Nonpartisan mobilization is exceptionally effective, especially in areas where a high percentage of voters are categorized as undecided or swing voters.
One experiment even found that while nonpartisan mobilization may not significantly affect democratic or republican voters, it increased voter turnout by 7% in undecided voters.
This article explores nonpartisan mobilization scripts to improve voter turnout. We share script templates from voter identification and registration to get-out-the-vote drives. Read on.
Why should you use calling for mobilization?
Calling voters comes second only to door-to-door canvassing, which is a highly effective, personalized manner to reach voters. Phonebanking is estimated to increase voter turnout by 3.8%.
While a single door canvasser can knock upto 20 doors an hour, one volunteer on-call can reach upto 110 people.
In short, if you want to–
- Save time,
- Are short on volunteers,
- Want to reach a large audience,
- Create additional touchpoints after door-knocking;
Then, phonebanking campaigns are your best bet.
However, calls can only produce results if they are strategized and scripted in a way that motivates action. Our sample scripts in the next section will help you do exactly that.
Read Also: 7 Proven Voter Mobilization Strategies to Boost Voter Turnout
Nonpartisan mobilization scripts.
We’ve written sample scripts for different voter mobilization calls and listed the best calling tool for each.
Voter Identification/Registration
Best dialer: Power Dialer
Why: This is your first point of contact with a voter. Mandating agents add information/notes about them will help you the next time you call this voter. So, even if different agents call a contact, they will be updated about previous conversations.
Introduction
Hi, this is {agent_name} from {organization_name}. Is {first_name} available? [confirm you are talking to the person on your list]
Proceed if yes.
If no: Alright, when can I speak with them? (add call disposition moved away, unavailable, wrong number, reschedule, etc.)
You know the elections for {add details of election} are coming up. I wanted to ask you a few questions about it.
Is this the first time you are voting? [Have a quick chat]
Sample questions:
- Which campaign do you support?
- Why do you like that candidate?
Great, I wanted to ask you a few quick questions since we are trying to understand more about the voters in our constituency.
Question 1
How old are you?
Question 2
Do you plan on voting?
Question 3
Do you have a voter ID?
Question 4
Are you registered to vote?
If no: can I assist you with registration?
If unregistered or out of date: Is it ok to share a text message with a link to register? I will also share a document with steps on how to register.
IF YES: Great, I’ll send the text to the same number.
(If using a landline): What’s your mobile number to which I can send the text?
IF UNSURE: This may be one of the most critical elections in a generation. Registering to vote will take only a few minutes online. The deadline to register is ___ days away. Please consider registering right away; I can assist you through the process.
IF NO: If you change your mind, visit {website link}, and you can register online from our website.
Thank you so much for your time today!
[When a voter does not know that they have registered] That’s not a problem! I can look that up for you right now. [Look up registration on _____
Get out the vote scripts
Dialer: Predictive dialer
Why: Predictive dialers help you go through your list at incredible speeds. You can reach out to a large number of contact within hours. Depending on the number of agents you have, the dialer can predict the rate at which it needs to make phone calls. When your agent is done with one call, another voter is ready to speak with them on the other line.
Campaign brief
You are going to encourage voters to turn up to vote. Assist them with any questions they may have. The main goal is to help them plan to vote on voting day.
Introduction
Hi, am I speaking with {first_name}.
If no: Oh, alright. When can I have them on the line? (add call disposition moved away, unavailable, call back, passed away – depending on the response.) Thank them and cut the call.
Proceed if yes: I’m calling from {organization_name}. Can I speak with you about the upcoming elections?
I have a few questions to ask you.
Question 1:
Are you registered to vote?
If not: Can I help you with voter registration?
Question 2:
Can we expect you to vote on election day?
If no: Hey, this election determines what happens with [Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3]. Having your voice heard through the election process is crucial to the decisions in these policies. Would you like to reconsider? Is there anything that will change your mind?
Question 3:
What time do you plan to vote?
Question 4:
Are you aware of your polling location?
If no: Look up their polling location and inform them.
Question 5:
Do you need help getting there?
If yes: Our volunteers will reach out to you to help you reach the polling booth on election day. Please expect our call.
Thank you for your time. Our democracy depends on voters like you who actively participate in it.
<Add call disposition voting, undecided, not voting, etc.>
Leverage calling tools for voter mobilization.
Along with a highly effective script for voter mobilization, you will also need calling tools to support and accelerate your campaign.
CallHub’s calling tools help you with easy follow-up, integrations with other CRM tools, fundraising, and much more. Not just that, most campaigns love us for how easy and simple it is to use CallHub. Discover our range of features with a free 14-day trial.
Featured Image Source: Tirachard Kumtanom
