My MomsRising.org postcards arrived today. I have been waiting a long time. Good news is they are pre-addressed and pre-stamped. I just need to write a
Non-partisan two to three line sentence. Four examples were given. Having a friend coming over tomorrow - a little wine, and lots of writing and chatting.
Still waiting for mine but I only have 25 more to finish for Postcards to Swing States for a grand total of 500 between the two. Plus we did 100 for AZ's primary in July.
I like the first message. People need to wake the hell up and realize they need to VOTE.
I agree completely. Every single vote is so important. I still have 400 to do for postcard to Swing States. The message is a bit lengthier but it’s all doable.
Thanks for the bit about postcards. I've been doing this for a number of years while with Seniors Taking Action and Grandmothers for a Brighter Future. It is really important to stay on script. If the script bothers you, choose another campaign. There are lots to choose from. Grandmothers for a Brighter Future has pre-messaged cards. All you do is add a line and sign your name. I draw a heart before my name to keep things friendly. Colors help as well, but the real objective is to get out the vote.
Jess, thank you for your words about the importance of the script. There's a lot of information on the Postcards to Swing States website that includes the studies that they have done, showing how much more effective that message is. For those writing other messages, since each targeted voter will be getting 3 postcards (I think that's true for all except FL and TX voters), it does seem to help to stack messages.
It would be good to mention the importance of sticking to the assigned mailing dates, too. GOTV postcards become less effective if they are further from election day. They have also looked at this very carefully. There's a good video about it on their facebook page if you aren't convinced.
As you say, for people who want to write a political message, there are other groups that do that, and they target their voters and mailing times accordingly. Activate America and Postcards to Voters are good resources for that.
My only objection to mailing these out on October 28 is we have a number of absentee ballot out of state addresses; ballots in AZ go out on October 9 and need to be postmarked by October 25 (As per the Sec of State's webpage) to guarantee they'll be received in time to be counted for the Nov 5 election. October 28 is too late.
Have you seen the activity taking place to change Nebraska from a blue Dot state to a winner take Allstate? There are only two votes away from making this happen at the state level. Lindsey Graham has gotten involved! I think we should raise the collective consciousness about this issue. Thank you for all you do.
/SAD that the GOP candidate for Governor of NC describes himself as a 'black Nazi". Reading "Journalist at the Brink" about Louis Lochner, AP Berlin Bureau chief in the early 30s. Trump's footprints are all over the way the Nazis took control of the society and its institutions. Creepy and scary. I remember how he bullied all that field of Republican out of the primaries in 2015-16, and Hillery too.
PLEASE, all you Chop Wood, Carry Water, mobilize the biggest win in history for Kamala and Tim. Love, Doc
Jess, I love your substack and your leadership, and weeks ago my wife and I attended a webinar from Postcards to Swing States and got my package of cards and addresses. I read the options for postcard texts, and, like many of your readers, I have a very bad feeling about the recommended text. I get the social pressure argument and I get the sense that this has been much tested, but it hardly seems appropriate or democratic to act as though the only way to put on social pressure is to imply that Big Brother is going to be watching whether you vote or not.
I have just finished today writing my first ten postcards in my own language and applying my own social sense of social pressure. I will mail these at the appropriate times. They may not be effective, but they may be, because as the webinar taught me postcard campaigns have a small effect on turnout, about 1-3% as I recall, since many of the people we will write to will be voting anyway and many who receive the card will be prompted by our note no matter what we say: even just a big card that says VOTE on it.
You advise that if we don't like the message that we have to send, because we wouldn't find it effective if we received it or we just don't want to talk to our fellow citizens like that message does and would prefer to apply "social pressure" in different ways, then we should go to a different campaign. But I'm a little late in the game for that.
And since my wife and I are sitting on about 300 cards, my choices seem thus:
1) Knuckle under and do as I am told, because that MIGHT mean a slightly better result. (No one can say that my words would be totally ineffective.)
2) Box up the cards and send them back, but that seems wasteful and they might not have time to find somebody else and I'm willing to do the work.
3) Rationalize that in the alternatives that were tested by whoever tested the messages, my alternative was not messaged, which doesn't mention the candidates, and pressures by the importance of the times and the power of one vote, and I might as well send my message out just so that it might have some effect and since I have 100s of dollars of postcards stamps ready to go. Who knows it might be OK and I might touch someone who would have been put off by the "we know where you live" social pressure of the preferred card?
Not asking you to decide for me what option I should take. I suspect you would go for number 1.
I get that. And please don't think I am just some guy who thinks he knows better than everybody else how to do the job. I've worked with message consultants and survey experts for 30 years and most times I've followed their advice, but sometimes I have and the advice has not been good and sometimes it doesn't pass a humane smell test.
Had I not read your column after just beginning my postcarding, I would have gone blithely along my way.
Now, I have to confess, for all my enthusiasm about "doing something," as Michelle Obama said, more than just giving my dollars, 30 or 40 times more than we've ever given before, I'm probably going to feel crummy no matter what I do. But my feelings don't matter, to be sure.
I suppose I should stop overthinking this and give my money and shut up.
I respect your work and I know we are supposed to be the worker bees supporting the campaigns, but the attitude that there is only one best way or two or three to touch voters seems silly when the touch is as important as the message, and so many of us writing postcards take pains to make them personal. You all applaud when we make the cards colorful and "personal," why not within broad guidelines allow some personal thinking, feeling, and voice to shine through. The medium is the message, as ol' Marshall McLuhan used to say.
Well, you know what I'm going to say. lol. But obviously do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you need to unload the cards I'll take them--but you'd have to send them to me. But please don't feel crummy regardless of the choice you make. That's not the point of any of this!
Thanks, Jessica. I'll send the cards I have out one way or another or some modification.
I appreciate your reply. It's really a small potato question. We are all trying to reach the same end. I may try to find a less restrictive guideline for any further postcarding. We are all in this together. Thank you for your work and leadership.
Today's NYTs poll was just what was expected from Nate Cohn. A tied race designed for the Times' MAGA fans. Nate is not really dumb. He's just a useful idiot for conservative readers of the Times and gaslighting everyone else.
The Times significantly over polls rural/small town voters who, as a group, are 65% for Trump. The result is about a 5% favorable advantage for Trump. ONLY read the Times' poll results as a window into MAGA America not as an unbiased predictor of the Nov election.
So running "even" in the Times poll is the same for Harris/Walz as being +6% in the WaPo poll.
So don't worry too much. Keep your head down for the next 50 days. Folllow Jess' suggestions for letters and postcards. GOTV in the 7 swing states and we'll have a BIG win in Nov.😊
I, for one, was relieved to find that I didn't have to be careful or creative about what I said on a postcard. I just needed to be careful that my wandering thoughts didn't make it to my pen. I am a little bit torn, though, about the implied threat of the preferred message you cited. I like the idea of having several to choose from. Chances are that I'd feel more comfortable with one than the others.
For those of us who want to be creative, perhaps we should just settle for sharing our ideas on Substack and other forums. I'm sure the authors of the official messages read some of our work. Maybe the campaigns will pick up some of our ideas as well.
So with all that being said, here's a GOTV message I think might be effective:
"If you decide not to exercise your right to vote, please don't exercise your right to complain about the outcome."
Postcarding and letter writing is a numbers game. They move the needle on from a few tenths to one percent, which is significant. I'm for whatever message is (1) true and (2) works, and I trust the organization to choose the best message.
Jess, did you see the email from FT6 where they discuss how their internal model used to identify unregistered voters who will register Dem has been shown to be 93% accurate? That's pretty incredible and huge motivation to keep calling & texting with FT6.
Thank you SO MUCH!! Our goals is to get out the vote not make friends. You're right. I'm doing what it says. I just wanted to know your thoughts b/c I didn't want to scare off voters based on some Russian operative going on. I know that sounds paranoid, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. I will stick to the Postcards to Swing States script even though it makes me feel very, very uncomfortable.
Thanks Jess! You highlighted all the folks I’ve been post carding and letter writing with. Really appreciate it. Also Blue Wave postcards are a great outfit. It really feels good to write to voters and help with voting issues.
I don’t feel you made your case, as Neither of the studies you referenced were specific to the message you’re talking about: “if you vote is public but how you vote is private.” I also found it “creepy”. On another subject, I’ve received 5 “Vote!” postcards this week. The most effective ones - to me - were short & had a lot of blank space. I read those 3. I tossed other 2: closely written, many lines jammed into a small space, way too much info. Get to the bottom line: vote blue & tell your friends. I’m starting my 800th postcard tonight with 300 more to go.
Sorry to be so ill informed: is sharing broadly postcard strategy ill advised? I'd love to post what you have written but don't want those supporting Trump to follow effective practices.
My MomsRising.org postcards arrived today. I have been waiting a long time. Good news is they are pre-addressed and pre-stamped. I just need to write a
Non-partisan two to three line sentence. Four examples were given. Having a friend coming over tomorrow - a little wine, and lots of writing and chatting.
Thanks for everything you are doing Jessica!
That's great! I haven't yet received mine, but I'm assuming they'll come soon.
Still waiting for mine but I only have 25 more to finish for Postcards to Swing States for a grand total of 500 between the two. Plus we did 100 for AZ's primary in July.
I like the first message. People need to wake the hell up and realize they need to VOTE.
YES! Thank you, Jude!
I agree completely. Every single vote is so important. I still have 400 to do for postcard to Swing States. The message is a bit lengthier but it’s all doable.
Glad you got yours, seems like I've been waiting forever!
I felt the same way.
Thanks for the bit about postcards. I've been doing this for a number of years while with Seniors Taking Action and Grandmothers for a Brighter Future. It is really important to stay on script. If the script bothers you, choose another campaign. There are lots to choose from. Grandmothers for a Brighter Future has pre-messaged cards. All you do is add a line and sign your name. I draw a heart before my name to keep things friendly. Colors help as well, but the real objective is to get out the vote.
I think color is important, too. Thank you, Susan!
Jess, thank you for your words about the importance of the script. There's a lot of information on the Postcards to Swing States website that includes the studies that they have done, showing how much more effective that message is. For those writing other messages, since each targeted voter will be getting 3 postcards (I think that's true for all except FL and TX voters), it does seem to help to stack messages.
It would be good to mention the importance of sticking to the assigned mailing dates, too. GOTV postcards become less effective if they are further from election day. They have also looked at this very carefully. There's a good video about it on their facebook page if you aren't convinced.
As you say, for people who want to write a political message, there are other groups that do that, and they target their voters and mailing times accordingly. Activate America and Postcards to Voters are good resources for that.
Yes! I should have mentioned that! Equally important!
My only objection to mailing these out on October 28 is we have a number of absentee ballot out of state addresses; ballots in AZ go out on October 9 and need to be postmarked by October 25 (As per the Sec of State's webpage) to guarantee they'll be received in time to be counted for the Nov 5 election. October 28 is too late.
They consider mailing dates VERY carefully. I'd trust them. They are probably targeting last minute day-of voters.
Thanks Jess, I've been using the tried and true message in my Activate America postcards. Hope to do some letter writing this weekend!
Yay! Thanks, Nancy!
Have you seen the activity taking place to change Nebraska from a blue Dot state to a winner take Allstate? There are only two votes away from making this happen at the state level. Lindsey Graham has gotten involved! I think we should raise the collective consciousness about this issue. Thank you for all you do.
Ugh. I will look into it.
/SAD that the GOP candidate for Governor of NC describes himself as a 'black Nazi". Reading "Journalist at the Brink" about Louis Lochner, AP Berlin Bureau chief in the early 30s. Trump's footprints are all over the way the Nazis took control of the society and its institutions. Creepy and scary. I remember how he bullied all that field of Republican out of the primaries in 2015-16, and Hillery too.
PLEASE, all you Chop Wood, Carry Water, mobilize the biggest win in history for Kamala and Tim. Love, Doc
Jess, I love your substack and your leadership, and weeks ago my wife and I attended a webinar from Postcards to Swing States and got my package of cards and addresses. I read the options for postcard texts, and, like many of your readers, I have a very bad feeling about the recommended text. I get the social pressure argument and I get the sense that this has been much tested, but it hardly seems appropriate or democratic to act as though the only way to put on social pressure is to imply that Big Brother is going to be watching whether you vote or not.
I have just finished today writing my first ten postcards in my own language and applying my own social sense of social pressure. I will mail these at the appropriate times. They may not be effective, but they may be, because as the webinar taught me postcard campaigns have a small effect on turnout, about 1-3% as I recall, since many of the people we will write to will be voting anyway and many who receive the card will be prompted by our note no matter what we say: even just a big card that says VOTE on it.
You advise that if we don't like the message that we have to send, because we wouldn't find it effective if we received it or we just don't want to talk to our fellow citizens like that message does and would prefer to apply "social pressure" in different ways, then we should go to a different campaign. But I'm a little late in the game for that.
And since my wife and I are sitting on about 300 cards, my choices seem thus:
1) Knuckle under and do as I am told, because that MIGHT mean a slightly better result. (No one can say that my words would be totally ineffective.)
2) Box up the cards and send them back, but that seems wasteful and they might not have time to find somebody else and I'm willing to do the work.
3) Rationalize that in the alternatives that were tested by whoever tested the messages, my alternative was not messaged, which doesn't mention the candidates, and pressures by the importance of the times and the power of one vote, and I might as well send my message out just so that it might have some effect and since I have 100s of dollars of postcards stamps ready to go. Who knows it might be OK and I might touch someone who would have been put off by the "we know where you live" social pressure of the preferred card?
Not asking you to decide for me what option I should take. I suspect you would go for number 1.
I get that. And please don't think I am just some guy who thinks he knows better than everybody else how to do the job. I've worked with message consultants and survey experts for 30 years and most times I've followed their advice, but sometimes I have and the advice has not been good and sometimes it doesn't pass a humane smell test.
Had I not read your column after just beginning my postcarding, I would have gone blithely along my way.
Now, I have to confess, for all my enthusiasm about "doing something," as Michelle Obama said, more than just giving my dollars, 30 or 40 times more than we've ever given before, I'm probably going to feel crummy no matter what I do. But my feelings don't matter, to be sure.
I suppose I should stop overthinking this and give my money and shut up.
I respect your work and I know we are supposed to be the worker bees supporting the campaigns, but the attitude that there is only one best way or two or three to touch voters seems silly when the touch is as important as the message, and so many of us writing postcards take pains to make them personal. You all applaud when we make the cards colorful and "personal," why not within broad guidelines allow some personal thinking, feeling, and voice to shine through. The medium is the message, as ol' Marshall McLuhan used to say.
Thanks for listening.
Well, you know what I'm going to say. lol. But obviously do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you need to unload the cards I'll take them--but you'd have to send them to me. But please don't feel crummy regardless of the choice you make. That's not the point of any of this!
Thanks, Jessica. I'll send the cards I have out one way or another or some modification.
I appreciate your reply. It's really a small potato question. We are all trying to reach the same end. I may try to find a less restrictive guideline for any further postcarding. We are all in this together. Thank you for your work and leadership.
Today's NYTs poll was just what was expected from Nate Cohn. A tied race designed for the Times' MAGA fans. Nate is not really dumb. He's just a useful idiot for conservative readers of the Times and gaslighting everyone else.
The Times significantly over polls rural/small town voters who, as a group, are 65% for Trump. The result is about a 5% favorable advantage for Trump. ONLY read the Times' poll results as a window into MAGA America not as an unbiased predictor of the Nov election.
So running "even" in the Times poll is the same for Harris/Walz as being +6% in the WaPo poll.
So don't worry too much. Keep your head down for the next 50 days. Folllow Jess' suggestions for letters and postcards. GOTV in the 7 swing states and we'll have a BIG win in Nov.😊
I, for one, was relieved to find that I didn't have to be careful or creative about what I said on a postcard. I just needed to be careful that my wandering thoughts didn't make it to my pen. I am a little bit torn, though, about the implied threat of the preferred message you cited. I like the idea of having several to choose from. Chances are that I'd feel more comfortable with one than the others.
For those of us who want to be creative, perhaps we should just settle for sharing our ideas on Substack and other forums. I'm sure the authors of the official messages read some of our work. Maybe the campaigns will pick up some of our ideas as well.
So with all that being said, here's a GOTV message I think might be effective:
"If you decide not to exercise your right to vote, please don't exercise your right to complain about the outcome."
I sent 1,457 texts to OH voters today! That brings my total to close to 4000 this week.
There is so much every one of us can do.
Postcarding and letter writing is a numbers game. They move the needle on from a few tenths to one percent, which is significant. I'm for whatever message is (1) true and (2) works, and I trust the organization to choose the best message.
Jess, did you see the email from FT6 where they discuss how their internal model used to identify unregistered voters who will register Dem has been shown to be 93% accurate? That's pretty incredible and huge motivation to keep calling & texting with FT6.
Thank you SO MUCH!! Our goals is to get out the vote not make friends. You're right. I'm doing what it says. I just wanted to know your thoughts b/c I didn't want to scare off voters based on some Russian operative going on. I know that sounds paranoid, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. I will stick to the Postcards to Swing States script even though it makes me feel very, very uncomfortable.
Oprah and VP Harris talking about Reproductive Rights tonight at 8pm ET.
https://youtu.be/yz9o1D54E18?si=oztNAQTiLbR3ET7a
Thanks Jess! You highlighted all the folks I’ve been post carding and letter writing with. Really appreciate it. Also Blue Wave postcards are a great outfit. It really feels good to write to voters and help with voting issues.
I don’t feel you made your case, as Neither of the studies you referenced were specific to the message you’re talking about: “if you vote is public but how you vote is private.” I also found it “creepy”. On another subject, I’ve received 5 “Vote!” postcards this week. The most effective ones - to me - were short & had a lot of blank space. I read those 3. I tossed other 2: closely written, many lines jammed into a small space, way too much info. Get to the bottom line: vote blue & tell your friends. I’m starting my 800th postcard tonight with 300 more to go.
Sorry to be so ill informed: is sharing broadly postcard strategy ill advised? I'd love to post what you have written but don't want those supporting Trump to follow effective practices.
I think it's fine. This info is widely available. The Trump campaign is well aware of it.