Election 2015 Recap: Mobilizing your base for change. Sheryl Fink and Res Krebs CFHS NAWC April 17, 2016

Transcription

1 Election 2015 Recap: Mobilizing your base for change Sheryl Fink and Res Krebs CFHS NAWC April 17, 2016

2 Background Original focus was anti-sealing campaign Previously, seal campaign focused on cruelty, closing international markets for products. Hunt continued! IFAW has been involved in every federal election since 2008.

3 Ending commercial seal hunt would require political change in Canada. End federal subsidies to sealing industry >> economic end Legislative ban on seal hunting

4 Why a political campaign? Commercial seal hunt exists in Canada today because of politics Virtually finished in 1983, post EU ban

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7 There's only one major player still fishing that stock. His first name is Harp, and his second name is Seal. Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin, December 1995

8 Political value in supporting seal hunt

9 Ottawa catches on

10 Seal hunt continues b/c it is politically advantageous to support it Only a voting issue in ~7 ridings Not a voting issue elsewhere

11 Canadian political system Party with the most votes in a riding wins that seat. Party with the most seats takes power and forms government. Local / regional issues take on great significance.

12 Any party that opposes seal hunt will lose votes in Atlantic Canada. Opposition to hunt is high in other parts of Canada, but not a voting issue. All federal parties support the seal hunt (exception: Greens)

13 Objective: demonstrate that support for seal hunt costs more federal votes than it gains Seal hunt support = net loss of seats

14 General approach 1. Target marginal ridings in areas with high numbers of support 2. Identify candidates likely to support IFAW s position.

15 3. Develop list of voters who can be swayed, deliver them to the polls 4. Elect MPs favourable to IFAW s position

16 Tactics! Phone banking, DVD drops, mail, lawn signs, national and riding specific polling, outreach, tabling / postcards, canvassing, rallies, speaking events, ten-percenters, activist toolkit Guelph Liberal Candidate Frank Valeriote, 2011 Town Hall Debate

17 Get Angry for the Right Reasons 2007

18 Back off our Seals 2008

19 Election campaign website. Not with my Vote, 2008, 2011

20 Stand up for Animals 2015

21 Goals

22 Purpose of electoral engagement Create the political conditions in which the government can end the commercial seal hunt (more animal-friendly parliament) Position IFAW Canada as a strong, constructive, and broadly supported voice on animal welfare matters

23 Goals: Short term Candidates aware that animal people are a large and vocal constituency Candidates see that animal issues are important to voters; positive animal welfare stance will improve election chances Engage supporters action, volunteering Elect more animal friendly MPs

24 Goals: Long term Animal issues are taken into consideration by the political party leadership. IFAW / Animal protection groups are seen as a political presence that can influence the outcome of elections.

25 Goals: Internal Grow IFAW s Canadian supporter list Grow database of information about individual MPs Work collaboratively with other NGOs

26 Design

27 Designing the Campaign Continue focus on seal hunt during campaign, add other animal issues to it National polling to groundtruth what people care about Designing the online tool Engaging both candidates and supporters Visuals

28 Polling IFAW had an idea of what issues we wanted to ask but felt we needed to groundtruth them prior to launching the campaign.

29 Polling Results

30 Polling Results

31 Polling Results

32 Polling Results

33 Polling Results

34 Polling Results

35 Polling Results

36 Polling Results

37 Online Tool Design Online tool needed to Demonstrate candidates views on animal issues Allow supporters to contact their candidates Worked with Engaging Networks and our UK office (who used a similar tool for the 2015 UK election) on the design. 5 questions plus an open-ended one. Due to our own limitations, campaign was unilingual.

38 Engaging Candidates Using polling metrics, formulated a series of questions to ask candidates, and sent out in a series of waves to populate the database.

39 Engaging Supporters Built a system for supporters to check which of their candidates were the most animal friendly, and also pressure those who were not (or had not responded to our questions).

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42 Engaging Supporters Once a supporter had taken the action, we asked them whether they wanted to volunteer for campaigns.

43 Spreading the Word 2 Advocacy s Online Advertising (Video/stills) Endorsements In-person events

44 Stand Up for Animals

45 Endorsements

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47 Results

48 Candidates Results 235 Survey Responses Green Candidates were overrepresented 33 candidates who responded elected Combined with MPs who were already on our list, we now have 42 identifiable animalfriendly MPs NDP Don t Know Responses

49 Supporters Results 2,455 total actions 7,380 messages sent to candidates 89 volunteer s sent

50 Evaluation and Key Takeaways

51 Evaluation Goal Animal issues important to voters Engage supporters Elect animal friendly MPs Animal issues taken into consideration by party leadership Animal protection groups seen as a political influencers Grow Canadian supporter list Grow MP information database Work collaboratively with other NGOs Result s sent 2455 supporters engaged 15 pro-seal elected, 42 animal friendly TBD TBD 447 new supporters YES YES can we do more?

52 Coordination with other groups Humane Voters Canada Animal Alliance / Environment Voters

53 Challenges Candidates very busy, reluctant to take surveys; may be wary of public support Candidates can change position once elected Difficult to get feedback for evaluation

54 Opportunities New candidates very open Recumbents grateful for support Gather information on candidates Gives opportunity to follow up in person Grow supporter list of politically active individuals

55 Key Takeaways Good government relations is about relationships.... But also important to build relationships with other animal protection groups Let s work together to STAND UP FOR ANIMALS!