democracyroadmap
How to get the vote out for Democrats!
Too busy and just want some easy ways to help Democrats win?
Skip this whole document and…
- Donate here: https://votesaveamerica.com/donate
- Check your voter registration, request a ballot: https://www.vote.org/
- Nag your friends and family to check their voter registration, make a plan for when to vote (before work, after work, etc)
- explore volunteer (from home!) opportunities here: https://votesaveamerica.com/
For more info and options, read on…
Q&A
What’s the goal?
The most effective way to get more votes is to canvass by making phone calls, texting, and knocking on doors.
We need to reach as many voters as possible to inform them
- that the election is happening
- who the Democratic candidates are
- what’s at stake
- where and how to vote.
Direct contact puts a human face/voice to the process of voting and to the issues. All these methods have been proven to work to turn out more voters than TV and internet ads.
Doesn’t everyone already know about the election and who the candidates are, and probably know who they are voting for?
Some people don’t know about the election, or they do but they aren’t super clear on who the candidates are! Not everyone pays attention to or understands the news. Some people have 2 or 3 jobs! There are a ton of high potential and low information voters who, with just a phone call, could be looped into everything going on.
Often people are aware of things, but they view it from a distance as a horse race, a spectacle. Reaching out to them pulls them in and makes them feel involved and feel like they have influence.
Some people are pretty informed and will vote Democrat, but don’t know where their polling place is, or how to vote by mail etc.
Some people are informed and feel certain they will vote, but don’t have what we call in canvassing “a plan”. They might assume it’s easy to find where their polling place is, but then on election day they can’t figure it out. They might assume what time the polling location is open but be wrong. They might not have a plan for when to vote (before vs. after work, etc).
Some people feel pretty sure they will vote, but when election day comes around they might get busy, assume their vote isn’t that consequential, etc.
We call them to give them information and encouragement. This is proven to turn out more voters!
Who do we call?
Mostly Democrats, sometimes independents or other interesting subgroups. Don’t worry, we aren’t calling up hardcore Trump supporters and trying to convince them to switch. Different campaigns target different groups at different times.
A common example of the group that is targeted is “registered Democrats who are unlikely to vote”. Campaigns know who these people are because, you might be amazed to learn, they can request voting records of when people voted (but not who they voted for of course)! Weird, I know. So, these people are likely to vote for Democrats if they do vote, but are also likely to not vote. So if we help them get out and vote, it’s a good investment of effort!
Even if we can flip a handful of voters, isn’t that a drop in the bucket compared to who is already voting?
Short answer: Every vote counts! The entire VA legislature was lost to Republicans by ONE VOTE in 2017! 😢
Long answer: All those drops in the bucket add up! When we canvass, do phone calls, or text, we are reaching out to voters and gaining some votes. Additionally, we are also collecting data for the campaign to use later for various purposes, such as deciding whom to reach out to via phone on election day to remind them to vote. Additionally, getting voters engaged and feeling like they have an impact makes them more likely to talk to their own friends and family, so they might be bringingin in additional votes themselves.
Another answer: Starting in 2018, the GOTV effort is massive, we have changed outcomes and we are going to keep doing it! JOIN US!
How much effort does it take?
- You can volunteer for 30 minutes/week or 10 hours/week
- You can donate $5 or $5,000
- Do something! Don’t do nothing!
Volunteering
ways to volunteer
- In-person Canvassing: Walk door to door, inform people about the election and the candidate. You meet a spectrum of Americans and make a difference — it’s fun! There is very little confrontation, and many people are grateful to have a face-to-face conversation with someone who cares. It’s really life-changing and productive to connect with one’s fellow americans, and also to walk around some beautiful and interesting neighborhoods! The campaign has different goals for the canvass day-to-day. You will get a quick training and you will be partnered with an experienced person.
- Phone banking: Make phone calls, using an app. Your phone number is not involved. Similar goals as above.
- Text banking: Send Text messages, using an app. Your phone number is not involved. Similar goals as above.
Groups to volunteer with
Knock For Democracy
I’ve been involved on and off with this group since 2018 and I think it’s the best and most impactful group of folks there is!
https://www.knockfordemocracy.org/
Other
- https://www.sisterdistrict.com/volunteer/
- https://swingleft.org/
- https://indivisible.org/
- https://front.moveon.org/
- https://votefwd.org/ Print and customize physical letters and mail them. Shown to increase turnout by 3.4%!!
- https://www.ctctogether.org/ “Deep canvassing is a form of voter engagement where canvassers connect to voters emotionally through storytelling, empathy, and respect. It’s also the most effective form of voter engagement that’s ever been measured.” WNYC story
Donate
- https://votesaveamerica.com/donate
- https://www.futurenow.org/ strategically picked state races, and also a policy agenda
- https://flippable.org/ flippable state House and Senate districts. Click “donate” to donate to all.
- https://www.sisterdistrict.com/ strategically picked state races
- https://redtoblue.dccc.org/ flippable US House districts. Click “support all candidates” or pick your favorite(s). warning: sadly, the DCCC will give your email address to every single campaign and you will get lots of emails! sigh
- https://www.dlcc.org/ - state races
Multi-function Guides/Resources. They are fun! Do them all!
- https://www.vote.org/ Registration, absentee ballots, reminders, etc. Good easy website to remember, when you want to quickly inform your friends, neighbors, and strangers.
- https://votesaveamerica.com/
- https://www.ballotready.org/
More! / not democrat-specific
- Volunteer with https://momsdemandaction.org/. They have been passing gun laws at the state level for years. They are inspiring and amazing.
- https://momsdemandaction.org/join-us/
- Text GUNSENSE to 644-33
- Register people to vote at concerts: https://www.headcount.org
- If you have questions or see problems at the polls text OUR VOTE to 97779 and you will be connected to a trained nonpartisan Election Protection volunteer. More details at https://866ourvote.org.
Thanks for reading! — John
