under the ADA, Vote on November 2.” Targeting: All registered voters should be contacted at least once prior to Election Day. People who have been identified as “Infrequent Voters” (see glossary) should receive at least two additional contacts, plus a confirmation call the day before or the day of the election. Tactics: The single most effective tactic for increasing voter turnout is a phone call. If your organization does nothing else for GOTV, you should plan a phone bank. If you employ every tactic except a phone bank, the best increase in turnout you can expect is 5%. It is three times more likely that a person will vote if they receive a phone call, and a person is five times more likely to vote if a phone call follows a mailing. On top of these structures, you can build your 3-5 contacts using phone and direct mail. Direct Mail Direct mail, as part of a comprehensive GOTV effort including volunteer phone banks, can be one of the most effective tools in increasing voter turnout. TIMELINE Your direct mail piece should be in voters’ mailboxes in waves throughout the Election: - By October 1st for Vote by Mail Voters - 2-3 Weeks before Election Day for Voter Education Information - 1-2 Weeks before Election Day for a GOTV Reminder MESSAGE The mail piece should be as simple as possible, and not be too “text-heavy”. Direct mail should include these important pieces of information: - THE DATE OF THE ELECTION AND VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES - THE NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION - YOUR GOTV MESSAGE CONNECTING DISABILITY ISSUES AND VOTING - LOCAL INFORMATION ON TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACE RESOURCES - THE WORD “VOTE” SHOULD BE AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE MAILER ON EVERY PAGE/SIDE BUDGET Rates vary, but typical rates for direct mail including printing and bulk rate postage range from $0.80 to $2.00 apiece. In-house produced direct mail will cost less, if you have 1000 pieces or less per mailer. But for larger lists you can outsource to a political mail consultant at a higher price for the convenience. Make sure you get multiple quotes for direct mail. Often times if consultants know you are shopping around they will lower their prices. In the disability community we often have limited funds and need to be mindful of the best price to reach the most people. In closing, you on your way to an exciting project to increase the disability voting bloc in your community. We know from the examples of other communities advocating and organizing for social justice and equality that there is a direct correlation between policy success and voter turnout. And you are not out there alone! Please join the National Council On Independent Living’s Voting Rights Task Force Monthly GOTV Partner National Teleconference. This is an opportunity to share your best practices, lessons learned, struggles and ideas with your GOTV peers across the nation. It’s a great opportunity to reach out for help, collaborate and network for victory. Addendum A: The Care and Feeding of Volunteers by Michael McKee As with many nonprofits, the organization I helped found thirty odd years ago, Tenants & Neighbors, relies heavily on volunteers. About ten years ago we decided to get serious about grassroots fundraising. Using direct mail and telemarketing, we grew dramatically — to a high of 20,000 individuals and 160 organizations. Despite our growth, like most nonprofits, we never have enough staff. So we spend a good deal of effort to recruit, develop, and cultivate volunteers. Making sure your volunteers come back Over the years I have made some observations about working with volunteers which, when translated into practice, help with volunteer retention. Appreciation is the most important key to retaining volunteers. - The volunteer’s time and work are a gift to your organization, just as checks from donors are a gift. Most of our volunteers are dues-paying members, but some of our best volunteers are very-low-income people who can’t make financial contributions but who invest hours of their time in the organization. We consider these volunteers as much members as people who write checks, and we give them all the benefits of membership. Since appreciation is the most important key to retaining volunteers, this is one way you can show appreciation for your volunteers. - Always thank your volunteers every time they pitch in. Beyond any other recognition, thanking volunteers for their time and efforts each time they work for you is crucial. Even though the volunteer donates time because he or she believes in your organization, people like to be thanked. - Just as you exercise caution in hiring staff, apply some judgment in “hiring” a volunteer. Don’t make facile judgments about a potential volunteer’s abilities. Some time spent interviewing a potential volunteer might reveal talents that are not initially apparent. Of course, you don’t have to exercise the degree of caution you need in hiring a salaried staff member, as it’s generally easier to “fire” a volunteer if things don’t work out. In fact, most volunteers fire themselves when the relationship doesn’t gel. - Match the volunteer to her ability. People who are comfortable talking to strangers on the phone are a valuable resource, whether doing fundraising or programmatic work. Someone too shy to talk on the telephone might love being part of a mailing party. Someone else might find folding and stuffing boring. It might not be immediately apparent what role a volunteer can fill, but go over the variety of tasks needed with someone who has shown an interest in volunteering to see which ones she might find interesting or rewarding. - People often have more abilities than they recognize. Every June there is a national conference of HUD tenants in Washington, D.C., and every winter we offer workshops on fundraising strategies to help tenant associations raise enough money to send one or two representatives to the national conference. The tenants often come up with their own ideas. One tenant association, after two or three years of unsuccessfully soliciting contributions door to door and at building-wide meetings, hit upon the idea of sponsoring a series of social events once every month or two. Tenants pay a modest fee at the door of the event, enough to cover the cost of refreshments, and once inside can buy chances or tickets on various games and contests. One of this tenant association’s most successful fundraisers was selling tickets allowing the purchaser to guess the number of jelly beans in a giant glass jar, gussied up with ribbon. This was run as a 50/50 raffle, with the winner pocketing half the sales and the tenant association the other half. It was a fun evening and the association netted $400, two-thirds of the cost of sending a representative to Washington. - Volunteers reinforce each other. Working together helps folks more readily overcome their doubts and get into the spirit. A few years ago we asked our board members to sign up for one evening a week for three weeks in November to make calls to major donors soliciting year-end contributions. It probably won’t surprise you that some board members were hesitant. We prepared a script and did a brief training. Once the calls began, however, it became a friendly competition, with phoners trying to see who could solicit the largest gift. There was a great deal of excitement the first evening when a board member secured the first $200 pledge. The other board members crowded around to examine the pledge form, then went back to their phones determined to match or better the goal. Those who had been uncomfortable about asking for money really got into it. To my astonishment, when we stopped the calls at 9:00PM two board members said, “That was fun,” and asked if they could come back an additional evening the same week. As Kim Klein says, no one likes asking for money, but people sometimes surprise themselves. So don’t let board members off the hook too easily — give them enough support and a comfortable atmosphere and they will often rise to the occasion. - Your volunteers are not robots. People don’t appreciate being treated impersonally. Spend some time with your volunteers. As you get to know them, you will hear interesting life stories and occasionally observations about your organization. When we have a mailing party, I try to spend at least 15 to 20 minutes sitting with the group and helping fold and stuff, no matter how busy I am. The conversation is time well spent and reinforces the relationship. - Volunteers are messy. Volunteers put half-empty coffee cups in your recycle bin, leave dishes unwashed in the sink, and commit other sins. After all, until they become regulars, they don’t know your office systems. If you can’t put up with a bit of untidiness, you might find it hard to work with volunteers, but this is a trade-off worth learning to live with. - Make your volunteers comfortable. Offer them a soda, or coffee or tea. Make sure they know where to find the water cooler — and the restrooms. Many people are shy and won’t ask. Some might even think they’re not allowed to use the water cooler. - Honor your volunteers occasionally. At the end of a campaign, whether we win or lose, we have a party just for our volunteers. We also recognize some volunteers at our annual meeting or other events and in our newsletter. By honoring one or two special volunteers each year — and making sure it is different ones every year — you show all volunteers that you are aware of their efforts. Volunteers come in all varieties Volunteers come with different qualities, different skills, different tolerances for specific jobs, and different levels of commitment. Here are some of the kinds of volunteers you’ll find and how best to work with them — or when to cross them off your list. Special Volunteers with Special Skills If you find a volunteer who has a skill that you might otherwise have to pay for or do without, count yourself lucky. Over the years we have benefited from the services of Jeff, a professional graphics artist who designed our newspaper for three years; Russell, a retired costume designer who established and maintained a newspaper clippings file; Eric, a computer- savvy attorney who designed a new relational database for us; Judy, the retired political director of a labor union who helped us reach out to labor unions and develop relationships with several of them, eventually gaining their financial support as well (and who still serves as our labor liaison); and Joan, an executive secretary who sat for hours at a time doing data entry. Of course, there are functions that cannot be achieved without hiring staff or consultants. I fantasize about finding a volunteer to update and maintain our website on a regular and timely basis, but realistically, this is something we will probably have to pay for. Interns There are some programs, often affiliated with universities, through which nonprofit organizations can obtain “free” staff in the form of student interns. But be careful: some interns chew up your staff time because they don’t have the knowledge or ability to perform without constant supervision. Experience has taught me to shy away from students whose classes require them to work with a community organization for a semester, typically for a few hours each week. While occasionally you get a winner, more likely you will spend hours educating and cultivating the intern, only to scrap their work or do it over then have them disappear by the time they have learned enough to be of use. On the other hand, if you give a finite project to a good student who only has a few hours a week, it can work out. A junior who was majoring in sociology did a telephone survey of several of our best tenant leaders, soliciting their opinions on a range of subjects. The survey was an eye opener, giving us valuable insights. The leaders told the student things they probably would have hesitated to tell us, including criticisms of our campaign strategies. Graduate students tend to be more valuable than undergraduates. A final tip: with rare exceptions, the only ones who seem to be able to write coherent sentences tend to be journalism students. Problem Volunteers Some people just don’t make good volunteers. Here are some obstacles I have encountered and how I dealt with them — skillfully or not. - The volunteer who doesn’t play well with others We have had to “fire” an occasional volunteer who can’t work well in a group. I remember “Steve,” who came regularly to our weekly mailing parties (during campaigns we designate an afternoon a week for this activity, so that people get used to coming the same time each week). Steve was a fast and steady worker, but he was opinionated and argumentative. Good volunteers stopped showing up. The problem wasn’t hard to figure out. I had an awkward conversation with the gentleman during which I told him he needed to stop picking arguments or not come back. With that, he launched into a tirade, then stormed out of the office, never to be heard from again. Later I realized there might have been a better way to address this problem, such as suggesting he take on an individual project on a different day. After Steve’s departure, it was easy to persuade other volunteers to come back. This experience taught me to pay attention to who gets along with whom. When we have a small mailing needing two or three volunteers, we try to match people accordingly. Be observant. Be on the lookout especially for bigots and sexists on the one hand and for friends who like to work together on the other. And remember, many people are shy and won’t complain. They will simply suffer, or more likely just stop showing up. - The volunteer who runs hot and cold This is usually a valuable volunteer who has abilities but has to be coaxed. You have to decide if it’s worth the time. My experience is that you either work out an understanding about a task and a time commitment or the volunteer doesn’t come back. - The volunteer who won’t do “menial” work Some people feel it’s beneath them to fold and stuff. Some even think making phone calls is unworthy of their talents. Mailings and phone banks are our life blood, so I tend not to waste a lot of time on people like this. Such a person has to be really skillful in some other capacity to be worth the time, and even then the relationship may not work out. - The volunteer who offers services you can’t use or who has “brilliant” ideas and insists you adopt them This type of volunteer is often a variation of the “no menial work” type. It might be worth some time to consider new ideas (of course, often these ideas are not new at all), and it’s important not to dismiss someone too quickly. But if you determine that what is offered is not what the organization needs, you have to say so without equivocation. Some of these people are persistent and even quarrelsome. Don’t waste too much time turning them down. - The volunteer who becomes indispensable — and obnoxious In the thirty-five years I have worked as an organizer, executive director, and associate director, this has happened to me twice. Both instances involved extremely talented and highly organized individuals who assumed more and more responsibility, taking over important functions, but who were also difficult personalities. One was a straight man who had a serious problem getting along with those he considered beneath him, which included just about everyone and especially women. We finally had it out over his behavior toward his office mates. He walked, and I was enormously relieved to be rid of him, although now faced with covering the bases he had occupied. The other indispensable volunteer was a gay man who, whenever I asked him to do something, answered, “Yes, my liege,” usually with a sardonic curtsy. Enormously talented and capable, he was also a gossip and troublemaker. Eventually he stopped volunteering when we failed to accept his ideas for implementing a new project. With both these men, I put up with a lot in terms of their personal behavior, as did other staff members and volunteers, because they became virtually full-time “staff ” and their contributions were valuable. But there is a law of diminishing returns with such people. If my foresight were as good as my hindsight, I would have seen the inevitable ending far sooner. - The volunteer who doesn’t remember she volunteered During campaigns, we distribute a volunteer form at meetings. This is separate from our membership application and asks people to indicate activities they might be willing to perform: phone banking, mailings, attending demonstrations, sponsoring a house party, serving as a building captain, and so on (hardly anyone ever checks the house party box). We have learned that unless you do follow-up calls soon after the meeting, many people forget that they said they would volunteer. Others just don’t mean it. It’s easy to check a box, but when it comes to making the trip to the phone bank, the real decision becomes apparent. It's self-evident Volunteers are an important asset to a nonprofit organization. Not only do they help do the work, they help keep you from becoming too “staff-driven” and serve as a sounding board and reality check. It is interesting that virtually all of our volunteers describe their activism in similar terms. Again and again they will say that they don’t understand why anyone would not consider housing to be the most important issue facing society. For them, self-interest as tenants and compassionate belief in the value of preserving affordable housing are perfectly fused. Abridged from a longer article originally published in the Grassroots Fundraising Journal, September/October 2005. Michael McKee is a founder and until recently a staff member of New York State Tenants & Neighbors Coalition. He is currently treasurer of the Tenants Political Action Committee. Addendum B: Final Push GOTV Scripts and Materials WEEK ONE GOTV SCRIPT: VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT PHONE BANK They can hear it in your voice. Voicemail Message [IF YOU CAN’T TALK TO VOLUNTEER LIVE] HI! This is and I’m a volunteer calling from , to let you know that we need your help with our Election activities. This year we are working to increase the disability voter turnout. We will have many activities such as and we could really use your help. If you would like to volunteer with us please call the local organizer at . Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you! The Introduction Hi! Is there? This is calling from , you know Election Day Tuesday, [DATE] will be here before you know it. Have you thought about how you can help increase the disability vote this Election? Let me tell you about some local and statewide events going on that I think you will enjoy: - Enter Your Local Events/ GOTV Shift s Here: EVENT NAME DATE TIME LOCATION Historically, only about 40% of our community voted, we need to increase that percentage so our elected officials remember us when they create policies about us. Don’t you agree? And you know it takes a large enough team to contact thousands of voters with disabilities. Can we count on you to volunteer for a few hours at one of our Election Events? –OR – for a shift at (EVENT) on (DATE AND TIME) ? IF YES -- [GET/CONFIRM THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR CONFIRMATION CALLS]: - NAME - BEST PHONE NUMBER - EMAIL ADDRESS And do you have a friend that would like to join you for your volunteer shift? [GET THE FRIEND’S NAME AND OFFER TO CALL THEM] OK, I just have a few more things to let you know about… IF NO OR HESITENT You know direct contact with voters has proven to be the ONLY reliable way to make sure people vote or have all the information they need. It can be a little uncomfortable at first, but you’ll get the hang of it…I did! Are you sure we can’t count on you to help us get out the disability vote? CLOSING And last, if we can help you or someone else you know who needs an accommodation to vote please visit our Election Center at [YOUR WEBSITE HERE] this is a one stop shop for information and resources for voters with disabilities. Or they can call me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Thanks again and have a great day! WEEK TWO GOTV SCRIPT: INTRODUCTION AND MAIL BALLOT DROP They can hear it in your voice. Voicemail Message [IF YOU CAN’T TALK TO VOTER LIVE] HI! This is and I’m a volunteer calling from , to let you know that we are here to help you with all your Election resource needs like voter registrations, information about the candidates and propositions. Our organization has an online Election Center, a one stop shop for all you’re your voting needs. Check it out at [YOUR WEBSITE]. Don’t forget that [DATE] is the last day to register to vote. And if you have any questions or want to get more involved in activities to increase the disability voter turnout call our local organizer at . Thanks and remember Election Day is Tuesday, November [DATE]! The Introduction [IF YOU TALK TO THE ACTUAL VOTER] Hi! Is there? This is calling from , you know Election Day Tuesday, [DATE] will be here before you know it. Are you registered to vote? IF YES Great! Just to be sure, remember you need to be registered to vote where you currently live, please let me know if I can help you update your voter registration. [GO TO “VOTER TYPE”] IF NO That’s OK, I can help you, would you like to register to vote? [OFFER VOTER REGISTRATION: IN-PERSON: MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ON-LINE: EMAIL THEM THE LINK AND FOLLOW UP Now that we have that covered I just have a couple more questions. Voter Type Do you vote by mail or at the polls? IF POLLS Do you use the accessible voting machine? Do you need any pre-Election Day training on the accessible voting machine? Will you need a ride to the polls? [IF YES, ARRANGE FOR ASSISTANCE, THEN GO TO “JOIN THE CAMPAIGN”] IF MAIL Great! Vote-By-Mail ballots were mailed out on [DATE]. Have your received yours yet? I know you want to be thoughtful about your vote, but can we count on you to vote and mail it in soon? Please remember to seal and sign your ballot before putting it into the mail. [GO TO “JOIN THE CAMPAIGN”] Join the Campaign This year are working to increase the disability voter turnout by providing information, resources and opportunities to increase the number of voters with disabilities who get-out-and-vote. Can I tell you about some local and statewide events going on that I think you will enjoy? [SIGN THEM UP FOR YOUR LOCAL EVENTS] You know it takes a large enough team to contact thousands of voters with disabilities to make sure they are prepared to vote. Can we count on you to volunteer for a few hours this week at our office? IF YES Thanks! Let me go through the shift options for you can get some info from you. [SIGN THEM UP] IF NO OR HESITENT You know direct contact with voters has proven to be the ONLY reliable way to make sure people vote. It can be a little uncomfortable at first, but you’ll get the hang of it…I did! CLOSING And last, if we can help you or someone else you know who needs an accommodation to vote please visit our Election Center at [YOUR WEBSITE HERE] this is a one stop shop for information and resources for voters with disabilities. Or they can call me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Thanks again and have a great day! WEEK THREE GOTV SCRIPT: ELECTION INFORMATION AND RESOURCES AND VOTE BY MAIL PUSH They can hear it in your voice. Voicemail Message [IF YOU CAN’T TALK TO VOTER LIVE] HI! This is and I’m a volunteer calling from , calling to see if you have any questions or need info about voting in this Election. Also, vote by mail ballots should be mailed soon, so if you vote by mail please complete your ballot and mail it in as soon as possible. Our organization has an online Election Center, a one stop shop for all you’re your voting needs. Check it out at [YOUR WEBSITE]. And if you have any questions or want to get more involved in activities to increase the disability vote call our local organizer at . Thanks and remember Election Day is Tuesday [DATE]! THE “VOTE AS K” [IF YOU TALK TO THE ACTUAL VOTER] Hi! Is there? This is calling from , to remind you that Election Day is Tuesday, [DATE]. Are you ready to cast your vote? Great! Do you know about our online Election Center? This webpage is a one stop shop for information and resources for voters with disabilities like: Voter Registration, How to Find Your Polling Place, Election Day Hotlines, Important Election Dates, How To Webinars, Accessible Voting Machine Video Demonstrations, Educational Materials on the Issues and Candidates, Ordering Voter Guides in Accessible Formats, Get-Out-The-Vote Activities…and more! Can we count on you to vote in this Election? [IF YES GO TO NEXT QUESTION. IF NO GO TO MOTIVATORS THEN RE-ASK] Do you vote by mail or at the polls? [IF MAIL, SEE BELOW. IF POLLS GO TO CLOSING] IF BY MAIL Great! Remember that it is recommended to mail your vote by mail ballot by [DATE 10 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION DAY]. Have you mailed your vote-by-mail ballot? [IF YES GO TO CLOSING, IF NOT GO TO URGENCY STATEMENT BELOW] URGENCY STATEMENT: You know our elected leaders create the policies that affect people with disabilities. Many politicians look at voter turn-out numbers when they consider which populations should get the most attention. It’s a chance for us to grab their attention. Can we count on you to mail in your ballot today or tomorrow? [IF YOU GET PUSH BACK GO TO MOTIVATORS] CLOSING And last, if we can help you or someone else you know who needs an accommodation to vote please visit our Election Center at [YOUR WEBSITE HERE] this is a one stop shop for information and resources for voters with disabilities. Or they can call me at (xxx) xxx- xxxx. Thanks again and have a great day! WEEK FOUR GOTV SCRIPT: ELECTION DAY REMINDER AND MAIL PUSH They can hear it in your voice. Voicemail Message [IF YOU CAN’T TALK TO VOTER LIVE] HI! This is and I’m a volunteer calling from , calling because Election Day is only (10-7) days away and we really need to get out the disability vote. Historically only 40% of our community votes, we need to increase that percentage so our elected officials remember us when they create policies. Check out our online Election Center 2014 at [YOUR WEBSITE]. And if you have any questions or need assistance casting an independent vote call our local organizer at . Thanks and remember polls are open from [TIME] on Election Day Tuesday, [DATE]! THE “VOTE AS K” [IF YOU TALK TO THE ACTUAL VOTER] Hi! Is there? This is calling from , to remind you that Election Day Tuesday [DATE] is coming soon. Do you vote at the polls or by mail? IF BY MAIL Great! Remember that it is recommended day to mail your vote by mail ballot is [DATE 10 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION DAY]– just days away. This is to make sure you ballot is received by your county registrar by Election Day and your vote is counted. Have you mailed your vote-by-mail ballot? [IF YES GO TO CLOSING, IF NO GO TO URGENCY STATEMENT BELOW] IF AT THE POLLS Do you know where you polling place is located? Do you need any assistance getting to the polls on Election Day? Remember polls are open from [TIME]. [IF NO TO EITHER GO TO RESOURCES] CLOSING And last, if we can help you or someone else you know who needs an accommodation to vote please visit our Election Center 2014 at [YOUR WEBSITE HERE] this is a one stop shop for information and resources for voters with disabilities. Or they can call me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Thanks again and have a great day! WEEK FIVE – ELECTION DAY GOTV SCRIPT: GOTV CAMPAIGN ELECTION DAY FINAL PUSH SCRIPT They can hear it in your voice. HI! This is and I’m a volunteer from [your local organization] I’m calling because Election Day is Tuesday /Tomorrow [Date]. We need to “ramp up the disability vote” so our elected officials remember us when they create policies. Polls are open [TIME]. Please vote early, and if you vote by mail take your ballot to your polling place instead of mailing it. If you need information like finding your polling place, go to [YOUR WEBSITE] or call [YOUR ORGANIZATIONS PHONE NUMBER]. Thank you for voting! CLOSING And last, if we can help you or someone else you know who needs an accommodation to vote please visit our Election Center at [YOUR WEBSITE HERE] this is a one stop shop for information and resources for voters with disabilities. Or they can call me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Thanks again and have a great day! THE “VOLUNTEER ASK” SCRIPT During each interaction with a voter, whether you are making a GOTV call or registering them to vote – you should also ask them if they would like to volunteer. The success of your GOTV effort will be determined by the size of your team. Thanks for chatting with me today; you know it takes a large enough team to contact thousands of voters with disabilities to make sure they are prepared to vote. Can we count on you to volunteer for a few hours this week at our office and help us call more voters? IF YES Thanks! Let me go through the shift options for you can get some info from you. [SIGN THEM UP] IF NO OR HESITENT You know direct contact with voters has proven to be the ONLY reliable way to make sure people vote or have all the information they need. It can be a little uncomfortable at first, but you’ll get the hang of it…I did! Are you sure we can’t count on you to help us get out the disability vote? VOTING MOTIVATORS SCRIPT - URGENCY STATEMENT: You know this is a really important election; our elected leaders will create the policies that affect people with disabilities. Many politicians look at voter turn-out numbers when they consider which populations should get the most attention. Can we count on you to mail in your ballot today or tomorrow? - LOCAL ISSUES: We all have some big decisions to make this election year, have you thought about: [INSERT YOUR LOCAL ADVOCACY ISSUES]? - “I’M NOT VOTING THIS YEAR”: 57 Million Americans with Disabilities have the potential to be one of the largest voting blocks in the nation, but historically only 40% of our community votes. With improving access to polling places and voting systems the opportunity is ours to change the math and watch the numbers grow – but it takes individual action! - “I don’t understand the candidates and issues”: Have you had a chance to read League of women Voters Easy Voter Guide? For information about the choices on your ballot you can visit our Election Center 2014 at [YOUR WEBSITE] this is a one stop shop for information and resources for voters with disabilities. There you will find a link to the Easy Voter Guide and well as other information like how to look up your polling place or information about your rights. Election 2014 Calendar Event Worksheet Logistics Contact Person: Email: Phone: Name of Event(s): Sponsoring Organization(s): Event Date(s) and Time(s): Type of Event: Event Location: Street Address City, State, Zip Event Location Instructions: Event Location website, parking, map, public transportation, etc. Web Address for Event Online Listing: RSVP Email or Phone (if different than above): Accommodation Request Email or Phone (if different than above): Election Event Plan Worksheet Campaign Type: Voter Registration Voter Education Voter Contact Describe Event/Action: # Voters Targeted: X # Contacts (Times): = # Voter Contacts Who’s Responsible: Name Best Phone Job/Role Deadline 1. 2. 3. 4. Timeline (Work Backwards): Write each weekly action to plan and execute this event below October 2014 1st Week: 2nd Week: 3rd Week: 4th Week: November 2014 72- Hour (Last 3 days): Election Day Polls Open: Election Day Lunch Rush: Election Day Last Chance: Expected Outcome: VOLUNTEER SIGN UP/CONFIRMATION CALL SHEET EVENT: DATE & TIME: LOCATION: SHIFT LEADER: NAME BEST PHONE EMAIL CONRM? SHOW? Humpty Dumpty (916) 555-5555 Brokeneggshell@thewall.com Yes Yes RESOURCES GUIDE SHEET VOTER GUIDE IN ALERTNATE FORMATS: - [YOUR COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE ALTERNATE FORMATS WEBPAGE OR PHONE NUMBER TO ORDER THEM] - [YOUR SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE ALTERNATE FORMATS WEBPAGE OR PHONE NUMBER TO ORDER THEM] PROPOSITIONS IN PLAN LANGUAGE: [INSERT LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EASY VOTER GUIDE WEBSITE] ELECTION CENTER 2014: [YOUR WEBSITE HERE] - Watch “How To” videos on accessible voting machines - Check your voter registration - Find Your Polling Place - Voter Guides in Plain Language - Hotlines to report barriers IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS: - ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINES: - SECRETARY OF STATE HOTLINE: - LOCAL POLL RIDES: GOTV CAMPAIGN EVENT VOTER CONTACT TALLY SHEET ORGANIZATION: DATE: Tally every conversation you have with a voter or possible voter in the categories below. Example: CONTACT TYPE TALLY SUBTOTALS VOTER REGISTRATION: Everyone you talk to about registering to vote. FORUM ATTENDANCE: Everyone who attends your forum. OUTREACH EVENTS: Everyone who you speak to about voting at the event. DOOR KNOCKS: Every door you knock on and leave literature or talk to at their house. GOTV PHONE CALLS: Everyone you call, include voicemails. DIRECT MAIL: Everyone you send a stamped postcard to via USPS EMAILS:Every email recipent for emails reminding people about voting activities like registering or Election Day. Addendum C: ElectionSocial Media Tool Kit INTRODUCTION so·cial me·di·a (noun) Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Basically, social media brings people together across great distances. For that reason it has become an incredible campaign tool for both candidates and constituents. Who isn’t on social media of some kind these days? This tool kit will explore ways that we can all use our Facebook and Twitter accounts to get out messages about issues important to people with disabilities to other voters, news reporters and the candidates. And using some techniques you will read in this kit, we can actually target specific questions and concerns to individuals. We can even begin a conversation between two people about an important topic and watch it grow to include thousands of other people. Conversations about important issues are the cornerstone of politics and elections. When candidates write their campaign plans, the main goal is to create conversations about them and their issues. That’s why they knock on doors and make phone calls to voters. So let’s drive these conversations! This tool kit will give you resources and information to conduct an effective and easy social media campaign. For the social media beginner you will learn how to sign up for Facebook and Twitter and get started connecting with other people. For the more experienced social media this kit has posting and tweeting tips as well as a cheat sheet to target your messages to specific individuals while keeping all out in the public arena to create the large conversation. So let’s not delay…let’s get the conversations going right away! GETTING STARTED ON FACEBOOK Probably almost everyone you know has a Facebook account these days. In fact, so do many businesses, non-profit organizations, social justice groups…and candidates! Facebook is a super vehicle to connect with candidate campaigns by putting your questions, pictures and comments in your status and tagging them. Your Facebook page can also be a great way to get the word about important election updates like hotlines to report inaccessible polling places or services offering free rides to the polls. Connecting with folks on Facebook is also a creative exercise to get them involved and volunteering for your cause while they are at school, work or even on vacation – almost everyone is on FB all day through their mobile phone devices. We all know people who just won’t come into our office or sit a table at a festival to volunteer in person – even if we offer them our cool new t-shirt! But on FB they can volunteer and share your message from wherever they are in the world. If you don’t have a Facebook account it’s really easy to sign up for one, just go to www.facebook.com. And they have a tool that will let you send a message to all the addresses in your email to let your friends, family, caregivers and co-workers know about your new page – you’ll have lots of Facebook friends really quick! Here are some helpful Facebook tips: - Keep posts short, remember folks are on Facebook during breaks or when the boss isn’t looking, they don’t have much time to read. - Include images when you can, pictures tell a1000 words and they really get people’s attention. - If there are people in your photos, tag them (and tag other organizations in your posts whenever it’s relevant), this way folks will get an alert that they have been tagged and they will be drawn to read your post. - Encourage engagement by asking questions and asking people to share your links/images. - Generally speaking, don’t post links by themselves; make sure to write something to go along with the link, even if it’s really simple (“Check out this article about disability and voting”) - Write posts that people will feel comfortable liking. If you post about something negative, end the post with a call to action/change. (For example, if you post an article about inaccessible polling places, you might write something about how accessible polling places are essential and that we need to make sure everyone is able to vote.) - Share content from other organizations, like and comment on their posts too – its good to show solidarity with your partners, they will return the favor. - Make sure you are using Facebook like an ad in the newspaper or on TV…except its free! - However, don’t like your own posts while you are using Facebook…people notice that and you want other people to like your posts - Maintain a consistent presence - post a few times a week if possible, and no less than once a week. But in the lead up to something big like Election Day, you may want to post daily, just make sure you post new information each time. Facebook also connects through the cyber space to other social media sites, so remember to use our Twitter hashtag #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! on all your posts! GETTING STARTED ON TWITTER To tweet, or not, to tweet; that is the question… In today’s world many candidates campaign and communicate using social media, especially on Twitter. These are some good tweets you can use to get their attention, and they also work as good quick and easy Facebook posts too. Blitzing the cyber space on Twitter can be a great way to draw attention to your issues or organization. You will need to have a Twitter account. If you don’t have one you can easily signup on www.Twitter.com. During the sign up process you will need to decide on your handle, this is the name you will go by on twitter. You should consider something short and catchy that will let your friends know that it is you. After all you will want your friends to find and follow you so they can retweet your words of wisdom. A “retweet” is when you repeat someone else’s tweet, kind of like gossiping, but in a good way. Using Twitter is also a creative exercise to get folks involved and volunteering for your cause while they are at home, school, work or even on vacation or a night out on the town. Unlike a get out the vote phone bank or door knocking canvass, people can participate from wherever they are in the world. And this is a great activity to engage folks who you just can’t seem to get to come in to your office for that in-person volunteer activity – no matter how much free pizza you offer them. Now that you want to get started on your social media campaign using Twitter. The following sections have useful resources and information so that you can strategize an effective social media campaign using Twitter. These resources include: Twitter tips, sample tweets, our hashtag, candidate information, suggestions on the race to be tweeting about and a twitter cheat sheet, a listing of twitter handles for candidates, news reporters and fellow voting rights organization. TWITTER TIPS - You only have 140 typed characters – use them wisely - When possible, leave room in tweets for people to retweet and add their own commentary - Use bit.ly to clean up links and track clicks. This is a website that can take a long web address, like a link for a YouTube video, and turn it into a short link. This will save you room so the link won’t take up too many of your 140 characters. - Use hashtags relevant to what you’re tweeting about (ex. #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote!) - Tweet at candidates, journalists, and related organizations (other ILCs, voting organizations like Rock the Vote and the League of Women Voters). News reporters pick up a lot of their stories from twitter. And your coalition organization may want to retweet you to show solidarity. - If you’re tweeting at someone and you want other people to see it, don’t begin a tweet with their twitter handle (@username). Either put a period before the @ symbol or put their twitter handle later in the tweet. Tweets that begin with @ symbols will only show up for people following both users, and will go into the Tweets & replies column instead of in the main Tweets column. - Maintain a consistent presence - post a few times a week if possible, and no less than once a week Candidate Sample Tweets When tweeting these questions to candidates, you also want all of your followers to see them and retweet. So be sure to begin the tweet with a period (.), then the “at” symbol (@) and their handle name. For example: .@candidateXYZ Below are some sample tweets to get you started. You can easily use these for a 10-day twitter campaign by tweeting one question a day to each of your candidates for office in your area. The tweets below are a shortened version of the candidate questionnaire sent to all statewide and General Assembly candidates by the DOnetwork. How have you supported the disability community & how do you plan to in the future? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! Do you support the right of a person with a disability to live independently in the community? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! How will you ensure people can transition from nursing homes to living independently? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! How will you support students with disabilities 2 get an accessible and equal education? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! How will you help sustain the In Home Sup Svcs program for seniors and ppl wdisabilities? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! How will you increase opps 4 people with disabilities to have affordable, accessible & integrated housing? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! What u do 2 ensure ppl wDisabilities are part of planning and oversight public transportation system upgrades in CA? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! What will you do 2 increase job training and employment opps 4 ppl wDisabilities? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! How will u protect disabled rights to access to elections & a private vote? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! How will u ensure changes in healthcare delivery for ppl wDisabilities will maintain consistent care? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! Answer: Do U think CA spends 2 much,2 little, or just right $ sup’ing ppl wDisabilities? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! Create your Own! Use this space to write out your own tweets to candidates, and remember you only get 140 characters… CANDIDATES HANDLE / YOUR QUESTION .@ / ? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! .@ / ? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! .@ / ? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! .@ / ? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote! .@ / ? #RAMPUPtheDisabilityVote!