2. Some Background Needs
★ The need to engage new and young people in
the political process. The Millennial Generation
is the largest and most diverse generation in U.S.
history. They love to volunteer. But fewer than
1% volunteer for political issues or candidates.

3. Some Background Needs
★ The need to engage new and young people in
the political process. The Millennial Generation
is the largest and most diverse generation in U.S.
history. They love to volunteer. But fewer than
1% volunteer for political issues or candidates.
★ The need for grassroots activism. Positive,
people-powered politics that recognizes that the
volunteers are priceless.

4. Some Background Needs
★ The need to engage new and young people in
the political process. The Millennial Generation
is the largest and most diverse generation in U.S.
history. They love to volunteer. But fewer than
1% volunteer for political issues or candidates.
★ The need for grassroots activism. Positive,
people-powered politics that recognizes that the
volunteers are priceless.
★ The need to engage on the local level. High
profile races create a lot of buzz, but local races
provide a quick path the meaningful involvement.

5. The Youth Vote
Young people can be the difference.
Youth Voter Turnout
52%
47%
40%
2000 2004 2008

6. The Youth Vote
Young people can be the difference.
Youth Voter Turnout
★ By 2015 young voters will represent one-third
of the U.S. Electorate. 52%
47%
40%
2000 2004 2008

7. The Youth Vote
Young people can be the difference.
Youth Voter Turnout
★ By 2015 young voters will represent one-third
of the U.S. Electorate. 52%
★ Voter turnout rates are positively correlated 47%
with voter registration rates. In presidential 40%
elections since 1972 (with one exception),
whenever the youth voter registration rate rose
from one election year to the next, the youth
voter turnout also increased.
2000 2004 2008

8. The Youth Vote
Young people can be the difference.
Youth Voter Turnout
★ By 2015 young voters will represent one-third
of the U.S. Electorate. 52%
★ Voter turnout rates are positively correlated 47%
with voter registration rates. In presidential 40%
elections since 1972 (with one exception),
whenever the youth voter registration rate rose
from one election year to the next, the youth
voter turnout also increased.
★ Recent registrants contacted at least once are
about 13 percentage points more likely to vote
than a demographically similar control group.
2000 2004 2008

9. The Youth Vote
But how do we get young people to vote?

10. The Youth Vote
But how do we get young people to vote?
Innovative & Effective
Get-Out-the-Vote work

11. Getting Out the Vote
Most effective GOTV efforts:*
Paid phones:
Volunteer phones:
Email:
Volunteer Canvass:
“Getting Out the Youth Vote: Results from Randomized Field Experiments,”
by Donald Green & Alan Gerber, Yale University, 2001

12. Getting Out the Vote
Most effective GOTV efforts:*
Paid phones: 0 ~ -2%
Volunteer phones:
Email:
Volunteer Canvass:
“Getting Out the Youth Vote: Results from Randomized Field Experiments,”
by Donald Green & Alan Gerber, Yale University, 2001

13. Getting Out the Vote
Most effective GOTV efforts:*
Paid phones: 0 ~ -2%
Volunteer phones: ~ 3%
Email:
Volunteer Canvass:
“Getting Out the Youth Vote: Results from Randomized Field Experiments,”
by Donald Green & Alan Gerber, Yale University, 2001

14. Getting Out the Vote
Most effective GOTV efforts:*
Paid phones: 0 ~ -2%
Volunteer phones: ~ 3%
Email: 0 ~ 0.5%
Volunteer Canvass:
“Getting Out the Youth Vote: Results from Randomized Field Experiments,”
by Donald Green & Alan Gerber, Yale University, 2001

15. Getting Out the Vote
Most effective GOTV efforts:*
Paid phones: 0 ~ -2%
Volunteer phones: ~ 3%
Email: 0 ~ 0.5%
Volunteer Canvass: 7 ~ 12%
“Getting Out the Youth Vote: Results from Randomized Field Experiments,”
by Donald Green & Alan Gerber, Yale University, 2001

16. GOTV
What is the one day of the
year people expect a knock
on the door?

17. GOTV
What is the one day of the
year people expect a knock
on the door?
And when does Halloween
happen to fall?

18. Trick or Vote

19. What is Trick or Vote?
Trick or Vote’s costumed volunteers
put a positive political twist on
Halloween—knocking on doors for
democracy instead of candy.
Volunteer ghouls and goblins roam the
streets, distributing voter guides and
vote reminders in the nation’s largest
non-partisan get-out-the-vote canvass.
Remember, while you may be too old to trick-or-treat,
you’re never to old to Trick or Vote.

20. The Results

21. Trick or Vote 2008 Numbers
2008 Trick or Vote Numbers:
★ Trick or Vote took place in over
50 locations.
★ Over 100,000 doors knocked on.
★ Thousands of new volunteer
engagements.
★ 35% of participants marked
Trick or Vote as their first
political volunteer experience.

22. Volunteer Power
The gateway drug
to civic
engagement

23. Trick or Vote 2008 Numbers
“I just wanted to say thank you to your team
and the Trick or Vote volunteers. Trick or
Vote folks came to my house on halloween
and gave me some information on the ballot
measures. To be honest, without that
information I probably would not have voted
on all of the measures, with the information
I did. It gave me a quick run down of each
measure and if I needed more information I
referred to the full text with the ballot, but it
made it easy to understand the measures.
Thank you for your dedication to the right to
vote, and reminding us all the we have a
choice and we have a voice. We just have
to speak up. Thank you.”
—Jenna, via the internet

24. Trick or Vote 2008 Numbers
Results from the 2008 New Era Colorado
Trick-Or-Vote Experiment
David W. Nickerson Assistant Professor of Political Science
University of Notre Dame

25. Trick or Vote 2008 Numbers
Results from the 2008 New Era Colorado
Trick-Or-Vote Experiment
David W. Nickerson Assistant Professor of Political Science
University of Notre Dame
The results suggest that they impacted general turnout
by over 5% among those they targeted. This effect was
concentrated among those who had voted in previous
elections. For previous voters, there was a 7%
mobilization effect.
Against the backdrop of aggressive presidential
campaigns in Colorado, these results are remarkable.
They suggest that unconventional canvassing methods
may be needed in high-profile elections.

26. Trick or Vote Earned Media
Trick or Vote Earned Media:
New York Times CNN
CBS News The Nation
Denver Post The Oregonian
NPR PBS
Air America NM Independent
Trick or Vote TV Impressions: 900,000+

27. Trick or Vote Earned Media
Trick or Vote Social Media:
Huffington Post AlterNet
Daily Kos Open Left
Future Majority Wiretap
Left in the West Blogtown
MTV Comedy Central
Trick or Vote site: 7,000+ visits/day
YouTube site: 300,000+ views

28. Trick or Vote Awards
2008 Award Recognition
Reed Award:
Best GOTV Effort in North America
Pollie Award:
Best Volunteer Recruitment
Pollie Award:
Best Use of Viral Video

29. Trick or Vote 2008 Partners
Partner Organizations:

30. Looking to 2010
Trick or Vote goals:
★ 50+ Trick or Vote Events
★ 200,000 voter contacts
★ 10,000 volunteer
engagements
★ Corporate sponsorships
★ Major media markets
★ Focus on big canvass AND
big party

31. Questions for us to consider
Incentives:
★ Re-grants for hitting targets?
★ Shared materials?
★ Branding/design support?
★ Trainings?
★ Media support?
★ Field support?

32. Questions for us to consider
Extending the Trick or Vote Brand:
★ Other GOTV activities?
★ Voter registration activities?
★ Other lead-up events (monster invasions)?
★ Partners outside the youth sector?

33. Questions for us to consider
What can youth table partners bring?
★ For example, would Rock the Vote or Headcount help
bring a band to the biggest Trick or Vote event?