Election Recap: 2023
Executive Summary
Tuesday’s election was a victory for kids. The results vividly illustrate what our collective dedication can accomplish.
This is not about partisanship or CRT or parents rights or anything else. People went to the polls and voted for high-quality education for their children.
Our c3 efforts increased voter turnout across key districts.
Coalitions win elections at the local level. We as a national organization cannot divide and conquer. Collectively, we need to invest c3 and c4 dollars, and use every resource available to shine a light on hate slates.
Lessons Learned
Strategy:
The top of the ticket has a significant impact on school board elections. In heavily Republican-leaning districts, we saw Republicans win down ballot. In many of these districts, we ran a strictly GOTV program and it was insufficient to elect pro-equity candidates.
Thus, Phone Banks: Ensure volunteers are comfortable with both the content of the scripts and the technology being used. Every phone bank should start with a 15-20 minute training that includes a review of the script, a description of who you’re calling that day, and a space for tech questions. The first time you phone bank with a new group, assume you’ll spend 30-60 mins talking about the script and explaining the technology. Lots of volunteers fear the technology so it’s important to know the tech savviness of your group and adjust your training accordingly.
Text Banking: We need to set up our text banking system earlier with a known platform and, most importantly, get opt-ins from supporters starting in the year ahead.
Partnerships - Base building is key - we need relationships on the ground and State Organizers on the ground in any GOTV states (minimum 1 year up to election seasons)
Voter Files: Be sure to have a plan for all of your technology before you settle on a voter file. It is ideal to be able to track your voter file, door knocking, text banking, and phone banking efforts in one centralized system that either runs everything or allows you to connect different platforms. Also, though the lowest priced voter file may seem best, determine whether there are hidden costs or logistical complications with connecting it to your voter outreach tools.
Scripts: It’s important to update your scripts based on feedback from the organizations and activists on the ground. We wrote the initial drafts based on the issues that folks on the ground said were happening in the community, took feedback from them during the initial training, and made adjustments. Partners and activists made a point to let us know that most national organizations don’t ask for feedback and they were grateful to be included. It’s essential to work with folks on the ground and respect the knowledge they have about their own communities.
Op-Eds: Recognizing that safety is an ongoing concern for parents and advocates on the ground, we need to find ways to ensure that potential allies feel safe to speak out about what’s going on in their community. This could come through connections to organizations that host online safety trainings or similar programs. Creating this safety allows us to engage with individuals who feel comfortable putting their name on op-eds/letters to the editor without fearing backlash.
Messaging Training: We heard time after time how helpful messaging trainings were to folks who attended. In the future, we should strategize ways to get the training in front of more advocates and activists.