By Kyle Hopkins
Have you ever volunteered for a campaign and wondered, “Is what I’m doing making any difference in the election?”
The answer is YES!
Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
As many volunteers and staffers know, there are a variety of ways to Get Out the Vote (GOTV). Not surprisingly, some of these are more effective than others. There are studies that have proven the effectiveness of different methods and messaging used in getting out the vote. It is estimated that a perfect GOTV campaign will improve your voters’ turnout by more than 10%, which, in Seminole County, is all the difference we need to win!
Door-To-Door Canvassing
Generally speaking, the more personal the interaction, the more likely it is that the individual will be inspired to vote. The most effective way to get out the vote is to have a volunteer canvass door to door. It has been shown that face to face interaction and conversation with a volunteer is the single best way to turn a voter out. A paid staffer is not as good at this as a volunteer- money is no substitute for genuine enthusiasm. In the era of COVID-19, canvassing is no longer possible, but you can still make a difference with the next most effective way to GOTV: Phone banking!
Phone Banking
Though you lose the face-to-face aspect of the conversation, phone banking still allows you to have a personal connection with the potential voter. Plus, you can reach a wider range of people. Volunteer phone bankers have been shown to be more effective than staffers at getting people out to vote. In the era of COVID-19, this is our best bet at reaching potential voters!
Texting
The next most effective GOTV method is peer-to-peer texting. This means a person texting a person, not a mass text to many people. Direct mail is the 4th best way, and lit drops are the 5th best way to reach voters.
Multiple Contacts
Additionally, there is some evidence that contacting a voter multiple times will inspire them to vote! Contacting a voter up to 5 times increases the likelihood that they will vote, but starting with the 6th contact, the returns diminish from contact with that voter.
In terms of messaging, social pressure is the most effective method of GOTV, followed by directly helping the voter make a plan to vote and providing the voter with information on where and when to vote.
A GOTV campaign is designed to GOTV for voters who you think will support you, and sometimes these methods are also used to persuade voters that might not otherwise support your cause. It depends on how long before the election it is, as well as the organization doing the campaign.
As SemDems, we are focusing on getting out the vote for down ballot races, meaning we want people who normally vote only for president to vote for local candidates as well. This is voter education, and can be accomplished in all the ways already mentioned. Though we cannot currently canvass door to door, we can still get out the vote! Phone banking and peer-to-peer texting are proven methods- and that is exactly why SemDems has campaigns for both strategies.
However, the success of these campaigns is determined by our volunteers. Even the best, most researched-based GOTV strategy will flop if we don’t have the volunteer power to support it. That’s why we’re asking you to volunteer with us.
You can make a difference in many ways!