In the spirit of doing everything we can to get out the vote this election, I thought I'd share my completely honest experience with phone banking in the hopes that I might persuade some of you to go do it yourselves.
So. I've been phone banking in Michigan for the Democrats for about a month now. I sign up for two nights per week for about an hour each.
I'm not going to sugarcoat it and tell you it's super fun and exhilarating because it's absolutely not that. It's HARD and I usually dread it because I'm an introvert. And honestly, a lot of people are not happy about being called.
But.
It's worth it.
But.
It's worth it.
It's worth the time and the stress because in every session I move *at least* one more person to go vote Democrat.
My last phone-banking session was on Saturday. I kept a log of my calls so I'd remember the good along with the bad.
My last phone-banking session was on Saturday. I kept a log of my calls so I'd remember the good along with the bad.
There is a dialer app we use that calls numbers the Democrats have saved in a database somewhere. When you hear the beep, a name comes up on your screen, and you start talking.
It's nerve-wracking because you have NO IDEA how your pitch is going to go over.
It's nerve-wracking because you have NO IDEA how your pitch is going to go over.
I decided some time ago that I'm only going to make 30 calls per session. I'll share with you here what those 30 calls on Saturday were like.
1. Wrong number.
2. Hang up.
1. Wrong number.
2. Hang up.
3. A woman answered and I explained that I was a volunteer with Joe Biden and the Michigan Democrats. She stopped me right there with, "Don't call here again!" and then she hung up.
(deep breath, shake it off, keep going)
(deep breath, shake it off, keep going)
4. A man. After I explained who I was he informed me he was voting for Trump. I thanked him for his time.
5. Wrong number.
6. Already voted for Biden (yay!)
5. Wrong number.
6. Already voted for Biden (yay!)
7. A youngish man. Said he was voting for Biden. I told him that in MI we can vote early now.
"Really?" he asked. "How?"
I walked him through obtaining an absentee ballot, filling it out and dropping it off all in one day. He was excited to go do exactly that on Monday.
"Really?" he asked. "How?"
I walked him through obtaining an absentee ballot, filling it out and dropping it off all in one day. He was excited to go do exactly that on Monday.
8. A man answered. When I told him who I was he became hostile and threatening.
"ARE YOU RECORDING ME?" (No).
"You better not be recording me!" (I'm not)
I could almost smell Michigan militia on him.
"ARE YOU RECORDING ME?" (No).
"You better not be recording me!" (I'm not)
I could almost smell Michigan militia on him.
(8 cont) He then yelled, "YOU JUST MADE A BIG MISTAKE! WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS?"
At that point, I hung up, shook it off and had to look for a couple minutes at the Biden/Harris photo atop an ugly Trump photo on my desktop to remind myself why I was doing this.
At that point, I hung up, shook it off and had to look for a couple minutes at the Biden/Harris photo atop an ugly Trump photo on my desktop to remind myself why I was doing this.
9. Hang up.
10. Voice mail
11. Wrong number
12. Wrong number
13. Wrong number
14. Hang up.
10. Voice mail
11. Wrong number
12. Wrong number
13. Wrong number
14. Hang up.
15. A woman. She was a bit challenged but very nice. She wasn't sure who to vote for so I asked her what issue was most important to her. She told me she had medical problems. I explained why that issue made it important to vote for Biden.
(15 cont.)
I told her that she could vote early and go down to her city hall and get a ballot, fill it out, and then turn it in right then. While I was on the phone, she asked her live-in assistant to help her do that very thing on Monday. (YAY!)
I told her that she could vote early and go down to her city hall and get a ballot, fill it out, and then turn it in right then. While I was on the phone, she asked her live-in assistant to help her do that very thing on Monday. (YAY!)
16. Wrong number
17. Hang up
18. Wrong number
19. A woman. She said she had received her absentee ballot and would be returning it the following week (with her Biden vote).
17. Hang up
18. Wrong number
19. A woman. She said she had received her absentee ballot and would be returning it the following week (with her Biden vote).
20. Voice mail
21. A dog? It seriously sounded like the phone was answered by a dog, who barked and barked into the phone. It was comic relief.
22. Woman: "No, Raymond doesn't live here, hasn't lived here in 25 years so take me off your list!!"
21. A dog? It seriously sounded like the phone was answered by a dog, who barked and barked into the phone. It was comic relief.
22. Woman: "No, Raymond doesn't live here, hasn't lived here in 25 years so take me off your list!!"
23. Wrong number.
24. A completely undecided voter answered. Who knew they even existed? I made some persuasion points for Biden, which she listened to, then I talked her through the absentee voting process.
24. A completely undecided voter answered. Who knew they even existed? I made some persuasion points for Biden, which she listened to, then I talked her through the absentee voting process.
25. "Hello, my name's Tami and I'm a volunteer with Joe Biden and the Michigan Democrats - " "NO THANKS." Hang up.
26. "Take me off your list!"
27. Voicemail.
28. Voicemail.
29. Voicemail.
30. Received a ballot. Getting ready to return it.
26. "Take me off your list!"
27. Voicemail.
28. Voicemail.
29. Voicemail.
30. Received a ballot. Getting ready to return it.
And that was it. 30 calls took just over an hour.
I endured some abuse. It was HARD. But I believe I got THREE PEOPLE out to vote during that hour.
I endured some abuse. It was HARD. But I believe I got THREE PEOPLE out to vote during that hour.
Just imagine how many MORE people would get out there to vote if we ALL did this at least once a week.
End.
End.
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