All hands on deck. For the next four days, that's what it is going to take to win this thing. All hands on deck. In an election that looks to be this close, boosting turnout among Coakley supporters is going to be critical. We need to be calling supporters to get them to the polls. Knocking on doors. Reaching as many people as possible with that human touch we know makes a difference.
For the next four days, one thing the Coakley campaign surely needs is as much volunteer labor as it can get its hands on, delivered to the right places at the right times, supported and ready to work. I'm told they are eager to welcome anyone and everyone who can help.
I'm asking you to drop everything and either become a volunteer or help mobilize and support other people to volunteer -- or both. And this is one of those times where you can truly be of service from right here at your computer. This is a call for a massive, digital visibility campaign to recruit volunteers for Coakley's GOTV operation.
Let's call it a Volunteer Bomb.
This community has done a lot of work supporting calling for Coakley and raising money. H/t to slinkerwink for getting the ball rolling this morning.
But we can do more - we can generate a massive social media push for volunteers to canvass and phonebank in state, call from out of state, and day trip in to canvass or phonebank. (See #5 below for ideas).
I asked what's most needed in terms of volunteers. Here's the response:
We need all folks to either hit the doors in MA or phonebank from home. Priority is canvassing, especially by former alumni.
Got that? If you did it for Obama in 2008, then let's use that training to deliver for Coakley.
How can we get as many GOTV volunteers as possible for Coakley? Here are at least five ways you can help.
- Show up and volunteer in person. If you live in Massachusetts, work at least one GOTV shift for Coakley. There are canvasses and phonebanks in MA every day until the election.
Link to find Coakley Canvasses in MA
Link to find Coakley Phonebanks in MA
Updated: Some details on events in Western MA (h/t Frederick Clarkson)
Don't wait for a phone call. At this late date, campaigns are not always able to keep up with calling back volunteers and scheduling them. Just go to one of the locations and tell them you are there to help. Sign up at one of the links above though - it's helpful if they know you are coming.
Do be patient and flexible. The field staff may ask you to wait a bit while they get someone free to train you, or to go to another location that has a greater need. They may ask you to do something that doesn't seem to require a lot of skill. There is no more important job in the last days before election than carrying a walk packet or making phone calls. If you can speak Spanish, get coffee, or reboot the router when it goes down -- that's a bonus.
(And if you have been trained on the VAN, have prior experience as a phonebank captain or canvass captain, or have prior field staff experience, you are definitely needed and wanted ASAP. Identify yourself and your city/town in the comments and let's try to get you connected as quickly as we can.)
Updated Check out the great first hand report and photos on phonebanking at HQ in Boston - On the Ground at Coakley HQ (h/t Populista for flagging it)
- Travel from nearby states to volunteer. If you live near Massachusetts, give at least one day of your holiday weekend to travel to Massachusetts and volunteer.
kath25 has a diary up to facilitate travel to MA from surrounding states. If you can go--or you can help someone go--please participate.
Give One Day for Teddy (Out of State Travel).
Day trips are the cheapest and easiest - they mean no need to find or pay for housing. But if you can stay longer, that's even better. You will need to find your own transit and housing if you go - the campaign is using all its resources right now on GOTV.
Sign up at one of the links below - it's helpful if they know you are coming, but don't wait for a call back - just go.
Link to find Coakley Canvasses in MA
Link to find Coakley Phonebanks in MA
NYC Day Trip Sunday (post other scheduled trips in the comments and I'll highlight)
Sunday, January 17th: Road Trip NYC to MA with DL21C
Buses will leave Penn Station at 7 am and return by 9pm for a day's worth of canvassing. Cost is $20 and will include R/T transportation, breakfast (coffee!), lunch and beverages on the bus ride home... RSVP on Facebook or by emailing Elizabeth at campaignvol@dl21c.org or calling 917-327-1008.
- Volunteer from home from anywhere in the nation. You can make GOTV phone calls from home using the online phonebanking tool.
Link to Call for Coakley From Home (Nationwide)
Coakley Phonebanking Background (h/t Populista)
(This also works for Massachusetts residents who can't volunteer in person because of child care issues, mobility issues or other reasons.)
In addition to volunteering from home from far away, in many places outside Massachusetts, OFA volunteers are holding phonebanks for Coakley. Check the MyBO events page to see if there is one in your area. If not, you can still use the calling tool to help with GOTV.
MyBO Events Search Page
Here's a list of NYC Phonebanks for Coakley (h/t casperr and mindoca and the NYC OFA crew)
GREENPOINT on Saturday the 16th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
HELL'S KITCHEN on Saturday the 16th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
FORT GREENE on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
GRAMERCY on Monday the 18th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
MIDTOWN EAST (OFA HQ) on Tuesday the 19th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
CA Phonebanks for Coakley (h/t knoxville and the fabulous OFACA team)
Long Beach on Saturday the 16th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
San Francisco on Saturday the 16th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Los Angeles on Saturday the 16th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Pasadena on Saturday the 16th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Santa Clara on Saturday the 16th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Agoura Hills on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
San Francisco on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Los Angeles on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Los Angeles on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
San Bernardino on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Long Beach on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Kenwood on Sunday the 17th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Sherman Oaks on Monday the 18th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Culver City (OFA HQ) on Monday the 18th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
San Rafael on Monday the 18th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Santa Clara on Monday the 18th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
San Francisco on Monday the 18th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
San Francisco on Monday the 18th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Albany on Tuesday the 19th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Culver City (OFA HQ) on Tuesday the 19th:
please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/...
Updated Phonebanking in the Dallas area (h/t v2aggie2)
- Support others who want to volunteer and need help. Can you drive other volunteers? Offer a couch or a dorm room space to someone from out of state? Pay for a motel room, bus ticket, or a rental car? Can you send food to an office or staging location?
kath25 has a diary up to facilitate travel to MA from surrounding states. If you can go--or you can help someone go--please participate here to coordinate:
Give One Day for Teddy (Out of State Travel).
- Help recruit more volunteers. Here's something every one of us with a phone, email account, Facebook page, Twitter Account, or blog can do.
Send the information in this diary far and wide. Call and email people in your networks and ask them to volunteer and to circulate the volunteer ask. Share it far and wide on all social media (tag it with #pplpwr and #masen on Twitter). Committing to recruit one additional person to join you doubles your effort. Recruiting two triples it.
If you are volunteering to GOTV for Coakley today and have a Twitter account, tweet about what you are doing and mark it with the #pplpwr and masen hashtags so we can see all the people who are helping.
I think volunteering for GOTV is one of the most fun and rewarding experiences you can have on a campaign. You are actually out talking to people in person or on the phone who want to vote for your candidate, and you are helping them do it. Every supporter who gets a personal touch becomes more likely to show up and vote. With every contact you are increasing the chances your candidate can win. The clock is ticking, everyone is running on adrenaline -- it's exciting to be part of the last days of a campaign you care about.
And you are often providing the critical tools and support people need to vote. Finding out who needs a ride. Telling people their polling locations. Reminding them of when the polls close. Believe it or not I have talked to voters on Election Day who did not know where to vote, who did not know polls would be closing soon, or who had not realized the election was that day. Without me, those people would not have voted, even though they wanted to vote for my candidate. GOTV volunteers make a real difference.
And if you are worried about how it will all come out, if you are frustrated that it isn't going well, there's nothing better than channeling that anxiety into positive action.
Updated tnichlsn posted this appeal in the comments, reminding us of everything folks from MA have done for progressive causes and elections in other states. It's their turn folks - let's have their back:
just one comment, from Beantown and a 20 yr MA resident- in almost every national election since I moved to Boston from NY, I have encountered folks on the streets here collecting money to help get democrats elected to office in other states. We have given and given and helped get the super majority the President now "enjoys" in the senate and have helped put any number of other progressives in office or hold on to their seats.
Last, but not least: And there's one more thing you can do from anywhere in five minutes or less, which is donate money to the campaign. Yes, they can still use money! So if you can give, please do.
Act Blue for Martha Coakley
Thank you for doing your part to help with this critical Senate race. It is going to be tough, but in a race this close, every little bit of work makes a difference. Victory is possible, but it's going to take all hands on deck.