www.getouthevotetowin.

com

Page 1

In a tight race, getting out the vote means the difference between winning or losing. A well-run GOTV effort will bump up your numbers by several percentage points. If the other candidate is asleep at the switch, you can expect even bigger gains!

You cant afford not to do GOTV right! Youve put countless hours into the campaign to win on Election Day, but you wont unless you get your supporters out to the polls. Even if youve done everything right until this point, that doesnt mean that your GOTV campaign will be as successful. The GOTV campaign should target a different set of voters and communicate a different message to name just a couple of ways its different from other phases of the campaign. Thankfully, this free eBook will point you in the right direction. Its not a magic bullet. This eBook wont

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 2

develop and execute your GOTV plan for you, but it will provide you with invaluable tips and tricks to make your get out the vote campaign a success from some of the best GOTV political consultants around. Table of Contents Bronstein and Weaver on Direct Mail . 4 Caucus Media on Television and Multimedia . 7 Campaign Trail Yard Signs on Visibility 10 Democracy Resources on Field .. 12 Harney and Associates on Fundraising 15 Momentum Analysis on Political Polling .. 18 PoliticalRobocalls.com on Robo Calls 21 Progressive PST on Social Media . 24 Consultant contact information . 27

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 3

About Michael Bronstein and Bronstein and Weaver Michael Bronstein is the cofounder and president of Bronstein and Weaver, Inc., a leading Democratic direct mail firm. Michael has crafted strategy and award winning communications for campaigns on the local, national and international level. Prior to the founding of his firm, Michael served in many political capacities including: a parliamentary researcher in the House of Commons to the Rt. Hon. James Purnell MP, the Design & Political Publications Unit of the British Labour Party for Tony Blairs 2005 campaign, a mayoral advisor in upstate New York, and in President Bill Clintons White House Office of Scheduling and Advance.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 4

Michael has been named to the 2011 Democratic Dream Team of Political Consultants, a Top Ten Political Consultant by PA2010.com, Rising Star by Politics magazine, and featured as a Mover & Shaker by Campaigns & Elections. Direct Mail Voters look at a piece of mail for an average of 5 seconds: usually somewhere between the mailbox and the recycling bin. The average targeted legislative campaign sends 10 to 12 pieces of mail. Add those 5 seconds up for every mail piece and a voter could make a decision about your candidacy in 60 seconds. Every piece must stand out and make an impression. Here are the 5 tips that will make your campaign mail stand out from the pack: Don't try this at home: Use a professional political direct mail consultant who has been through the

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 5

rigors of the campaign process and understands what it takes to get the job done right. Target to win: One of the best features of mail, as compared to other forms of paid media, is that it can be a highly targeted affair. Snap and click with care: Without exception the best mail is created by using original photography. Repetition, repetition, repetition: Information is best consumed through repetition. Sending only one piece of mail will do little to influence voters. Stick to a consistent message and hit voters with it repeatedly. Creativity scores points: Try using different sizes, shapes, and colors. Make sure that your mail isn't too text heavy and do not be afraid of white space. When appropriate, use humor. As you use these tips in your next campaign, remember that you only have a few seconds to make an impression, so make the most of it. That's the secret sauce and, if it's done right, it shouldn't take more than a minute.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 6

About Andrew Eldredge-Martin and Caucus Media Andrew Eldredge-Martin is the principal at Caucus Media LLC, a political consulting firm that produces winning television, radio and online ads for Democratic candidates and progressive causes. After law school, Eldredge-Martin managed U.S. Congressman Chris Carney's 2006 upset victory in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District. Carney became the first Democrat to represent the 10th District since 1961. The campaign produced over 10 TV spots and spent nearly $1.5 million. Since then, Eldredge-Martin has managed and consulted on major races in 6 states and 3 time zones. He has served as a media and mail consultant to winning campaigns and causes from local commissioner races to

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 7

statewide campaigns. He is also an adjunct professor of political science at Susquehanna University. Television and Multimedia

Categorical statements create trouble, there's almost always an exception to the rule, but I'll try: For my money, every dollar spent communicating with voters must push a persuasion message, whether it's positive, contrastive or straight negative. Simply saying "go vote," without an element of persuasion, is noble but is off-message for your campaign and wastes an opportunity to convince an undecided voter or call a supporter to action. People are drowning in commercial advertising. While candidates and political staff have seen their campaign's ad 100 times ( because they never stop hitting refresh on

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 8

YouTube) the average voter may or may not even know their candidate's name. That's why every single touch on TV, and, for that matter, in the mail, at the door, or on the phone must continue to persuade people to vote for your candidate. That's not to say GOTV is unimportant. It's critical to get your supporters out to vote, but your GOTV message should be in addition to or complement your core persuasion message, not a supplement for it. And in terms of return on investment for a GOTV budget, I'll put my trust in Yale political science professors Green & Gerber: "Door-to-door canvassing by friends and neighbors is the gold-standard mobilization tactic."

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 9

About Ben Donahower and Campaign Trail Yard Signs

Ben Donahower has been on staff, volunteered, advised and consulted on campaigns as a small as borough council and as large as President for more than a decade. Ben was a top performing Field Director for the Pennsylvania state Democratic Party in 2006, the second staffer on the ground for the Hillary for President campaign in 2008, and was on Arlen Specter's advisory board in 2010 working local campaigns in between. He's passionate about campaigns and elections including making sense of campaign yard signs. He started Campaign Trail Yard Signs to cut through the campaign yard sign confusion. What do lawn signs do well? When

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 10

are they more trouble than they are worth? Just honest answers, so that you order only the political yard signs your campaign needs.

Visibility and Campaign Yard Signs

Hopefully, you have a few yard signs leftover for GOTV. Campaign signs have two distinct roles during the get out the vote phase of a political campaign: visibility and signs at the polls. At visibility events, volunteers will wave signs at busy intersections in the lead up to the election and outside polling places on Election Day. Give your volunteers a mix of yard signs and homemade signs for visibility events. Visibility events remind voters that the election is fast approaching, and they are a fun way to show voters that there is popular support for the candidate.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 11

Depending on the laws in your state and locality, you'll want to put sign yard signs in front of polling places. Your early morning Election Day volunteers can put the signs out at the polls but to get the best location, put the signs up the night before. Finally, after the election is over, collect all of the signs from the polling places and along roads. In many districts, you could get fined if you leave your signs out for too long following the election.

About Ted Blaszak and Democracy Resources

Our mission is to utilize dynamic and innovative field strategies to preserve the environment, stand up for basic civil rights and defend

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 12

working families. Since emerging from Oregon's Environmental and Labor Movements over a decade ago, we've qualified more than 50 measures for the ballot. Together with our clients and coalition partners we've helped to elect Democratic candidates, boost voter participation in under-served neighborhoods and secure funding for critical community services. Looking beyond Election Day, we work with candidates and organizations to build the foundation of a true Progressive Movement by expanding membership, creating unique opportunities for issue visibility and cultivating a genuine sense of community ownership. The Field Campaign Canvassing is still the best way to make sure that your supporters make it to the polls on Election Day. Emails, snail-mail, Facebook, TV: none of them have quite the

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 13

same effect on a voter as a real, live person at their door. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure that each step in the field brings your campaign closer to Election Day victory. Who are your supporters? Do you know? If not, a voter-ID canvass can tell you who supports you, where they live, and what issues drive their vote. Work your base: If you already know where your support lies, paring down your walking lists will let you focus on getting your voters to the ballot. Persuasion: Identifying the voters most likely to be swayed over to your camp lets you focus on building your base at the expense of your opponents. Volunteers: Volunteers can appeal to the grassroots in a way that paid staff never could, but only if they've received proper training and support. Numbers: The more doors you knock the more votes you'll get. A paid staff can fill the holes in a

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 14

volunteer effort and give you the edge in a tight race, but only if you have an experienced coordinator directing them. For more information about how a targeted canvass can improve your chances of winning, please feel free to contact us at info@democracyresources.com About Matt Harney and Harney and Associates

Matt Harney is an experienced political consultant in Oklahoma politics. Matt worked with an Oklahoma Caucus political action committee for 4 election cycles. He began his tenure as Candidate Coordinator and later served as Finance Director. In 2007, Harney was promoted to Executive Director.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 15

During this time, Harney has helped elect over two dozen candidates to the state house while raising over $2 million. Matts experience includes every aspect of political campaigning; including fundraising, direct mail, strategy, and campaign organization. In 2010, Matt opened Harney & Associates. In the last year, Matt has raised more than $1.2 million for clients. Fundraising Fundraising can make or break a campaign. The hard truth is some campaign activities require money, so campaigns with the most money have an advantage. If your campaign does not have money then you cannot get your message out to potential voters. There are some basic principles when it comes to raising money. You must identify your prospects: Start with your inner circle first: friends, family, civic organizations,

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 16

etc. List all of these people and identify an amount you can ask each person to donate. Contact each of them in order of priority: Phone calls are important for this inner group of friends. Getting them to invest in you and your campaign is important for their continued support. Make sure you thank every person in writing: There is no such thing as thanking a supporter too much. Keep in mind that people give to campaigns for different reasons. People will give because they love the candidate. People give because they believe in the issues or platform. People give because they do not like the alternative choice. Keep in mind that the same appeal to every person will not always work. Get to know your potential donors and find the best method for them. Personalizing your fundraising will make it more successful.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 17

About Margie Omero and Momentum Analysis Margie Omero is President and founder of Momentum Analysis, LLC, a Democratic public opinion research firm based in Washington, DC. Omero's clients have included the DNC, the DCCC, EMILY's List, Members of Congress, non-profits and labor unions and campaigns around the country from City Council to US Senate. She is an award-winning pollster, named both a "Mover and Shaker" by Campaigns & Elections magazine and one of "50 Politicos to Watch" by Politico. Her work as a pollster.com/Huffington Post blogger has appeared in outlets such as Hardball, ABC's The Note, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and she is a regular contributor to Politico's Arena. Omero frequently comments on political trends on television, radio and in print. Omero graduated from the University of Texas at

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 18

Austin with High Honors and Special Honors in the University's prestigious honors program, studied psychology and research methodology and wrote her honors thesis using longitudinal survey data. She lives in Washington, DC. Political Polling There are four principles for developing poll questions that can help with using your poll for GOTV. View your questionnaire through the lens of these guidelines before you begin calling. Think before you ask: Plan and discuss GOTV polling questions before going in the field. Include demographics, some of which may already be on your voter file, so they don't need to be re-asked. Simple attitudinal questions may also be useful such as whether the area is on the right or wrong track.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 19

Put yourself in the mind of the voter and the respondent: Most swing voters are not closely following your race. That's what makes them swing, so every poll question should assume very little, be short and clear, and remove jargon and unnecessary numbers or acronyms.

Pick the best dependent variable: The dependent variable is what youre trying to predict in your postpoll modeling. Sometimes you're trying to predict who is voting for your candidates and other times its undecided voters. Its important to have an open mind about what works best for your actual race and poll results.

Ensure participant confidentiality: Poll respondents should be told their responses are confidential. That means you should not call undecided poll respondents for GOTV efforts, but you can use

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 20

what you learn about undecided voters to build a GOTV plan. By following these guidelines, a good poll can be useful not just for message development but also GOTV.

About Moses Ross and PoliticalRobocalls.com

Moses Ross is a lifelong Democrat that has seen his political involvement increase over the past decade. In that time he has created an awardwinning political call center and communications consulting practice that has been wholly focused on Democratic candidates and progressive causes across the nation. He has also provided his expertise to the party on a volunteer basis, serving in a number of official elected

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 21

positions, culminating in being elected as a national delegate for Senator Hillary Clinton representing Oregon's 1st Congressional District at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. He continues to serve the party as a delegate on the Democratic Party of Oregon State Central Committee and as House District 36 Leader for the Multnomah County Democratic Party. Robo Calls A facet of every successful political campaign is the get out the vote (GOTV) effort leading up to Election Day. So where do you begin? It begins with your call list. You need to develop a list of supporters within your district. You start with family and friends, expand into volunteers and donors and then to voters within your party that live in the district. A political call center can contact and identify your supporters early so that you aren't wasting precious time and money as you get closer to Election Day.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 22

Now you need to remind and motivate them to go vote. If you have enough volunteers to make the calls, great! If not, hire a political call center to make the calls for you. The GOTV call script should be short and to the point. Mention the candidates name twice and remind them of the need to vote for your candidate on Election Day. For example: "Hi, this is Jill calling on behalf of the John Jones for Congress campaign. Election Day is this Tuesday, and the polls are open from 7am until 7pm. Please remember to vote for John Jones for Congress this Tuesday." Start your GOTV calls on the Thursday before Election Day. Wrap up by Monday evening, the day before the polls open. The prime time to call voters is between 5PM and 8PM.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 23

There are many examples of political campaigns that were behind in the polls leading up to the final days but were able, through hard work, persistence and an aggressive GOTV calling effort, to get to that magic number of 50% +1 and win their race. About Beth Becker and Progressive PST

Beth's background includes a college career studying Communication, a number of years working sports marketing and a wide variety of restaurant jobs. In her spare time throughout she has maintained an interest in politics and in 2006 served on the campaign team for Lois Herr in PA-16. This campaign experience coupled with a lifelong interest in politics led her to Netroots Nation 09 where Progressive PST was born.

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 24

At PPST, Beth works directly with campaigns to map out the best social media strategy for their needs. This includes the day to day social media account management and assorted other tasks as assigned by campaigns and her fellow PPST social media strategists. Beth can be found on Twitter @Spedwybabs.

Social Media

Hopefully, you've been using social media since day one of your campaign. Now it's time to seal the deal and get all of your supporters and their friends and families to the polls to vote. How can social media help with this?

If you've accumulated a list of Twitter followers who live in your district you can start tweeting them reminders to go vote a few days before Election

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 25

Day along with a shortened link to a website where they can find their polling location. Use the Facebook's Events platform to create a Facebook event for Election Day and target it to those who live in the city, or cities, you are targeting. If you have your Twitter and Facebook accessible from your mobile phone, I recommend using UberSocial, you can report live on Election Day with updates and reminders while you're on the go. Make sure your supporters know your social media accounts so they can follow for information about polling locations, who to call in case of voting problems and weather updates when weather is expected to play a part.

In short, just like your overall campaign strategy must include social media, your GOTV plans should also

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 26

include the use of social media. Remember, social media is real-time and easily accessible to mobile devices, so for Election Day communication with both supporters and GOTV volunteers, nothing beats social media.

Next Steps

Now, its time to get to work. Time is of the essence particularly as Election Day nears. No matter what your financial or volunteer resources look like put these concepts into action the best you can right away.

To take your campaign to the next level, though, please be in touch. We would be honored to be a part of your winning campaign:

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 27

Bronstein and Weaver Michael Bronstein 610-212-0869 michael@bronsteinandweaver.com www.bronsteinandweaver.com

Caucus Media, LLC Andrew Eldredge-Martin 570-780-5660 connect@caucusmedia.com www.caucusmedia.com

Campaign Trail Yard Signs Ben Donahower 717-884-9789 bendonahower@gmail.com www.campaigntrailyardsigns.com

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 28

Democracy Resources Ted Blaszak 503-236-7208 info@democracyresources.com www.democracyresources.com

Harney and Associates Matt Harney 405-503-6258 www.calltimeblog.com/contact/

Momentum Analysis, LLC Margie Omero 202-518-6185 margieomero@momentumdc.com www.momentumdc.com

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 29

PoliticalRobocalls.com Moses Ross 503-309-7985 moses@politicalrobocalls.com www.politicalrobocalls.com

Progressive PST Beth Becker 202-642-2675 progressivepst@gmail.com www.progressivepst.com

Thanks for your consideration and good luck on your campaign!

www.getouthevotetowin.com

Page 30