A strong ID program uses multiple avenues to capture data – be it Auto, Live and Voice Variable programs. Knowing this, the best use of ID in 2012 will be to make sure to include a question on each of your ID programs that includes top issues, then take that information and deliver advocacy and get-out-the-vote messages specific to the issue identified. Through our findings, a strong ID program is tremendously helpful in turning out supporters come election time. A brief case study explains this:
What We Did: We took a universe from each of three states to compare ID work across multiple product lines – Auto ID calls, Live ID calls and Voice Variable calls.
How We Did It: A universe of voters in the same district, with similar vote history was ID’d in the summer of 2011 for a special election in November. The original scripting focused on ID’ing top issues in this district – education, tax increases, spending.
Half of those ID’d as supportive of the candidate and issue were provided with 3 specific issue-based get-out- the-vote calls based on the issue they found important and the candidate who supported that issue. The remaining half of ID’d voters did not receive any turnout calls. Following the election, we did a post-election survey asking if a voter actually voted and if they remembered any phone calls.
Result: Those that received turnout calls that included issue-based messaging voted at a rate of two to one over those that we did not call. Of the people who recalled getting a call, 82% voted. Of people in the control group who remembered getting a call (not ours), only 57% voted.
Conclusion: From this, we can gather that ID data, no matter the form affects the outcome of your campaign. When planning for ID work early in your 2012 campaign, make sure to include an issue-based question on your ID calls. This will boost turnout at an alarming rate if you use that information to target your turnout message.
There are further findings to demonstrate this. If you need to identify as many voters as possible, using Live ID will generate the most ID data. Live ID generates more than double the ID information than any Auto ID Call so you get significantly more usable data out of your starting universe. On Live Calls, of the folks we reach, 93% hear the first question. In comparison, only about 15-20% hear the first question on Auto ID. Arguably our most effective ID program, Voice Variable, keeps people on the call longer than straight auto calls due to calling the voters by name. Click HERE to listen to a couple of examples.
By this, we hope you have gleaned even more reasons why ID data is so important. If you have any questions about FLS voter contact programs or would like to start a program with us please give KC Jones, Director of Sales a call at 512-689-5902 or email her at kcjones@flsconnect.com.
