About
What will we do?
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Recruit and support health professionals to phone-bank and canvas, plug into existing platforms and the candidates' campaigns but with tailored talking points.
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Engage with local campaigns and other voter mobilization organizations
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Research and clarify the candidates’ positions, votes, and scorecards
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Create health-specific talking points and messaging; some of this might start as reproducible language (e.g. regarding Medicaid being at risk) which will be locally adapted.
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Support health professional 501c3 non-profits by providing their members with non-partisan education on health professional voter persuasion and mobilization and organizing coaching.
How will we organize?
Locally in districts:
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Phone-banking
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Canvassing
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Recruiting other health professionals locally to get involved
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Engaging candidate’s campaign to align our work
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Researching the candidate, opponent, and community needs
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Developing or adapting talking points
Remotely:
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Virtual phone banking
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Postcards
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National teams as below
Nationally:
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District identification and candidate research
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Message crafting
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Outreach to candidates and voter mobilization organizations
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Recruiting health professionals and broader publicity
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Supporting and engaging recruited health professional organizers
Which candidates and what policies?
This is a big tent and election-focused effort. Longer-term efforts can be more ambitious about changing hearts and minds but this takes longitudinal relationships and time that we likely won’t have for now (we’d love to do that later!).
For now, we’re looking to persuade people where possible and realistic, to energize them, and to mobilize them to register and show up to vote. Because we want the most progressive, pro-health elected officials possible but also need to meet voters and candidates where they’re at, we’ll support a variety of policies and people running for office. In some places that might mean someone simply fighting against Medicaid work requirements and other races that might mean investing in public health funds and supporting single payer efforts.
Can you give some examples?
Who is behind On Call for Democracy?
National Team
On Call for Democracy is collaboratively run by a core group of about 20 health professionals on a volunteer basis. Many of us have networks within formal health organizations, but this informal group allows us to legally do election work. We're nationwide, from a variety of professions, and are a mix of political pros and political newbies. We're busy but we're passionate about and dedicated to helping win 2018 elections.
Co-Sponsors
