As the New York City mayoral election inches closer, political involvement has become evermore important to sway undecided voters before Nov 4. If you’re looking to help out with bettering the city for yourself and future generations, but struggle with face-to-face interaction or are managing a packed schedule, phone banking may be for you.
This past Thursday, I opted to volunteer for the Zohran for NYC campaign. As I searched the website, I saw several in-person canvassing events, which involve knocking on doors in your neighborhood to gather support, share information, and inspire others to canvas for the Mamdani campaign. However, as a working university student who gets nervous talking to strangers, in-person canvassing seemed overwhelming. But, I was still adamant in wanting to help the cause though. In almost perfect timing, I received a call from another volunteer, who informed me of the option to phonebank. Phone banking is a form of canvassing, which can be done entirely from one’s home. Volunteers receive a script, which prompts general questions to gauge canvassing interest as well as the demographics most impacted by issues the Mamdani campaign addresses.
If this is your first time phone banking, which it was for me, the process can seem foreign and the possible risk of exposing my phone number induced my nerves. For this session, all volunteers were entered into a zoom call, where the organizers were readily available to guide and provide support. The organizers began the session with a short orientation to explain the process: Volunteers download the Solidarity app, which masks their phone number and dials each caller within the app. The callers were people that had already shown interest in canvassing or supporting the campaign, and their information was pre-processed within the system. Through the app, the caller’s name would appear, as well as the borough they reside in. During the call, volunteers have access to current and future canvassing events happening in the caller’s neighborhood, which we aim to sign them up for.
The most important tip is to familiarize yourself with the script. In general, it consists of greeting the caller, introducing yourself, and asking if they are interested in attending a canvassing event. The script is a guide, and by no means has to be followed exactly. At first, I tried to read the script word for word, which resulted in some vocal fumbles which disrupted the flow of the conversation. However, it’s important to personalize the conversation and make it your own. This invites the caller to be more open to discussing what policy issues affect them, and allows you to learn more about the demographics supporting the campaign. On these calls, I spoke with immigrants, lifelong New Yorkers, mothers from every borough, and even some out of state residents. The diversity of these calls made me feel more connected with the community that is striving for a more equitable New York City through Mamdani’s campaign. Moreover, it was inspiring to achieve such success with these calls, as many people were interested in canvassing for multiple sessions, or phone banking. The app also provides text templates, which send links to the campaign website and each volunteer opportunity. After selecting the event that the caller shows interest in, the system will send the information to their email addresses, allowing for a seamless process.
The first call can be intimidating, so I recommend having a confident public speaker by your side. By watching them break the ice for the first call, it will ignite confidence within you to continue it yourself. The next calls will come easier, as you personalize the script to fit your way of speaking and the conversation will flow naturally. In most cases, I did not need to read the entire script, just an introduction and asking if the caller is interested in canvassing sufficed. Asking for the zip code of the person is also helpful, and when you type it into the volunteer opportunities website, it will narrow down to all the local events.
Phone banking is a way to reach out to people throughout the city, and to learn more about the communities supporting a campaign. This can foster intercultural understanding, and brings together New Yorkers of all backgrounds. Phone banking is an easy, seamless process that is just as crucial as in person canvassing: to inform undecided and decided voters alike, and inspire them to involve themselves in the campaign. This is a great starting point in political involvement, and will make a huge difference in the outcome of the campaign. Happy canvassing!