Running a Successful Field Campaign

• Determine Your Strategic Task• Establish Your Vote Goal• Build the Coalition• Write a Plan • Secure a Voter File• Execute a Voter Contact Plan• GOTV Get-Out-the-Vote

Determine Your Strategic Task

Developing a Vote Goal

• How many votes does it take to win?

Expected Vote _____ X (.50) + 1 = __________ Minimum Votes Needed To Win

Expected Vote _____ X (.52) = ___________ Comfortable Margin of Victory

Why form a Coalition?

Forming coalitions with other groups of similar values, interests, and goals allow members to combine their resources and become more powerful than when they each acted alone.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages• Credibility• Relationships• Maximize resources• Broaden scope and appeal • Reduce competition• Legitimacy

Disadvantages

• Lose a measure of control

• Time Consuming• Accountability and

Follow Thru• Politics

The Foundation

• Identify Your Allies• Diversity!• Create an Executive Board • Different Interests/Same Goal

Build The Coalition

• Evaluate all pros and cons• Develop compelling reasons to join

Community leaders and political figures should be approached (with caution)

• Do your homework

Coalition StructureSteering Committee

30-40Organizations

Endorsements

Get the Most from Your Coalition(some things you can ask them)

• Mailings and Regular Emails to Members• Fundraise• Volunteer• Endorsement• Outreach• Donate or contact PACs and Funders• Campaign• GOTV• Phone IDs and Persuasion

Principles of a Successful Coalition

• Understand and respect self-interest• Choose unifying issues and agree to

disagree in advance• Recognize that contributions vary• Clarify roles and decision-making

procedures• Distribute recognition fairly• Communication is key

Writing a Field Plan

• Keep it simple• Be creative • Be flexible • Detail every activity• Keep everyone on the same page through

training and measurable results• IF IT IS NOT WRITTEN DOWN, IT

DOESN’T EXIST

Field Plan• Every plan will include:

– Targeting– Voter files and other data management

systems– Volunteers– Voter Contact methods- phones canvassing,

internet, events– Precinct organizing/House meeting model– Voter Registration– Early, absentee and same day voting– Base vote/Constituency organizing– Get Out The Vote (GOTV)– Timeline/calendar

Voter File• List of Every Registered Voter

– Name– Address– Phone Number– Date of Registration– Birth Date– Gender– Vote History– Other Unique Info

Voter File Enhancement• Previous election history• Changes in addresses• New phone numbers• Commercial data• Email addresses• Ethnicity• Census block information

Micro-Targeting and Data Mining

Grasstop and Influential Organizing

• Identify “grasstop” leaders • Organize “grasstop” leaders when

looking for endorsements• Target engaging community leaders

or “influentials”• “Influentials” create positive word-of-

mouth persuasion

Direct Voter Contact• ID and Educate

Voters via:– Phones– Canvassing– Direct Mail– Internet– Constituency

Organizing

GOTV

• ID GOTV Targets• Encourage Early Voting and Vote by

Mail• Determine Tools and Tactics

– Phone– Mail– Door to door

• Coordinate Materials• Organize Volunteers• Plan transportation and communications

“If we are together nothing is impossible. If we are divided all will fail.”

- Winston Churchill

Laurie MoskowitzFieldWorks, LLC

202-667-4400laurie@fieldworksonline.com