Phonebank Reflections

“I’ll do anything except call people on the phone.”

Yup. I used to be that volunteer. The thought of calling strangers on the phone and asking them questions about issues that I really, really cared about was terrifying. I’d rather stuff envelopes for eight hours than make calls for one. But, the days of winning a campaign by primarily stuffing envelopes are gone. Frankly, I don’t know if they ever existed. People respond to people. They interact, they ask questions, they think about the issue. That just doesn’t happen with a piece of mail. And, a piece of mail can’t record their answer either.

Laura Harper

Calling voters, or phonebanking as we call it in the political world, is crucial. It’s the most efficient way to talk to voters, identify those who support the issue you’re working on, and then make sure they have the resources they need to either vote absentee or make it to the polls on Election Day. And, if you don’t have oodles of money, it’s the most important thing you can do to help work on the campaign you care about.

So, let’s go over a few of the basic fears folks have towards phonebanking:

1. People will yell at me and call me names for calling them.
I’ve been doing this work for ten years, and I’ve only been called names two or three times. And, you know what, the world didn’t end. A few curse words and the slam of the receiver simply means we won’t call them again. It was fine, and I survived. And, it gives you a good story to tell at the end of the phonebank.

2. People will ask me questions that I can’t answer about the issue, and I’ll feel stupid.
If the phonebank is well-organized, you’ll participate in a training and go over the issue, including the answers to the most common questions. You will know more about the issue than the average voter before you make your first call.
And, since when is it a character flaw to not have all the answers? If someone asks you a question that you can’t answer, offer to find out and have someone get back to them. This is standard protocol at a phonebank.

3. I will have a terrible time.
I can’t guarantee you won’t, but it does give you an opportunity to be a part of the team. You are one of many volunteers who care so much about the issue that you are willing to give a few hours of your time to call strangers. You’ll meet others who share your values and beliefs. You’ll get the satisfaction of actually doing something concrete to help your campaign win. You’ll probably leave having some cool stories to tell your friends.

So, when you hear from us about phonebanks, step outside your comfort zone and give it a try.  We’ll take good care of you, we promise.

Laura Harper
Director of Public Policy