2018-11-08
By Laurel de Vietri, Curtin Greens
Having been involved in State election campaigns, a local government campaign and now a Federal election I am beginning to know what works and have found some common threads.
Greens campaigns are grassroots campaigns, a feature which makes them both successful and personally rewarding but which means we depend on a large team of volunteers. Large amounts of corporate dollars do not come into Greens campaigns. Nor do massive expensive advertising strategies. We do not fly in teams of paid workers to be on booths like the two major parties do. We depend upon volunteers who believe that collectively we can harness our energies and beliefs to build a system which is better for people and planet, to make the world fairer for everyone and to provide a future for us all.
In mounting a strong campaign, the candidate and campaign organiser need to recognise that everyone has something to offer. They just need to be asked. We need to understand that volunteers all have different circumstances and that they give what they have time for and in areas where they feel confident. Some volunteers are very happy to do household or event leafletting.
Fortunately, a campaign organiser has an ever-growing database of Greens members and supporters to refer to when beginning their volunteer contact. At regional group meetings I look out for new members names as these people are often fresh and wanting to be involved in an election campaign. Regional group social events are an excellent way to get to know people in the group who are just waiting to step up to a task. Second to that, contacting people by SMS or phoning individually is probably the best way of reaching and connecting with people. That is what phone banking is all about; contacting these people. It works better than bulk emails. And this is most effective if a team of trained volunteers can be phoning with specific ‘asks’ in mind. This means a good script needs to be provided by the campaign manager or someone else who is up to date with what the team requires.
This brings me to something WA Greens are very good at, and that is training. There is training available for most aspects of the campaign from people with valuable experience. Knowledge is power. Having been trained by people who have been involved in successful (sometimes interstate) campaigns, I try to arm volunteers with new skills and this develops the snowflake structure which helps spread the load of a campaign.
Good door knockers can bring new volunteers to the team. On most of our door knocks we find residents who already vote Greens who might want to volunteer. It just takes a meaningful conversation or a connection based on values, to get people at the door on board. A good door knocking team is a wonderful tool in a campaign and showing your appreciation for what they do keeps volunteers wanting to do more. Door knocking requires some dedication and a lot of time but yields such good results in a campaign. Involvement of the candidate in door knocking is essential and also rewarding. Door knocking is our best tool in a campaign.
A House of Reps candidate who becomes involved in their local community is more likely to be known and to get votes. The many community groups in an electorate welcome participation and visits from the Greens, from bushland groups to mens’ sheds, rallies on climate change to rallies against poverty. These opportunities can be shared with the Senate candidate and this provides fantastic material for traditional and social media.
Linked with this is what we call Outreach — having a greens presence at festivals, shows and markets. This can be in the form of lots of Greens T-shirted volunteers handing out flyers and having conversations, or setting up a stall at a market, sustainability festival or agricultural show on in the electorate. This requires some research and organisation and is a very enjoyable activity for those volunteers involved.
One stand-out part of the Perth by-election was their visibility a few weeks out from the Election Day. A mass of Greens posters speak to people driving along busy roads and influences the residents in suburban streets. Preparation for this began long before that crucial time just before the election. The Perth team began recording poster sites at the beginning of their door knocking efforts every time they came across a Greens supporter at the door.
Lastly, we must not underestimate the power of social media in a campaign. Social media not only engages voters to have conversations, but interesting and targeted posts attract volunteers. Social media has a large audience and its reach increases exponentially as more people share with friends and those friends share with their friends. It’s a great tool for getting support from people outside of the Greens membership, for spreading the Greens messaging and for getting people familiar with the candidate. That personal touch in social media is what gets attention – a personal story coming from the candidate or a photo of individuals working on the campaign attracts a lot of likes and comments. And doing social media is fun!
Header photo: A phonebanking team targeting the Curtin electorate. From left to right Jean Le Quesne, Cameron Pidgeon, Laraine Newton and Steven Mansfield.
Text photos: Doorknockers, Jess Leigh, Daniel Grosso and Judy Blyth, for the 2016 State election; Swanbourne doorknocking team for the Curtin Fed19 election; and a Greens stall at Kyilla Markets for the 2016 State election.
Photo credits: Laurel de Vietri