Yamhill County Democrats have coordinated a significant volunteer Get Out The Vote effort this election season that will roll out over the next 7 days with personal outreach to more than 70% of the registered Democrats in Yamhill County, and nearly 25% of all registered voters in the county.
Learn more about the Neighborhood Leader program: https://www.ycdemocrats.org/neighborhood-leader
En Español: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ghr8sbdhGuOCyBhjpJWUQhTPbgaq6UQaLfz5f-PSnw8/edit?usp=sharing
YCD PRESS RELEASE
Yamhill County Democrats Blanket County with Neighbor to Neighbor Outreach
(McMinnville, OR) Yamhill County Democrats embrace grassroots outreach tactics to counter the rising tide of dark money flooding local, county, and state races. Democrats and Non-Affiliated Voters in Yamhill County should expect to be contacted and encouraged to vote by their neighbors between now and November 3rd.
The Neighborhood Leader Voter Outreach program is a Democratic Party of Oregon program that is operational in most counties in the state. 265 volunteers in Yamhill County will contact nearly 14,000 of their neighbors who are registered Democrats with reminders to submit their ballots. With donations raised by local group Progressive Yamhill, an additional 7000 postcards will be mailed to County Non-Affiliated Voters who missed voting in a recent election, reminding them their vote is vital to a functioning democracy. In precincts where all registered Democrats have been assigned to Neighborhood Leaders, volunteers have started contacting Non-affiliated Voters as well. In all, 23% of Yamhill County Voters will receive a personal reminder to return their ballots.
Yamhill County Democrats Chair Omar Sandoval has been happy to see the volunteer turnout this year, saying, “Yamhill County has seen an increase in expensive signs and advertisements in recent elections, but, we know that studies have shown person to person connections to be the most effective means of encouraging voters. We’re excited to be able to channel the energy around this year’s election into meaningful, local action.”
While COVID-19 concerns have curtailed many in-person get out the vote efforts into more virtual activities the Yamhill County Democrats are keeping the health and safety of the community in mind by encouraging more text, phone, and postal contacts this year. Several Neighborhood Leaders have gotten their whole family in on the effort, including one volunteer who shared, “It was such a joyful experience to feel like I’m not the only Democrat in my neighborhood that I got my husband to sign up, too!”
The Neighborhood Leader program uses publicly available data from the Secretary of State’s voter rolls to build long term connections and trust between neighbors. By matching a Neighborhood Leader to other Democrats nearby they are fostering deeper and more personal connections.
Sue Delventhal, a returning Neighborhood Leader in Newberg said, “The Neighborhood Leader Program is truly empowering and effective. It is based on building relationships with your neighbors. In 2018 I was able to encourage a hesitant first time voter to vote by providing her information on the candidates and the ballot measures. Two days before the election I noticed her mother had not turned in her ballot. After texting the young voter she responded that she was able to convince her mother to fill out her ballot and they drove together to a ballot box to deposit it.”
Registered Democrats can expect their Neighborhood Leaders to mail or drop slate cards listing the County Party’s endorsements at their doors soon. A final canvass will be conducted the weekend of October 17-18 to drop slate cards at neighborhoods without a Neighborhood Leader, volunteers are welcome to mask up and join the effort by contacting Secretary@ycdemocrats.org.