Your Objectives - A Successful Campaign is Simple The most important advice we can offer is to keep the campaign as simple as possible. Always keep in mind that the basic objectives of the campaign are: 1) Identifying (categorizing) electors voting intentions (Voter ID); and then 2) Persuading identified persuadable electors (Persuasion); and 3) Doing everything necessary to get identified supporters out to vote (GOTV). Voter IDs and their Uses You will be recording Voter IDs in Liberalist (see Liberalist Manual). The IDs are: 1 Declared Supporter 2 Likely Supporter 3 - Undecided and Interested 4 Unlikely Supporter, or Undecided and Apathetic 5 Declared Non-Supporter We will have a strategy (see Strategies) to get electors that are identified as 1 and 2, and possibly 3, to vote in special ballots, during advanced polls, and on election day (see Strategies, see GOTV). We will have a strategy (see Strategies) to persuade electors identified as 3 and 2, and possibly 4, to support us (Persuasion) with greater priority given to those with a history of voting, if that information is available. Note: The Liberal Party of Nova Scotia did an analysis following the 2013 election (where Liberalist was also used). Ridings were divided into two categories: those that identified less than 2000 electors and those that identified more. On average, ridings that identified more than 2000 electors got 6.6% more of the vote in their riding. The more IDs a campaign had, the better they did. Direct Elector Contact Political and marketing research clearly demonstrate that face-to-face is by far the most effective tool for a Candidate or their team to use for Voter ID, Persuation, and/or GOTV. Phone calls made by the candidate or their team rank second for effectiveness (even after taking the increased number of contacts into account). Pamphlets, radio ads, lawn signs, newspaper ads don t compare to door-to-door canvassing in terms of effectiveness. E-mails and robocalls are largely ineffective. The rule is this: The more personal and individualized it is, the more effective it will be. General Voter Contact Tips: Have a 30 second elevator pitch identifying yourself as a volunteer and explaining why you are volunteering/voting for the Candidate, Leader, or Party Use Liberalist printed Reports or MiniVAN
Use the script, but put it in your own words and voice It s about quantity and quality move on once you have answered their questions and they have answered yours Arguing with people won t convince anyone Get commitments ask supporters to volunteer and, closer to election day, about their voting plans Leave literature at every house you visit and have a script for every house at which you leave literature Where nobody is home leave literature in a way that indicates that it was left by the campaign and not Canada Post shove it in the door jamb, or fold it and let it stick out of the mailbox Smile and have fun! Urban Canvassing Tips: Have a strategy for gaining access to apartment buildings As many as 5 people can canvass in a group with one person entering data on printed Reports or in MiniVAN Consider doing one side of the road at a time Rural Canvassing Tips: Travel in pairs Consider doing both sides of the road at a time Consider canvassing all over the riding news travels fast in rural ridings Briefly drop into local gathering places, such as convenience stores Strategies Your entire campaign should consist of four or five basic assignments that each accomplish at least one of your Objectives, ideally through direct contact with electors. While some of the following are essential, you will have to choose which others to prioritize based on your volunteer capacity, candidate s ability to canvass the entire riding before election day, and your local political culture. 1. Pre-identifying electors where no IDs exist. This is an exercise whereby seasoned volunteers may be asked to provide a voter ID for electors based on previous interactions. This may be a good way of introducing seasoned volunteers to the process of identifying electors voting intentions. Alternatively, volunteers may match social media profiles associated with the Candidate, or other candidates and partisan groups to the list of electors. This is most effective during times where canvassing is not possible. 2. Notifying electors by phone that the candidate will be visiting the next day. This can increase the efficiency of the candidate canvass by ensuring that more people will be home (see script in Liberalist).
3. Identifying individuals who would/would not like to speak to the candidate. This can increase the efficiency of the candidate canvass by sending the candidate to those households that are most interested in seeing them or where someone is home. This is best accomplished in denser urbanized areas where volunteers can canvass with the candidate and the candidate can be called over if the elector requests to speak to them or is home. (see script in Liberalist) 4. Accompanying the candidate while canvassing to collect data, boost morale, and provide safety in numbers and drive, if applicable. This job is essential. If at all possible, the candidate should not go canvassing alone. 5. Canvassing households in their region that the candidate will be unable to visit. If a candidate cannot visit all households before the election, this should be considered. Even in those ridings where the candidate knocks on all doors, some people will not be home and a second visit may be in order. Volunteers should share why they are voting/volunteering for the candidate, Leader, or Party. Sign-takers are ideal for this because they have already committed to communicating this to their neighbours through their sign. 6. Canvassing persuadable electors in their region. Once persuadable electors have been identified, volunteers who know them or live in their region should be encouraged to visit them and tell them why they are voting/volunteering for the candidate, Leader, or Party. Sign-takers are ideal for this because they have already committed to communicating this to their neighbours through their sign. 7. Preparation of mailings (lettermail, unaddressed admail, mail drops) Letters, labels, and stuffing envelopes are labour-intensive. So are mail drops. (See Lettermail, Unaddressed Admail, and Mail Drops) 8. Preparation of kits for advance polls and election day. This job is essential. Kits and supplies must be prepared for the many volunteers for advance polls and on election day. Since it is time-sensitive, this job may go well into the night. (see GOTV) 9. GOTV of supporters in their region (canvassing and driving). This job is essential. As many volunteers as possible must be mobilized to canvass and drive identified supporters in their region for advanced polls and on election day. Don t forget about mobile polls or that electors can vote at the returning office any day after the writ is dropped too. (see GOTV) 10. Sign installation and removal. This job is essential, but unlike other essential jobs, it is not a priority. Remember your goals (Voter ID, Persuasion, GOTV) and do not allocate too many volunteer resources to sign installation. Both the volunteers installing the signs and those taking them would be
more effective if they were also willing to be a part of some of the other strategies listed above. Regions and Team Structure All of the above Strategies will require teams of volunteers to carry out. A well-run campaign will use every volunteer. Good teams: Meet goals Coordinate (have regular meetings) Grow, and build other teams Individual learning Each team should have a team leader, but also at least three other members. Each member should both share in the team s purpose and have a clear role -- the success or failure of one will have an effect on all. Team leaders: Help manage and coach others, and hold the team members accountable to concrete goals Facilitate team communications and team meetings (see appendices) Empower team members to their roles and promote understanding of team members roles Consider subdividing the riding into regions, like communities, neighborhoods or polls, and then appointing a team leader to each region. There may be as few as two regions or as many as there are polls, but consider having few regions initially and subdividing those regions as your teams grow and mature, appointing new team leaders and delegating responsibilities to them and their team members as you subdivide. Having created regional teams, each team may then be responsible for all of the four or five basic assignments for their region (though not necessarily at the same time and individual volunteers may be responsible for coordinating individual assignments within the team). Avoid having too many separate regional team structures for separate assignments. For example, the riding may be divided in to regions specifically for the purpose of installing signs. Teams may not coordinate well across the task-specific regional structures and volunteer resources may be underutilized when this is done. Special Events The Candidate should not commit to events, unless: they must; there is a reasonable expectation that they will generate more voter IDs or meet more undecided voters than canvassing for a comparable period of time; or if the event is outside of canvassing hours.
Use a telephone committee or phone tree to invite people. Have the Candidate speak if appropriate. Attract press coverage if possible. Mainstreeting Mainstreeting is done in shopping areas, farmers markets, business districts, or festivals. An advance group goes ahead of the Candidate and hands out brochures (with photos of the Candidate) telling people that the Candidate is around or coming. Public Meetings Public meetings can be difficult. Will there be undecided voters there? Will you be able to collect voter IDs or other data (such as attendance)? Will other campaigns try to corner your candidate with difficult questions? Public and Television Debates You must attend all-candidates debates. Candidate Support should brief the Candidate Friendly faces and soft questions make for a better performance by the Candidate. Factory/Workplace Visits Consider getting permission to make Factory/Workplace visits in rural ridings. Consider visiting in the morning: before canvassing and as people are going to work. Do not visit during breaks or lunch. Do not interrupt the normal operation of business, but do meet as many workers as possible. Coffee & Conversation Consider Senior Citizens Homes. Otherwise, the candidate should not commit to events unless there is a reasonable expectation that they will generate more IDs or meet more undecided voters than canvassing. The Leader s Tour
The Leader s Tour is organized by the Provincial Campaign Committee. Be prepared to get out a crowd.
Appendix Sample Team Meeting Agenda Welcome and Overview of Agenda Team leader leads recap and celebration of recent past team accomplishments, reviews progress to goal, and provide overview of team growth Team members give a short update, highlighting things that have worked well and things that need improvement as they relate to assignments they led or planned Team leader reviews new information, discusses broad upcoming goals and potential future actions Discussion what roles need filling, who needs help, what challenges are the team facing, how can challenges be met, what upcoming actions can be planned for, what are goals for upcoming actions, and what will team do to meet those goals Plan next meeting Volunteer recruitment Social time (optional)