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 TimeMoney

©

Elements of a Field Plan

Political Landscape

Targeting Info and Vote Goals

Voter Contact Program

Data Management Plan

Timeline/CalendarBudget

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 + 1Comfortable Margin of Victory is 52%

Target ChartSupport

Turn

out

Base Vote Persuadable Voters

Opposition Voters

Always Vote

Sometimes Vote

Never Vote D F F

F

FPersuasion

AGOTV 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 DataThe 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 GranofskyFieldWorks

2528 Connecticut Ave NWWashington, DC202-667-4400

lewis@fieldworks.com