Want To Help Get Out the Vote From Your Home?

Hi, this is Connie Sandlin, Phonebanking Coordinator for Democrats Abroad Costa Rica.

If you have

1. time available

2. a laptop (some tablets work for this),

3. internet / wi-fi,

4. WhatsApp, and

5. a strong interest in electing Democrats,

 you can help Democrats who live overseas make a difference in taking back the Congress (and some state houses) this fall.

               What’s at Stake?

In August (and continuing to election day, November 3rd), we’ll need help at all hours of the day or night to call members of Democrats Abroad globally to encourage them to RETURN THEIR BALLOTS! (If they haven’t requested their ballots, we’ll be helping to directing those members to resources for that too!)

Members who have used the VotefromAbroad.org website to electronically submit their Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) will receive their ballots by email on September 19th (for the November 3rd election). That will give those voters 45 days to return their ballots.

Phonebankers help educate and remind citizens of their right to elect their representatives – all 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be up for election on November 3rd.

  

               What is Phonebanking and what do we do?

Democrats Abroad Phonebankers are a team of volunteers who use the computer program “CallHub” to call members and remind them of their voting rights.

 “CallHub” populates each call with the confidential information of Democrats Abroad members. the program dials the phone, provides a message or “script” specific to each voter. We note their answers as well as provide general assistance on how to request and return their ballots. Neither the members nor the volunteers pay for these calls.

Because the program contains personal information about the member, all Phonebankers are required to sign a confidentiality agreement. The calls are organized into campaigns by geographical locations and time zones. You can always find a campaign that works for your schedule and when you have time!

The Global Democrats Abroad Get Out the Vote (GOTV) team will prioritize calls to battleground states and districts for targeted calling, and a great portion of this initially will be calls to voters who MUST RETURN THEIR BALLOTS BY POSTAL MAIL. Communicating the urgency of PROMPTLY returning the ballots via slow or non-existent postal systems in overseas locations (or paying for courier delivery) will be important. When we encounter voters with questions we can’t answer, we can refer them to voter assistance volunteers.

               What kind of training is involved?

You will receive training, including some practice calls and online resources and support. I can offer additional support and “hand-holding” to help you become comfortable getting started. Diving in is a mental hurdle for some; I can help with that. I also keep myself available to answer questions that arise. Additionally, we have a WhatsApp group for our team to communicate amongst the volunteers.

There are “live” training sessions where you can ask questions, but pre-recorded training sessions are also available. Training usually takes about 1 hour including the post-training quiz.

The amount of time you dedicate to phonebanking is up to you. In my opinion, each volunteer should assess their own energy and availability, but I encourage you to set a daily goal of how many calls or how much time per day you want to devote to this essential activity. Every call matters.

You can only vote once, but calling:

- multiplies your vote and amplifies your voice
- helps and empowers overseas voters to cast their one vote
- helps make the USA a truly participatory democracy

Why I like phonebanking: I can conduct this essential volunteer work on my own schedule without having to leave the house. It’s all by voice – no video – so it doesn’t matter if I’ve combed my hair or am wearing pajamas. If I can’t sleep in the middle of the night, I can still be productive by calling voters in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, or Europe. We strive to be efficient, but we sometimes have interesting conversations with people around the world.

Dedicated volunteers make a difference. If you want to be part of the team that restores sanity to American government, please let me know!

Connie Sandlin
Phonebanking Coordinator and ExCom Member-at-Large
Democrats Abroad Costa Rica
WhatsApp +1 682-360-1213