Get Out The Vote is the most exciting — and exhausting — part of campaign season. The fate of your election rests on whether your campaign can get supporters to the polls, so it is important to give GOTV your best effort. But don’t worry, because once again, the SpeakEasy team is here to share some words of advice for those braving this colossal effort.
We’re sharing a few of the tips you’ll find in 101 Steps to Victory: A How-To Guide for First-Time Political Candidates. This free e-book outlines the 101 most important things a first-time candidate needs to know to keep their campaign on the path to victory. And check back with the SpeakEasier blog in the days and weeks ahead for more of our 101 Steps to Victory.
GOTV stands for Get Out The Vote and it is one of the most important things you will do in your campaign. Here is a plan in a nutshell.
In many respects, all voter outreach is about GOTV, since the act of identifying your supporters will make your GOTV successful.
If there is early voting, start this process around the early vote deadlines. The basic process starts with analyzing your supporter list. Many of your supporters will have voted in four of the last four elections, including an election that has a similar turnout to the race you are in. You probably don’t need to nag these voters — they are going to vote.
But you will have a list of less-than-perfect voters — and these voters need to be reminded to vote. Make sure to call all your target voters the weekend before Election Day, “GOTV weekend,” and make sure they remember the election. If you can, get a list of polling places and let them know where they vote. Make sure to get that right!
It is also a good idea to email all these target voters with a link they can use to find their polling place. Almost every local jurisdiction will provide such a service. Then try and connect with many of these voters as you can on Election Day. Finally, you can text these voters on Election Day with a positive reminder.
In a COVID world, GOTV looks a tad different. Most campaigns are urging voters to vote early and submit absentee ballots to drop-boxes to ensure their votes are counted.
Looking for a last minute digital push to aid your GOTV efforts? Check out our suite of GOTV ads and get them up online, targeted to your voters in minutes.
PRO TIP: Your social media presence should be expanded during the GOTV period. Mobilizing young voters via social media will be incredibly beneficial to your campaign. Keep your content exciting by using plenty of livestreams and graphics!
Thanks again for stepping up and running to serve your community and best of luck wrapping up your race! Looking for more information about what it takes to run for office? Download our e-book designed to walk candidates through the process of running – and winning – their first political campaign. And be sure to check out more from our Pathway to Victory series!
Ready to take SpeakEasy for a spin? Schedule a 15 minute call to chat with one of our pros about getting your program started.
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