Turning Out Your Vote

According to Hotline's On-Call blog, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the NRCC's liaison to the RNC for turnout, sent this advice out to members of the House Republican caucus ...

Turning Out Your Vote - Some Things to Remember for Your GOTV Programs

By Ann McCord and Tom Hockaday

• Know when absentee and/or early voting begins in your state.
• Increasingly, states are allowing "no excuses" absentee balloting and early voting. However, many campaigns are not adjusting their voter contact programs including GOTV efforts to the new timetables. Don't let this happen to you! Know the timetables and deadlines in your state ... many a campaign has been won or lost on votes cast early or by absentee.
• Expand GOTV beyond more than Election Day.
• Try to determine what types of voters will utilize absentee voting and early voting. For example, previous participation in absentee voting and early voting is usually a good indication they will vote this way again.
• Some states allow you to obtain list of those who request ballots by mail, so you can target messages effectively to them.
• For both programs, consider utilizing both mail and phones. Direct mail is a great way to educate voters before they can request an absentee ballot or vote in person. (Read the rest by clicking "FULL POST")

Telemarketing--especially recorded call programs--can be a very costefficient and timely way to get a quick message to voters who apply for anabsentee ballot by mail especially if you do not have sufficient time to deliver multiple messages by mail. Personal contacts are still the most effective. It's no secret that personal recommendations are a very powerful marketing tool whether you areselling a product or campaigning for public office. Part of your turn out operation should involve volunteers contacting your potential voters either in person or over the telephone. You, as the candidate and CEO of your campaign, should also take part in these efforts in the highest priority areas of your district.

Don't discount the importance of door to door GOTV operations. Nothing can persuade potential supporter more than having a candidate orrepresentative of a campaign knock on their door and ask for their vote.

If you have an email database, you can send an email message to all voters in an area you are campaigning in with photos of your GOTV efforts. This way, you can "cover" more people in each area. For example, if you are doing door to door in a precinct or a town, if you email those people in advance of the operation and/or after you are done in that area, it allows more voters to know that you have "touched" their area and asked for their vote.

If you utilize phones for GOTV, try to personalize the script to that area or the voter. It does take more management and organization, butit can highly effective if the GOTV message is localized. In an off-year election, it's every campaign for themselves. During apresidential year the rising tide of higher turnout raises all boats. Inan off-year election, however, turnout is naturally lower. It is just smart politics to be sure your campaign has a turnout operation that is designedto maximize your vote.

If your State or Local GOP organizations conduct "Victory" programs for GOTV, be sure you are FULLY informed as to who they are turning out, and the timetables for their efforts. If you can participate in such a partyrelated GOTV operation, you may be able to save resources. Your campaignwill then be able to focus resources on the more "swing" areas of you district which are not likely to get the attention of the party programs.

Also check to see what other GOP candidates may be doing for GOTVoperations. Often times your Congressional district can be overwhelming due to size of district and number of voters. Many times local candidates mayhave a very effective GOTV operation that you can tie into ---especially ifthey are an incumbent officeholder.

Review Past Voting History. Reliable voters--people that vote in all general elections and most (if not all) primary elections--may not need much in the form of GOTV efforts. You can limit allocation of resources tothem if needed. Voters that tend to vote less frequently (only in Presidential elections, non-primary voters) most likely will need more GOTV efforts.

Be prepared to plug any holes in the abovementioned programs with your own campaign-run GOTV efforts. You and your campaign's focus must be on doing everything possible to maximize your vote. Television and radio do not turn out votes. Paid media does a great job of persuading voters that you are the candidate who deserves their support. That is merely the first step in closing the deal. Actually getting a voter to the polls on Election Day will take a much more personal effort. Direct mail, emails, phone contacts and in-person contacts reminding yourlikely voters that they need to get to the polls and vote for you are often the tactics that get shortchanged in the campaign budget.

Make sure that persuasion and GOTV messages reinforce each other -- and do not send contrasting or mixed messages. Be sure that your final and closing persuasion message is part of your GOTV message and operation.

The frequency of GOTV messages is important. Especially for your key voters -- the more GOTV messages you send, the more likely they will vote.

Don't just rely on one tactic for GOTV. Utilize all the tools you have at your hand -- mail, phones, the internet, door to door, etc.

If GOTV resources are limited, consider narrowing your targets as a way to expand the number of GOTV messages you can deliver to the most important groups to youTiming is everything ... especially for GOTV programs. Election Day is going to be November 7 no matter what so schedule your GOTV operation accordingly. This includes identifying what you can control as to the delivery of GOTV messages. But more important, understand what you cannot control and planaccordingly.

You cannot control mail delivery, so do not drop any GOTV mail pieces too late. You want voters to receive GOTV mail no later than the daybefore the election, so determine the time it takes for mail to process andbe delivered and schedule your mail dates accordingly.

This is particularly important if you are utilizing Bulk Mailpermits. Build in the extra time necessary to ensure it is delivered beforeElection Day. Even though political mail close to an election that is "red-tagged" is supposed to move like first class mail, don't count on it.* For telemarketing programs, if resources are limited, the mostimportant GOTV messages are those conducted prior to Election Day. Many people -- especially in larger metropolitan areas—will vote on their way towork or school -- or on their way home. Once they get home, if they haven't voted, you may not get them to leave to go to a polling place.