Campaign Script - Long Campaign

Preamble - Thank you for volunteering for Exeter Green Party!

This document will outline the basic script the Exeter Green Party will use in the long campaign of a given election, where the goal is to build on our knowledge of the areas we are campaigning in and ascertain where our vote is i.e. who in the area shares their voting intention which we will score 1-5, 1 being ‘will vote Green’ and 5 being ‘won’t vote Green’. This part of the campaign is all about data gathering which includes voting intention but also we look to see if residents have any issues that we may be able to address, particularly in the areas we have councillors, or at a minimum point people in the right direction - this is a key difference between us and other parties, particularly Labour and the Conservatives, because their focus is almost always and entirely on voting intention.

Script

This is a guide of what to say on the doorstep, if you need help at any point, please ask whoever is leading the door-knocking session (this will either be an officer or a candidate); they are on hand to support and encourage you.

A positive friendly greeting - Check & use the person’s name:

(This is as much about record keeping as it is useful conversationally, helps us track if our voter info is up to date i.e. is this the person on our walksheet or have they moved? Particularly relevant in student areas.)
‘Hello [Mr Wilson], I’m from your local Exeter Green Party Team’ - show a calling card so they see it is Exeter Green Party/form of ID.

Explain why you are calling:

“We’re calling to get your views on issues in the neighbourhood. Are there any issues that you want to mention?”
Jot down what they talk about. If they ask you something you don’t know the answer to, simply say that you are a relatively new volunteer but you will ensure that someone gets back to them with an answer. In which case be sure to get a phone number or email or ensure whoever is leading the session goes to call on them within the session that you are in, this will either be a candidate, councillor or an officer.
If you record an action and say we will be in touch, get an email or phone number or ask them to email us.
If they offer information about their previous voting history, the note is a ‘value’ but don’t ask about it.

Give them a short message (according to what they’ve told you so far)

Green Party supporter: Thanks for supporting our campaign to elect the first Green County Councillors for Exeter.
If they seem really keen, ask if they would be willing to help deliver election leaflets or volunteer in some other capacity, even join.
Any other party: ‘Thank you for your time.’

Ask for voting intention:

Green score - “and would you consider voting for the Green Party?” Unless the person is already planning to vote Green, we always need to ask the second question. Even someone who seems quite standoffish or even hostile will often answer it, and may surprise us!
Core value - “Is there a party you normally vote for?” or “how would you vote if there was an election tomorrow?”

Leave a calling card and a good impression

‘Thank you very much for your time. I’ll leave this card so you know how to get in touch if you have any questions for us at any point.

What to record - The key information we need.Score:

Green Score	Simple explanation	Advanced explanation
1	Definitely Green	Someone who’s vote is safe, even if our opponent does a really good canvass.
2	Probably Green	Someone who’ll probably vote for us, but a really good canvass by our opponent might swing them.
3	Maybe Green	Someone undecided, but at least open to voting Green – worth going back to.
4	Probably not Green	Someone not planning to vote Green, but not entirely closed to the idea of it – may be persuadable but trickier than a 3.
5	Definitely not Green	Someone we can’t convince to vote Green. This will include some lovely friendly people.

How do they usually vote/who did they vote for last time?

This is expressed as letters and tells us how they voted last year, NOT how they are planning to vote this year (that’s the score, above).
L - Labour, C - Conservative, G =Green, LD = LibDem, I = Independent, R- Reform.
NB We are not so concerned about getting a value at this point in our campaign, but if you are given the information, please record it. Although the more information we can garner each session, the more effective the campaign becomes.

What to do if there is no answer or they are busy?

If they are out or if they can’t speak right now, for whatever reason, record “O” on your sheet and give them a calling card (through their letterbox or in their hand if they answer but can’t talk) - this gives them a means to contact us and lets us know to try again another time.

Issues

If they raise anything specific that you can’t deal with, take a note of their name, number and/or email and pass this on to your session leader immediately.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the answer to a given question, session leads are there to help you as much as any resident; this info will be passed on to someone that can help, likely a councillor or candidate.

Actions

The walksheet has a special place to record pertinent information:

Yes to having a poster close to the election.
DNK - Do Not Knock

Please explain why in notes eg vulnerable, not interested/against etc - the more info the better.

Volunteer - means willing to help us campaign - if anyone offers to help, take their name, phone number and/or email and pass straight to session lead for the attention of (FAO) the Volunteer Support team.

If you have any questions or comments at any point, please contact us via hello@exeter.greenparty.org.uk - we will reply asap!

Promoted by TJ Milburn on behalf of Exeter Green Party, 4 Fountain Way, Western Way, Exeter EX1 2DE