Mail to Voters
Mail pieces are another effective way to make contact with voters. These can be used to inform and persuade voters and can be sent out to many voters at a time. Mail pieces can be very expensive to produce and post, but they do have an impact. Because voters often need to be contacted several times to have an impact, mail pieces can be a nice complement to a campaign phone bank.
Mail pieces may be glossy and created by a professional designer or more basic card stock. Your budget and your community will determine the style of pieces you will choose. You can also choose between a professional mail house to address and send your pieces, or gather volunteers to label and stamp them. Again, your budget and the size of your community will determine your decision.
Who should I mail to?
The people who receive mailings will in many ways mirror the people receiving phone calls from the phone bank. Mail pieces can be sent to lists of registered voters, lists of parents or staff, lists that volunteers may already have (little league, book club, etc.), and lists provided by other supportive organizations.
Just as with the phone bank, the goal is to target mail pieces to voters who will most likely support the ballot issues and are likely to vote. This may mean that different mail pieces are created for different lists of voters.
Some key groups to target include public school parents, pro-schools absentee ballot voters, and pro-schools poll voters.
What should the mail pieces say?
Like phone calls, the most common types of mail pieces used by campaigns are persuasion pieces and reminder/ get out the vote pieces.
Persuasion Pieces
Persuasion pieces are much like the persuasion phone calls, and are often sent around the same time as the phone calls are made, around three weeks before the election. They usually include details about what the levy or bond will fund, and strong messages about why it is important for it to pass: “the levy pays for a quarter of the teachers,” “the levy is not a new tax,” “the bond will be used for earthquake reinforcement so all our kids can be safe.” The date of the election should be prominent.
Sample persuasion mail pieces can be found in the Levy Library.
Reminder/Get Out the Vote Pieces
Reminder/get out the vote pieces are used to encourage voters to turn in their ballots. They are sent to absentee voters the week that absentee ballots are mailed out, and are sent to poll voters the last week of the campaign to arrive as close to election day as possible. These pieces tend to have fewer details about levy or bond, and more of an emotional appeal. The date of the election should be very prominent: “Remember to vote YES! on February 5 to renew our commitment to schools!”
Sample reminder mail pieces can be found in the Levy Library.
Other Types of Mail Pieces
Beyond the basic persuasion and reminder pieces, there are a variety of other types of mail pieces that can be used. Some examples include:
- Postcards signed by teachers:
This postcard is a persuasive message card with a personalized note from a teacher; ask the local teachers association to distribute the cards to teachers to hand write a note: “We need your support! John Smith, 1st grade teacher, Anytown Elementary.” It is a good idea to collect all the signed cards to make sure they get mailed out (and not lost!). These cards can be sent to any group.
- Postcards signed by athletic coaches:
This postcard is a persuasive message card with a personalized note from a coach, and is especially good if athletics are included in the levy or if sports facilities will be upgraded with the levy/bond; ask the coaches to hand write a note: “Your vote makes AHS Soccer possible! Joan Adams, soccer coach, Anytown High School.” It is a good idea to collect all the signed cards to make sure they get mailed out (and not lost!). These cards can be sent to any group.
- Preschool and Daycare mailings:
These mailings can include fact sheets, persuasive messages, and signs targeted to parents whose children are not yet in public school. The fact sheets should underscore how the levy will benefit their children: “This levy will support the kindergarten and other programs that your child will soon be using.” Encourage the director of the daycare to post the information prominently and distribute it to parents. It is a good idea to follow up this mailing with a phone call to the director.
- Neighbor to Neighbor letters:
These are persuasive letters tailored to each neighborhood and signed by neighborhood members. They often mention how schools in the neighborhood will benefit from the levy or bond. Note: Law prohibits placing fliers into mailboxes- these letters should be mailed, hand delivered, or placed on doorsteps.
- Parent group letters- member to member:
These persuasive letters can be sent to members of a parent group signed by prominent members of the group. They often mention how their school will benefit from the levy or bond. If the parent group has endorsed the ballot issue, this should be mentioned.
- Religious organization letters:
Like the preschool and daycare mailings, these letters include fact sheets and persuasive messages about the levy or bond. Messages should include why the levy or bond is important for the community: “This levy will provide all our children a safe and positive learning environment.” Encourage the director of the organization to post the fact sheets and distribute them to members. They can also include a positive message about the election in sermons the week before the election.
- Letters to businesses:
These letters can include fact sheets, persuasive messages, and signs targeted to local business. Often, lists of other business people and organizations that have endorsed the levy or bond are included. Asking for their endorsement is an easy way to get businesses involved in the campaign. Messages should emphasize how the levy or bond will help local business: “Strong schools build strong communities, and strong communities build strong businesses.” Encourage the business to post the information and sign.
