Colorado Welcome Packet
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Colorado Happens Here October 2008 Volunteer Welcome Packet Table of Contents: Border State Team Contact Info 2 Organizing Principles 2 Your Role as a Volunteer 2 Summary of Possible Jobs 3 Colorado State Information 3 Regional Breakdown / Office contacts 4 Planning for Your Trip 8 Glossary 9 Additional Lodging Options 10 Introduction: Come to Colorado: October, 2008 The 2008 presidential election is the best chance we have to set our country on a new path—and Colorado is where we’re going to make it happen. We have the candidate; we have the support. Our task is to organize our th supporters and volunteers to take action and win on November 4 . Colorado is a challenging, if tantalizing, battleground state. Many journalists and political commentators have recently narrowed their list of critical swing states to just one: Colorado. If Barack can win back all of the Kerry states, just about every combination of states he needs to get to 270 electoral votes includes this state’s 9. Moreover, Colorado is ripe for turning blue. While George Bush won Colorado twice, since 2004 we have elected a Democratic Senator, and both the State House and State Senate are now controlled by a Democratic majority. Still, it will take hard work on the ground and thousands of volunteers to take it home. In Colorado, voters have the unique opportunity to choose between 3 methods of voting: by mail, at early voting sites, or at polling sites on Election Day, November 4 th . Registered voters have until October 28 th to request a mail-in ballot, and many voters have already begun to receive theirs in the mail. We can assist voters in registering for these ballots and remind them to send them in as soon as possible. Voters also can cast ballots at any designated early voting polling places between October 20 th and October 31 st , and we aim to encourage them to get their voting out of the way at the earliest moment. Finally, voters can cast their ballots at polling sites between 7am and 7pm on November 4 th , and will need to be motivated to do so regardless of rain, sleet or snow! You will be asked to accept many responsibilities, learn the skills you will need to succeed, and jump into action by working with local volunteers to build a movement capable of carrying Barack Obama to victory. When you arrive in Colorado our field staff will train you on door-to-door canvassing, calling voters in CO, and other campaign activities. These activities are essential to Barack Obama’s success here, and your work will directly impact the outcome of this election. Your participation in our field operation shows that you are dedicated to winning, and ready for a different kind of politics, led by different kinds of leaders. Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the entire Democratic ticket thank you and appreciate everything you are doing for us in the coming weeks. All the best, The Colorado Border States Team CO Out-of-State Volunteer Welcome Packet 1 Border State Team Con tact Information Colorado Border State Director Adam Delehanty [email protected] Colorado Border State Team – p. 720-276-3202 or 720-366-8906 Willie Recht [email protected] Ming Tam [email protected] Kathy Chao [email protected] Kady Dodds [email protected] Adam Lutchansky [email protected] Organizing Principles “Respect. Empower. Include” guides everything we do. “Respect, Empower, Include” is the mantra for our campaign and our organizing. Our army of volunteers has been our core advantage on the ground. This army will serve as the foundation of our general election organization. Our campaign must maximize this strength. To do so, we must live this mantra on a daily basis. We must be respectful of our coworkers and our supporters; of our own daily projects; of the voters in the state we work; of our opponent and his supporters. We must go beyond engaging volunteers with tasks. Respecting, empowering, and including supporters in our campaign in a meaningful way requires a commitment to volunteer leadership development, training, and accountability. “Respect” means taking seriously the experiences, knowledge, skills and resources that all members of the team bring to the table – it means respect for ourselves, our co-workers, the people we work for and the people that work for us, and, of course, our team of volunteers. It means showing respect for voters who disagree with our beliefs in the same way we respect our greatest advocates. “Inclusion” means incorporating that experience and knowledge when making decisions. We should strive to include all supporters in the work of the campaign, in the most empowering and effective ways possible. “Empowerment” requires creating a structure that allows all members of the team to make this campaign his or her own. We must go beyond simply assigning volunteers with tasks, to allowing well-trained and supported volunteers to have real ownership within the campaign. In exchange for that ownership, we will hold them, each other, and ourselves accountable to shared goals and expectations. Your Role as a Volunteer We can win Colorado, and change this country, but it all starts at the doorsteps of voters during these last crucial weeks. The work you will do here will make the difference for this campaign. As we countdown to election day, we will be contacting supporters and undecided voters through door-knocking and phone calls, as well as our extensive mail, paid media and earned media efforts. You can expect exhausting, if inspiring, days. The whole focus of Get Out the Vote (GOTV) will be talking to Colorado voters to make sure they have all the early vote, vote-by-mail, and election day information they need and that we can count on their support on November 4 th . You should expect your job to involve at least 8 hours of voter contact each day. It is hard work---but please know that these conversations during the final weeks will be the key to our success on election day! Thank you in advance for the amazing things you will accomplish between now and the evening of November 4 th ! ***Most volunteers will be paired with a specific Field Organizer, and will work with our volunteer team leaders in designated precincts. Narrowing the focus of our out-of-state volunteers and working with specific community leaders on the ground enables more substantive, sustained relationships with local volunteers and voters in particular areas. Accordingly, the goals of the organizer and volunteer teams will be shared with the incoming out-of-state volunteers assigned to the region. CO Out-of-State Volunteer Welcome Packet 2 Summary of Possible Jobs Canvassing: This is one of the most important tasks for volunteers. Face-to-face voter contact is the single most effect way to gain support. Your goal when you hit the streets: • Talk to identified supporters and make sure they plan to vote; make sure they have sufficient information on Vote- by-Mail and Early Vote sites • Chase down Vote-by-Mail applications or ballots • Talk to independent and decline-to-state voters and persuade them to support Senator Obama—and to voice that support at the polls Canvassers are given walk packets containing maps, lists of names, scripts, literature and instructions. Your field organizer will give you everything you need. Phone Banking: Phone banking is another important way that we will reach out to potential voters in Colorado. While face-to-face contact is the best way to persuade a potential supporter, phone calls are a more efficient way to contact large quantities of people in a small amount of time. That is why you will all be asked to spend some shifts canvassing and some shifts making calls. The goal is the same whether you are on the phones or knocking on doors—to convince our supporters to volunteer, to vote early and to persuade independent/decline-to-state voters that Sen. Obama deserves their support on Election Day. General Office Support: This could involve any number of duties, including the assembly of canvassing packets, date entry, making copies, answering phones, running errands, providing rides for other volunteers and for voters, and any other last minute needs. All of these jobs contribute to the efficiency of the whole operation and none of these tasks are “below” any volunteer, staffer, or intern. Colorado State Information Nickname: Centennial State Motto: Nil sine Numine (Nothing without Providence) Capital City: Denver Economy: Once primarily a mining and agricultural state, Colorado’s economy is now driven by the service industries. Colorado’s economy also has a strong manufacturing base (food products, printing/publishing, machinery and electrical instruments) and is the communications/transportation hub for the Rocky Mountain region. The farm industry, primarily concentrated in livestock, is also important. Primary crops here are corn, hay, and wheat. Population: 4,861,515 (13.03% increase since the 2000 U.S. Census) Demographics: 71.7% White (Non-Hispanic), 4.1% African-American, 19.7% Hispanic, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 2.6% Asian, 1.1% American Indian and Alaskan Native. Education: 87% High School Graduates; 22% Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Per Capita Income: $39,491 Weather: Colorado boasts having 300 days of sunshine a year, but the weather is also highly unpredictable. Measurable amounts of snow have fallen in Denver as later as early June and early as September. For more information about the local weather while you’re here, you may wish to use www.weather.com . Governor: Bill Ritter (D) Lt. Governor: Barbara O’Brien (D) U.S.