Field, Grassroots Organizing & Direct Voter Contact

Pre-Qualification Opportunities Capitalize on signature gathering efforts Utilize partners and partner data Create coordination systems and accountability Ongoing development of your voter file/data Educate and ID Voters Don’t just wait for opponents to qualify

Planning your Field Campaign Field Impacts: 3-5% Margin Statewide 5-10% Margin for Municipalities If it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist. Learn before you write Measure your results Detail every activity: time, date, location

Managing Limited Resources People Time Money ©

Elements of a Field Plan Political Landscape Targeting Info and Vote Goals Voter Contact Program Data Management Plan Timeline/Calendar Budget

Targeting: The Basics  Identifying your target audience is at the heart of grassroots organizing.  Identify new voters to increase your margin of victory How many votes does it take to win? GOAL: Expected Vote X 50% of the vote + 1 Comfortable Margin of Victory is 52%

Target Chart Support Turnout Base VotePersuadable Voters Opposition Voters Always Vote Sometimes Vote Never Vote DFF F F Persuasion A GOTV Persuasion #2 C A B/C

Basic Elements of Voter Contact  Targeting – Identifying your voters  Voter File – Tracking voters  Direct Voter Contact – Reaching out to Voters through direct communication. ID the ones that support you and get them to the polls!

Types of Targeted Voters  Base/Supportive Voters  GOAL: Maximize turnout  Persuadable Voters  GOAL: Move to them to your position  Opposition Voters  GOAL: Figure out who they are, where they live and never go there!!!

Targeting and Data The more information on your voter file, the more targeted your universes can be!  Geographic – urban, suburban, rural  Demographic – party id, race, gender, age  Precinct data  Polling  Commercial Data/Modeling  Data communicating with voters

Common Direct Voter Contact Tactics ID and Educate Voters via:  Canvassing  Mail  Phones  Online  Constituency Organizing  Avoid Wild and Crazy Ideas

Grasstop and Influential Organizing  Identify “grasstop” leaders and “influentials”  Organize “grasstop” leaders when looking for endorsements  Target community leaders or “influentials”  “Influentials” create positive word-of-mouth persuasion  Develop program to ID and engage “influentials”

Is a Vote By Mail (VBM) Program Right for Your Campaign?  Cost-benefit analysis  Use volunteers wherever you can  Be realistic  High-end program/low-end program  If you can’t afford a good VBM program, don’t waste your time.

Get Out The Vote: Plan from Day 1 Encourage Early Voting and Vote by Mail ID GOTV Targets Organize your data and make lists Organize volunteers Plan transportation and communications Determine Tools and Tactics

Implementing Field Tactics  Details Matter: Time, People, Money  Numbers have to be real (no street money)  Local faces, Local Messengers  Professional and Accountable Operations  Get the Data! Use the Data!  Plan to use Field, Don’t wait to Plan Field

AND REMEMBER... Go! Fight! Win! Lewis Granofsky FieldWorks 2528 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC