American Association of People with Disabilities Creating a Phone Campaign to Get Out The Vote

Vote!
The centerpiece of any election is the “Get Out the Vote” (GOTV) effort. It is, by far, the most effective way to get out the disability vote. Public forums, debates, and town hall meetings are fine, but they reach very few people. The loudest voice is spoken at the polls.

AAPD members are strongly encouraged to go to the agencies/organizations with whom they have a relationship and ask them to sponsor a non-partisan GOTV effort and that you will volunteer. Nonprofit 501(c)3 disability service providers can and should conduct non-partisan GOTV campaigns aimed at getting all of their consumers, families, staff, and allies to vote.

Stress that less than half of people with disabilities are registered to vote and that most of us do not vote. When we are a dependable voting block, we will improve the quality of life for all disabled Americans. This is a non-partisan effort, not a campaign favoring one candidate over the other. Let them know you can provide informative guides and materials from AAPD.

The service provider is essential to having a successful GOTV drive in your area because it has a client list of potential voters, credibility and trust with people on the list. A list is the centerpiece of a GOTV campaign. The GOTV effort is organized around the agency’s advocacy agenda. Additionally, a call coming from a familiar service provider carries a great deal of credibility and the potential voter on the other end will know it is someone they can trust.

Working the List
Lists should be as large as possible with current addresses and phone numbers and compiled in a simple database format that can later be modified. As the campaign develops you will want to sort prospective voters by varying criteria such as, “regular voter,” “needs a ride,” etc.

Your local board of elections maintains a public record of every voter and how often they voted—how they voted is not kept as a record. List enhancement will provide you with updated addresses, phone numbers, some email addresses, and the county legislative and national districts for each voter. It tells who is and isn’t registered and identifies frequent voters—these are people who will help with your GOTV effort.

An organization can take its list to the county board of elections and look up the relevant information for each person. Your state chief election official can provide a list of private companies that offer list enhancement services. Many non-disability organizations in your area already conduct list enhancement programs and will often allow other groups to participate in their program. Investigate the possibilities and leverage the expenses so it’s more cost effective for everyone. There is power in teamwork. Companies and groups conducting list enhancement guaranteeing the confidentiality of a group’s list. List enhancement can be done at a modest cost by contacting list enhancement companies such as Robinson & Muenster Associates, Inc., Jim Robinson, 605-332-3386; Blaemire Communications, Bob Blaemire, 703-620-2688; or Aristotle International, Andrew Tavani, 877-837-2747.

Callers need to be able to answer questions regarding the voting process in your area. Prior to calling, research the following: rules concerning absentee ballots, laws that concern voting and people with disabilities (for example, voters can receive assistance from a person their choice) and voting equipment that will be used on Election Day. Local election officials will provide materials to allow new voters to practice how to properly cast a ballot.

Divide your list by frequent voters, occasional voters, and non-voters. Include addresses and phone numbers and, if you have them, email addresses. Two months prior to Election Day, be ready to call the frequent voters on the list and recruit them to help. If your organization doesn’t have enough phones, calls can be made on the weekend or evening. Law firms, urban leagues, YM&YWCA’s will often allow their phones to be used.

Caller Materials
Divide the main list into small segments for each individual caller to use. The list will include space for recording voter information given to the caller. Every volunteer caller will need the following:

• Prepared scripts.
• Instruction sheets that outline calling rules and forms to record voter information.
• Service requisition forms to keep track of who needs which.
• Voter registration information about where and how to register.
• Polling place information that describes where to vote, what kinds of voting equipment is available, and physical accessibility.
• Absentee ballot information.

Sample Phone Script

• Hello, my name is _________ and I am a volunteer for the ____________ Get Out The Vote Project.
• Would you like to see more vigorous enforcement of the ADA? (or substitute with the hottest issue.) Wait for affirmative response.
• Do you plan to vote on Election Day?
• I am calling to remind you the election is on _____________.
• We want every politician to know that people with disabilities vote.
• Do you want to volunteer for our GOTV effort?
• Thank you for your time.

The GOTV effort consists of three calls. Additional phone scripts and sample record keeping materials are available on the AAPD website.

First Phone Call
The first phone call should take place two months before Election Day. The campaign will consist of calling everyone on the list and asking the following questions:

• Are you registered to vote? Know the deadline for voter registration in your area and have the forms.
• Do you vote by absentee ballot? Have access to absentee and alternate format ballots to send and know the due date. Absentee voters should have a follow-up call prior to the deadline to determine if they have mailed the ballot.
• Is every voting-aged individual registered to vote?

Second Phone Call
The second phone call should take place approximately seven to ten days prior to Election Day. It is important to speak to individuals rather than leave messages. Callers, through questions, should determine the following information:

• Does the potential voter plan to vote?
• Is their non-voting a lack of interest or because of hardship?
• Does the potential voter need any assistance in getting to the polls or information on the issues?

Third Phone Call
The third phone call will take place the day of or the day before Election Day. Every registered potential voter must be spoken to on Election Day and asked if they have voted and if not, ask when they plan to vote. A clear line of communication between callers and coordinators for transportation and problem-solving needs to planned so that your group can respond quickly to unexpected problems.

Follow up
In order to measure your success and to demonstrate the numbers of voters with disabilities to elected officials, revisit the voter files to document who actually voted. 4-6 weeks after Election Day, review and compare the updated election files so the success of your GOTV efforts can be properly documented. Throughout the campaign, plan time for your volunteers to talk politics, socialize and celebrate each successful step.

If you are planning a GOTV effort in your community, let us know. AAPD has additional materials we can share with you to help your campaign. If you want to know about voting and how it impacts people with disabilities, you can subscribe to AAPD’s Disability Vote list serv if you drop us an e-mail. E-mail us or call 800-840-8844.

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