Multiply Your Vote

Are you excited that Obama is ahead in the polls, but slightly worried that somehow John McCain and Sarah Palin will end up in charge of the country?

Have you considered volunteering Monday or Tuesday, but feel like it's not worth your time, or it will be a pain, or that the election is already sewn up? 

If so, let me try to convince you otherwise.

The Obama Get Out The Vote ("GOTV") effort is one of the most amazing organizational drives I have ever seen.  Frankly, you should volunteer just to witness it and be part of this historical event.  (If you're not sure how, just go to www.barackobama.com.)

But on a more practical level, you can literally multiply your vote by volunteering.  Here's what happened to me today.

I went with three members of my family to phone bank.  Many of the people we reached had already been called, and they would politely but firmly point this out.  One man in particular started to tell me that he had already voted, and that he was sick of the phone calls.  As I started to thank him for his support, he started to tell me that actually, he had a problem with his envelope and needed to drop off his absentee ballot in person.  I was able to provide him with the location to do that.  We then chatted briefly, and he then told me about the episode of Chocolate News which featured the electronic voting machine.  Pretty funny. Another voter, previously undecided but now voting for Obama, needed to know which hours the polls were open. 

These are the kinds of contacts that make the calls worthwhile. You may only have a few per hour that really make a difference. But each one has the opportunity to multiply your vote. And with a small army of volunteers, these contacts really add up.

Calling is great; if you can do it, going door-to-door is even better. It's a great way to meet your neighbors.  Almost everyone I meet canvassing is appreciative to see me on their doorstep. And you do not need to win over McCain supporters. The Obama campaign has pretty precise lists of which voters are supporting Obama, and which voters have a spotty record of voting in past elections.  Cross these two lists, and you have the population that you reach out by phone and in person.

Easy. Fun. Rewarding. 

What are you doing November 4th?