These responses to questions frequently asked by GO Team members are updated over time as circumstances change. Please skim through all the questions, since you might fight that answers to questions others have asked are helpful to you too. Feel free to ask your own questions to GO Team leaders and help us expand this list or clarify our materials to the benefit of all.
I’m a new canvasser. How do I begin?
After you completed Neighborhood Leader training and filled out the online form to officially join the GO Team, you should have received an email or call from your Community Coordinator, who will be the person helping you with how to get started. You can contact them if you need help -- or if you're not sure who that is, contact the San Diego County Democratic Party office at (858) 277-3367 or [email protected].
What are the goals of the GO Team?
We have several overall goals, both short-term and long-term, all in support of electing Democrats!
Maximizing Democratic-friendly voter turnout
Increasing down-ballot voting
Increasing Democratic registration
Collect voter support information to share with endorsed campaigns
Promoting the Democratic Party and its positions
Inviting involvement in the local Democratic clubs and activities
What are the policies of the program?
Your conduct as representative for the Democratic Party should reflect well upon the Party and support the election of Democratic candidates over the long term. Volunteers must sign an agreement stating that they understand and will adhere to the following GO Team Policies. Your Community Coordinator should be able to answer any questions.
Volunteers in the GO Team must be registered as Democrats or No Party Preference. (This requirement may be waived under certain circumstances.)
You represent the Democratic Party rather than a specific campaign. If you’d like to work directly on behalf of a candidate, please do so outside of your assigned GO Team “turf” -- a.k.a. your GO Team list.
We will promote only those campaigns endorsed by the Democratic Party.
You may carry or wear candidate-specific items only for endorsed candidates or campaigns.
If you declare your candidacy for public office, you must suspend your work on the GO Team.
Voter lists and other voter and volunteer data are to be used only for political purposes approved by the Party.
Can I say which candidate I prefer when there isn't an endorsement?
In races where the Party has not taken a position, you are welcome to state your personal preference as long as you make clear that there is no official Democratic endorsement. Please keep your comments about the Democrats running positive. You are free to volunteer directly through a non-endorsed campaign anywhere outside of your assigned GO Team turf(s).
Where the Party has endorsed, GO Teamers support only those endorsed candidates while canvassing. In the event that you personally don't prefer a candidate endorsed by the Party, we ask you to continue to work in your assigned turf on behalf of the entire Democratic without disparaging any candidate whose endorsement you don't agree with.
When and where do I get doorhangers? Can I attach anything to them?
GO Team doorhangers are printed after endorsements by the State and County Parties have been completed. Your coordinator should have doorhangers for you just prior to the start of voting in each election. You may choose to distribute literature for an endorsed candidate or ballot measure at the same time (if available), but please do not physically attach other campaign literature to our doorhanger.
You might want to attach your own note to the doorhanger with your contact information. GO Teamers can download, personalize, and print GO Team business cards that they can attach and otherwise distribute. (Template available to download here and print on Avery 5871 paper.)
How soon should I contact voters?
The election-specific resource packet for GO Team volunteers at sddems.link/packet will contain a GO Team Election Info document listing key dates and links, including the date when our canvassing can begin.
If like most Neighborhood Leaders you won't be contacting all the voters on your list multiple times, canvassing voters before they receive their ballots will have less of an impact then when their ballots are in hand. Even during the four-week period of voting, please keep in mind that on average, only about 10% of all voters return their ballots in the first week, while more than 50% wait till the last week to make their decisions and return their ballots.
There's no single ideal time to talk to all voters. We do want to make sure that particularly for the voters we're targeting for Turnout (indicated on your list), they hear from us right before Election Day, when they're more likely to be paying attention and needing help. Remember to make a voting plan plan with them to strengthen their commitment to voting. In general, voters in our Base target are more likely to vote early.
What is the best time to reach voters?
As for time of day, we recommend contacts between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the very latest. Generally, retirement-age voters are often at home in the daytime, including weekdays, while voters with young families are often out on the weekends.
What are the different "Targets" and why do they matter?
We maximize use of time, resources, and impact by targeting which voters to talk to and when. We use behavioral modeling provided by the DNC to place voters into “target groups.” Many factors go into the those models, including but not limited to party registration and voting history. Voters who rarely vote or who rarely support Democrats might not be on your list. Your time is precious and limited, and we want it to be used as effectively as possible.
When and how do I register voters?
If you'd like to carry paper registration forms while you canvass, prior to the registration deadline, you can get those from the Party office or the Registrar of Voters office. There's a guide to helping voters complete those forms in your packet of reference documents. Most people now register (and update their registration) online. They can visit visit sdvote.com to access that site, or scan the code on their doorhanger. If a targeted voter on your list has moved, and the new resident supports Democrats, that’s an opportunity for us!
Why is there someone else canvassing in my assigned turf?
Individual campaigns often send their own volunteers into neighborhoods to knock on doors. The key difference is they are working to get out the vote for their candidate, while you're working to get out the vote for the full slate of candidates and ballot measures. Wherever possible, we try to minimize overlap in areas where there are GO Team members. However, for campaign organizations that are operating independently of campaigns, it might not be legal to coordinate with the campaigns or with the Party.
That kind of overlap is likelier to happen in very close races, where attempting to reach voters more than one time, and by more than one person, is desirable and will result in a greater likelihood that they will vote. If you find someone else carrying GO Team literature in your turf, we recommend that you notify you Community Coordinator.
What's the difference between a precinct and a turf?
A precinct is the smallest geographic division for official voting purposes. All voters in a precinct have the same districts and races on their ballot and use the same polling location. The number of voters in a precinct can range from a handful to many hundreds.
A turf is the group of voters on the particular list you have been given. You might have one or more turfs. Your turf could be part of a precinct or a whole precinct.
What other ways can I help the GO Team?
We have many different roles in the GO Team. To name a few:
Neighborhood Leadersare the backbone of the Grassroots Organizing Team, responsible for directly contacting voters in their neighborhood or a neighborhood of their choice. They visit targeted voters to encourage voting for the full slate of endorsed Democratic candidates. By working the same area, election cycle after election cycle, Neighborhood Leaders build relationships with the voters on their canvassing list and become a trusted source of voting information for their neighbors!
Community Coordinators lead and organize the GO Team Neighborhood Leaders in each community. They recruit new canvassers and make sure all volunteers have the training, materials and support to be successful. Community Coordinators are also Neighborhood Leaders, talking to targeted voters in their area.
Data Coordinators work closely with the Community Coordinator to create a voter list for each Neighborhood Leader, and to produce canvassing results reports. Data coordinators may also enter data from paper voter lists.
Please contact your coordinator if you're interested in a greater role on our team!
