Phone Banking
Many people are more reluctant to pursue phone banking than postcarding, but phone banking can be a more rewarding experience for the caller while also yielding better results. Phone banking reaches roughly 110 contacts per hour using an autodialer, and it has been reported to increase voter turnout by as much as 4%. However, these results depended heavily on call quality:
Calls that are impersonal, scripted, or low-effort produce little to no measurable effect.
Calls are more effective with an engaging opening message and references to the surrounding community.
Other details are important as well: targeting, timing, supportive technology, and follow-up.
Cell phones (70% of Americans) are much more difficult to reach than landlines.
For further information:
Multiple research studies have found that phone banking increases voter turnout by 2 to 4%. Many elections are decided by this percentage or less (for example, Georgia Senatorial runoff election in 2020, decided by 1.2% of the vote)
Conversational, friendly calls yield a higher turnout boost, while hurried, script-bound calls yield minimal results.
Pairing calls with a peer-to-peer text, donation link, or registration guide immediately after a positive conversation consistently improves conversion rates.