Hi there.
You signed up to call people on behalf of the Working Together Jackson Get Out the Vote Campaign. The idea behind the campaign is that by contacting people who vote infrequently, we can move the needle to increase voter turnout.
This would be much easier to do in person, but because of COVID, that isn’t safe, so I will lay out the details and if you have any questions when I am done, please just reply to this email and I will get them answered for you.
Voter Guide
The election this year brings a lot of rules and complications. Here is a simple voter guide for Hinds County that Working Together Jackson put together. We suggest you study this guide, as it contains answers to the majority of questions you will have.
Master Call List
You have been given a link to download our list of people to be called. It is a large file – 239 pages. At the top of each page is a list number, in red.
You have been assigned 2 list numbers – this corresponds to two pages of people to call. You will download the list and then go to the page that corresponds with your list number. You will then call the people on that list.
For example: If you were assigned list numbers 29 and 30, you would go to page 29 of the Master Call list, which will have a large 29 in red at the top of the page. If you have a printer, it is easy to print out only the pages that contain your lists. If you need help with this, let us know. Or you can just leave the document on your computer screen while you call.
We need you to keep track of the following information:
- how many people you call
- how many answer
- how many say they have already voted
- how many agree to vote
You can do that with simple tick marks on a sheet of scratch paper, with columns for Calls, Answers, Voted, and Will Vote. You will need these numbers later when you fill out the reporting form.
Script
Here is a sample script. Please put it in your own words and sound conversational.
Hello, my name is (your name). I am calling on behalf of Working Together Jackson [Working Together Mississippi if you are calling outside of Jackson]. We are conducting a non-partisan Get Out the Vote effort for the November 3rd Elections. This is an important election for our state and the country. Can we count on you to go to the polls and vote? Do you have any questions about voting or need any help getting to the polls? (If you can’t answer their question and someone needs to contact them, please note this on your report form.)
We do ask you to vote yes on the new State Flag. Thank you again for your time and thank you for voting.
If they do not know their polling place, you can find it for them at the Secretary of State’s website, located here. If you plan on doing this, you may find it helpful to go ahead and open your internet browser to that site ahead of time.
If they need help getting to the polls, they can call Move Mississippi at 662-205-6683 and someone will help them.
(Optional) Using Google Voice
Some of us are not comfortable sharing our number, and others have out of state numbers that make local people reluctant to answer the phone. One solution to this is to use the free service Google Voice. If you have a Google account (such as a Gmail address), you already have access to this service.
Google Voice allows you to have a new phone number and voicemail box. It will forward calls made to that number to your existing phone, and it will allow you to use your Google Voice number to make calls using your current phone. You can learn more about Google Voice here.
Go here to learn how to set up Google Voice. If you have problems doing this, please reply to this email and we will have someone help you get set up. Again, however, realize this step is completely optional.
Reporting
After each time you make calls, we ask that you go to this form to report your calls. This allows us to keep track of our progress, and to know what our results are. Simply fill in the blanks and hit the large “Submit” button at the bottom of the screen.
Thank you for all your help!