Simone Lawson
Political campaigns have long relied on phone calls to reach voters and encourage them to support their cause. While the rise of new technologies has led to a shift towards mass text messaging, phone calls remain an essential tool for campaigns, with phone banking allowing volunteers to make thousands of calls to voters in a short space of time. However, the effectiveness of such calls has been called into question, with some arguing that they are less effective than other forms of communication, such as door-to-door canvassing. Additionally, the legality of certain types of political campaign calls, such as robocalls using automated or prerecorded voices, has come under scrutiny in recent years, with regulations put in place to protect consumers from unwanted or scam calls.
Characteristics and Values of Making Phone Calls for Political Campaigns
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Effectiveness | Live telephone calls are an effective way for political candidates to reach voters and turn them into supporters. |
| Legality | "Robo calls" are less common due to a decrease in their effectiveness and legality. |
| FCC rules | Political campaign-related autodialed or prerecorded voice calls to mobile phones require the prior express consent of the called party. |
| Volunteer involvement | Volunteers can increase the number of voters contacted and make follow-up persuasion calls. |
| Caller identity | A personal phone call from a candidate can have a significant impact on a voter. |
| Caller script | Calling scripts ensure that critical points are covered and consistent messages are maintained across the campaign. |
| Caller convenience | Distributed phone banking allows volunteers to make calls from anywhere, making it a convenient option. |
| Caller compliance | Callers must comply with local state timings and other FCC regulations. |
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What You'll Learn
Live calls vs robocalls
Live calls and robocalls are two distinct strategies employed by political campaigns to engage with voters. While live calls offer personalized interactions with targeted voters, robocalls are automated messages delivered to a broad audience. Both approaches have their advantages and considerations, which are essential for campaigns to understand when crafting their communication strategies.
Live telephone calls are an effective way for political candidates to connect with voters and turn them into supporters. These calls are particularly impactful when made by the candidate themselves, as it adds a personal touch. However, it is challenging for a candidate to call every voter, especially with the potential for calls to be ended abruptly by those who are uninterested. This is where volunteers come in, helping to increase the number of voters reached. Live calls also have the advantage of allowing campaigns to engage with specific voters, ensuring that the conversation is with a registered voter rather than whoever answers the phone. This targeted approach is especially useful when trying to identify supporters, those who want yard signs, and undecided voters. By collecting and analyzing this information, campaigns can strategize follow-up persuasion calls and get-out-the-vote efforts. Live calls are also essential when a nuanced message needs to be conveyed, and they can be particularly effective in areas with high Spanish-speaking populations when conducted by bilingual callers. While live calls can be costly and time-consuming to set up, they are a valuable investment for campaigns, contributing significantly to their success.
On the other hand, robocalls, or automated prerecorded voice messages, offer a different approach to reaching voters. Robocalls are generally less expensive than live calls, making them a cost-effective option for campaigns on a budget. They can be sent out quickly, and campaigns have the flexibility to choose the message and the messenger. However, robocalls have faced decreasing legality and effectiveness over the years. In many places, they are prohibited from being sent to mobile devices without the prior express consent of the recipient. This restriction is outlined by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which also requires campaigns to honor opt-out requests from recipients. While robocalls to landlines are generally allowed without prior consent, they are limited to no more than three calls to the same number within any consecutive 30-day period.
Both live calls and robocalls have their merits, and the decision to use one or both depends on the campaign's budget and specific goals. Live calls offer personalization and targeted engagement, while robocalls provide a quick and inexpensive way to reach a large number of people. Ultimately, by understanding the strengths and limitations of each approach, campaigns can make informed choices to effectively connect with their target audience.
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Volunteers making calls
Volunteers are essential to political campaigns, as they can increase the number of voters contacted and help turn them into supporters. Volunteers can make calls from anywhere, including the comfort of their homes or their favourite cafe. This flexibility makes the process of volunteering inclusive, allowing people from all walks of life to contribute to the political process.
Volunteers can be recruited through social media, email, or phone calls, and it is important to communicate the campaign's goals and values and how their contribution will make a difference. Once on board, they can take on various campaign activities like phone banking, canvassing, event planning, and voter outreach.
To optimise results, it is essential to have a contact list of supporters and those new to the political process. Volunteers can then use scripts to guide their conversations with voters, ensuring consistency in the campaign message and helping to address any concerns. These scripts can be particularly useful when asking for donations, removing common objections, and answering questions.
Additionally, text messaging can be a convenient way for volunteers to communicate with other campaign members and reach out to donors. Text messages can be used to send donors information and updates about the campaign's fundraising efforts, creating a sense of engagement and impact.
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Texting for outreach
Texting has become an essential tool for political campaigns to reach voters and achieve various goals, from fundraising to supporter outreach. SMS messages have a 98% open rate, which is much higher than that of traditional channels like email. This makes texting a powerful way to engage supporters and inspire action.
Political campaigns can leverage SMS and MMS services to send personalized messages with images, emojis, GIFs, or videos. Peer-to-peer texting is particularly effective, allowing two-way conversations that encourage donors and voters to engage. For example, the Dianne Watts BC Liberal Party leadership campaign achieved a 20% response rate from their peer-to-peer text messages, with 4.8% being previously unidentified supporters.
To optimize the impact of texting, campaigns should ensure messages are engaging, specific, and clear. They should also respect voter privacy and comply with regulations, such as obtaining prior express consent for autodialed texts to mobile phones.
Texting can be used for various purposes, including persuasion, get-out-the-vote efforts, voter engagement, advocacy, and fundraising. It is a versatile tool that can be integrated with other campaign content, such as email or social media, to create a cohesive message. Additionally, texting enables campaigns to gather valuable data and conduct opinion polls to understand their supporters' pulse and tailor their messaging accordingly.
Overall, texting for outreach in political campaigns offers a direct and casual way to connect with supporters, making it an effective strategy to drive donations, sign-ups, and voter engagement.
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Rules and regulations
Political campaigns are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry requirements. However, they must follow the rules set out by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
- Political campaigns cannot call cell phones with auto-dialed or pre-recorded voice calls without the prior express consent of the recipient. This includes autodialed texts and applies to mobile devices and protected phone lines such as emergency lines.
- Campaigns can call landlines with auto-dialed or pre-recorded voice messages without consent. However, they are limited to no more than three calls within any consecutive 30-day period.
- Pre-recorded messages must start with the identity of the person making the call and include the telephone number of the caller.
- Campaigns are not permitted to send texts using auto-dialing. However, they can send manually dialed texts without prior consent.
- Campaigns must honour opt-out requests, such as a request to revoke consent, at any time and through any reasonable means.
- Political callers must maintain proof of PEC for every call for which it is needed.
- Many states have restrictions on political calls, so it is important to be aware of state-level legislation before initiating a call or text campaign.
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Phone banking
To optimize phone banking, campaigns often use calling scripts to guide volunteers in what to say and ask during each call. These scripts help ensure consistency in the campaign's message and allow for the collection of important voter information, such as their preferences and concerns. By analyzing this data, campaigns can improve their community outreach and engagement with voters, ultimately driving higher voter turnout on election day.
When it comes to political campaigns, live telephone calls remain essential despite the decline in the effectiveness and legality of "robo-calls." Personal phone calls from candidates or volunteers can leave a lasting impression on voters and turn them into supporters. However, it is challenging for candidates to call every voter, which is where phone banking by volunteers becomes crucial in amplifying the campaign's reach.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, phone calls are an effective way for political campaigns to reach voters and turn them into supporters. Phone calls can be used to identify supporters, persuade undecided voters, and ensure supporters are registered to vote.
In the US, political campaign-related autodialed or prerecorded voice calls, including autodialed live calls, autodialed texts, and prerecorded voice messages, are prohibited to cell phones, pagers, or other mobile devices without the called party's prior express consent. The same restrictions apply to protected phone lines such as emergency or toll-free lines, or lines serving hospitals or similar facilities. Political campaign-related autodialed or prerecorded voice calls are permitted when made to landline telephones, even without prior express consent.
Here are some best practices for making phone calls for political campaigns:
- Use a calling script: Calling scripts ensure that critical points are covered in each call and help maintain consistent messages across the campaign.
- Identify your target audience: Before making calls, clean your contact list to separate cell phones and landlines, and identify supporters, undecided voters, and those who may be interested in yard signs or other campaign materials.
- Follow up with donors: After making a high-value ask, such as a donation, follow up with donors to confirm their contribution and keep them updated on the campaign's fundraising efforts.
