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GOTV PREPARATION 2

Mike D’ArmiDeputy Field Director, OFA-FL

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OBJECTIVE

Knowledge: Understand the basics elements of training volunteers to help out with get out the vote efforts.

Skill: Learn how to set up a GOTV staging location and plan an Election Day timeline.

Attitude: Participants should leave the session with a deeper appreciation and motivation for engaging volunteers in GOTV efforts.

Growth: Participants should leave the session with ideas on how to use GOTV trainings, dry runs, and overall GOTV preparation to strengthen and grow their organization.

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AGENDA

WelcomeIntroductionsPlanning for GOTVRunning Effective GOTV TrainingsCreating Election Day Tick TocksStaging Locations (finding them and staffing them)Q & AClose

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Presenter:

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Mike D’Armi

Deputy Field Director

OFA-Florida

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• What are you running and what is your time frame (electoral, issue-based, constituency, etc.)?

• What is the scope of your program, where does it need to go?

• Building and following a specific calendar.• Where to place your dry runs and trainings. • Constantly check your progress and ask yourself

“where would we be if Election day were tomorrow?”

PLANNING FOR GOTV

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• It is never too early to plan GOTV Trainings.• Start at the top and work your way down.– The trainings will start small (staff) and turn

into 100 person launches• Be Strategic about training order• 1. Senior Staff

– 2. Junior Staff– 3. Volunteer Leaders– 4. General Volunteers

• These should be numerous and as locally based as possible.

• Use trainings to grow your capacity.

RUNNING EFFECTIVE TRAININGS

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• Every training should balance large groups and breakouts by role.

• Roles– Staging Location Directors– Phone Bank Captains– Canvass Captains– Bellwether Runners– Drivers, greeters, town criers, etc.etc.

• The breakout leaders should initially be staff but will eventually be top volunteers.

RUNNING EFFECTIVE TRAININGS

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• First rule: Trust your experience– What has worked in the past?– What are the 2-3 mistakes from past Edays that you have

learned from?

• Work backwards from polls closing.– When Should staging locations be open?– What reporting times make sense?– Reporting numbers and bellweather reporting often must be at

different times.– Work Chain of Command into the schedule.

• Be Honest– The Tick Tock shows how serious GOTV is, it should be a bit

scary!

CREATING A TICK TOCK

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• First rule: Trust your experience– What has worked in the past?– What are the 2-3 mistakes from past Edays that you have

learned from?

• Work backwards from polls closing.– When Should staging locations be open?– What reporting times make sense?– Reporting numbers and bellweather reporting often must be at

different times.– Work Chain of Command into the schedule.

• Be Honest– The Tick Tock shows how serious GOTV is, it should be a bit

scary!

CREATING A TICK TOCK

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• 4:45 AM Wake Up Calls to SL leads• 5:30 AM Arrive at Staging Location• 7:00 AM Polls Open!• 9:00 AM First shifts begin• 10:00 AM Canvass Captains Report 1• 10:15 AM Phone Bank Captains Report 1• 11:00 AM Bellwether Report 1• 1:00 PM Second Shifts Begin• 2:00 PM Canvass Captain Report 2• 2:15 PM Phone Bank Captain Report 2

• 3:00 PM Bellwether Report 2• 4:00 PM Shift 3 Begins

TICK TOCK

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• 4:15 PM Canvass Captain Report 3• 4:30 PM Phone Bank Captain Report 3• 5:00 PM Final Bellwether Report• 6:00 PM Final Push (everyone to the doors)• 6:45 PM Line Captains Assemble• 7:00 PM Polls Close (line captains assemble remain at polls).

TICK TOCK (CONTINUED)

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• How many do you need/Assessing your needed capacity?– Work backwards!– This works hand in hand with vote goals and size of your organization.

• Look first for free and then for cheap.• These should be closest to polling places first and

capacity second– If your bluest areas have the most volunteers, you will need more SLs

to handle the capacity, regardless of polling locations.

• Trust your gut.– Will the location work? Is there high traffic? Are there local

business/events that will interfere? Check local calendars!!

STAGING LOCATIONS

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• Staging Locations need to be managed by top volunteers you can trust. – They are the biggest part of election day. The difference

between competence and a weak captain can make or break a close race/initiative.

• Test, test, test. And test again!– These should be your most trained and most tested

volunteers and staff.– Its ok if a veteran Volunteer leader has a larger role than

a staffer or intern.

FINDING STAGING LOCATIONS DIRECTORS

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• Factory Model– Remove all uneccessary comfort.– Keep the phones as far away from the canvassing as possible.– Effeciency is Key.– Have a bullpen and a question area.

• Is there internet access? Is there Cell Phone Reception?– If the answer is yes, still find a plan B and plan C.

• Easily forgotten but still important: Figure out how to feed your volunteers, keep the canvassers dry, and the bankers on the phones.

RUNNING STAGING LOCATIONS

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FACTORY MODEL

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EVERYTHING IN THE FIELD LEADS TO GOTV

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QUESTIONS?