In a Time of Social Distancing, Person-to-Person Texting is Preserving Democracy: Sullivan
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Rhode Island is under a stay at home order. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and President Trump have completely altered their campaigns. Recently, Mayor Bill De Blasio in his press conference urged campaigns to halt door-to-door canvassing. On the issues, Mayor De Blasio and I are diametrically opposed, however here we have bipartisan agreement. Beyond just common decency, it is in no campaign’s best interest to risk the health of their staff, volunteers, or supporters. Coronavirus is having a dramatic impact on how the campaign industry reaches out to voters, driven in large part by increasing legal prohibitions.
Coronavirus is forcing the CDC, state and local governments to ban gatherings of more than a few dozen people, shutting down bars and restaurants, and strongly encouraging individuals to stay home.
What will not change is that elections will happen (even if they are delayed) and campaigns need to talk to voters to identify, persuade and turn them out or have them turn their absentee ballots in.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOne trend that had already been on the rise for campaigns and organizations is peer-to-peer (P2P) texting with staff, volunteers, members, supporters and potential voters. Before the virus and the need for social distancing, P2P texting was used to have personal conversations at scale with any organization’s target audience. It is a true two-way conversation. Now we see demand for P2P texting rising as other in-person channels for keeping voters informed and engaged shut down.
Voters are not going to be allowed to attend rallies, parades, town halls, and will even be cautious of opening the door. Unless you are an introvert like myself, many people are going to be feeling cooped up in a house and possibly going stir crazy looking for genuine personal interaction. Politics and elections still matter to them, and so does having their opinions sought out and having their voices heard. In times of crisis voters care more about politics and leadership than ever before. Campaigns will have a unique opportunity with a captive audience who will be willing and interested in engaging in a two-way conversation via text. If done properly this emerging technology can be very effective and beneficial for both the voter and the campaign.
Campaign supporters and volunteers will have extra time on their hands and may be willing to help out, even more, in order to distract from their hours of streaming Netflix or chasing kids around the house. Leveraging the remote capabilities of P2P texting will allow these supporters to text thousands of voters and increase voter engagement from their own couch. Simply put, P2P texting is fun and volunteers will see this as a unique outlet. Texting opens up a realm of possibilities, including texting out a link to a private YouTube live stream (the 21st century equivalent of a teletownhall), polling and surveys, persuasion and creating virtual community.
Above, I stated that the elections are going to happen, however, polling places are being moved, some states are delaying their primaries, and there is a rising tide of voices calling for more absentee voting options. P2P texting is a great way to inform voters of these changes so they don’t show up at the wrong polling location, choose not to vote in order to avoid public places, or fail to request and return their absentee ballot. A smart campaign will leverage new technologies to inform voters that voting by mail is probably a great option this year -- just don’t lick the envelopes!
RumbleUp is taking Coronavirus very seriously and believes the campaign industry has a responsibility to not put anyone at unnecessary risk. The threat of coronavirus offers a real opportunity for adaptable campaigns and strategists to safely engage with voters but do so in a creative manner during these difficult times. RumbleUp believes that we are all in this together and that campaigns owe it to the voters to remain connected and engaged with them, more so in this election than any election of our lifetimes.
Spencer Sullivan, a Cumberland native, is Vice President of Partnerships for RumbleUp
