Alaska is in the final stretch of its first regular general election with rank choice voting, with an open Congressional seat for the first time in nearly 50 years, a U.S. Senate race, all but one legislative seat on the ballot, and a proposition to rewrite the Alaska Constitution.
With such a consequential election, we want as many Alaskans as possible to vote. This means all hands on deck for phone banks and volunteer shifts. Can you help out?
Getting Out the Vote (GOTV) is critical to our democracy. The more we educate voters and encourage them to vote, the more representative government will be of the people of Alaska.
Phone calls encouraging citizens to vote are staples of modern campaigns. Scientific insights and campaign analysis over the years underscore that GOTV phone calls are significantly more impactful when the call focuses on the voter’s plan to vote. Field experiments show that facilitating the formation of a voting plan (i.e., implementation intentions) can increase turnout by multiple percentage points among those contacted, but a standard encouragement call and self-prediction have no significant impact
That is to say, you can have an impact on the future of your city and state by volunteering with the GOTV effort. We all know that life can happen, especially in Alaska where weather on election day is always a gamble. Having a plan helps the voter think through any possible obstacles or hiccups in their life, weather, roads and encourages them to stick to their commitment to vote.
But we need your help ensuring that Alaska voters get to the polls! There are four opportunities to volunteer before Election Day. Can you, your friends, or coworkers join us for a phone bank?
Emily Leak – Michie is the Executive Director of the Alaska Voter Hub.
