California Democratic Party INTRODUCTION TO MOE (Mobilize, Organize, Elect)

California Democratic Party INTRODUCTION TO MOE (Mobilize, Organize, Elect) Printed in house

WELCOME TO MOE (Mobilize, Organize, Elect)! Page 2 I am pleased to provide the Mobilize, Organize, Elect (MOE) voter file system as part of my pledge to bring tools and skills to activists in the field to help elect Democrats and work on behalf of our common goals. John Burton Chairman, California Democratic Party What is MOE? MOE is a collection of online software tools specifically designed to support California s Democratic Central Committees (and their chartered clubs). MOE enables these organizations to manage their own voter file, as well as their volunteers, members, and neighborhood/precinct leaders within a single integrated system. MOE is truly a complete package of voter data, online software, and educational/training resources that will help build a strong and effective Democratic Party infrastructure in every California County. MOE has the most current and comprehensive voter file available and is frequently updated automatically with the new registrants, vote history, and address changes. Before each statewide election cycle, MOE will be updated every 1-3 days with absentee status data showing individuals who have applied to vote absentee and those who have returned their ballots. MOE even has polling place information for every precinct in California. MOE is only available to California s Democratic Central Committees (and their chartered clubs) Our objective Our objective for MOE is to empower Democratic Central Committees with useful tools to maximize their efforts for not just one election cycle, but over the course of many election cycles. We know we have the hardest working activists, now we will combine their hard work with comprehensive and current voter files, membership lists, volunteer lists, and know-how to achieve an unprecedented level of success. As each election cycle passes, we will strengthen our Party and elect more Democrats. MOE is ready to help your county The MOE system is intended to be used by all Democratic Central Committees and chartered clubs regardless of the county s size, financial resources, existing organizational strength, or technical prowess. No county is too large or too small to take advantage of MOE. The system only requires a decent computer with internet access and a willingness to help get Democrats elected. How can my county get access to MOE? It s very simple! When your County Committee has approved the use of MOE, the County Chair should contact the CDP/MOE Liaison, Martha Gamez, martha@cadem.org, with that information.

MOE is ready for 2010. Are you?

MOE OVERVIEW MOE starts with current and quality data. Great software is good to have, but without dependable data that is current and accurate, your campaign is destined to be less effective and to waste valuable time and money. Using MOE guarantees your Central Committee will always have updated voter files, absentee applied information, returned ballot information, and polling place locations. The philosophy behind MOE is simple: Central Committees should be using voter data, not loading it. Over 340 voter file updates were posted in 2008 and approximately 75% of the MOE statewide voter file was updated with a 15 day close of registration update. This provided MOE users with the most current data possible for their GOTV efforts. MOE also posted 425 absentee file updates identifying AV applied and returned ballots during the 2008 presidential election cycle. MOE identified over 4 million voters who already returned their absentee ballots prior to Election Day. MOE also posted polling places for every county in the state. Vote History MOE has vote history for every statewide and local election since 1992. MOE even tracks vote history as voters move throughout the state. In addition to knowing whether a vote was cast by absentee ballot or at the polls, MOE knows the exact dates when a voter has historically returned their absentee ballot. This data can be extremely valuable for identifying absentee voters who normally return their ballots early or late. MOE identifies Decline to State voters in many counties who chose a Democratic or Republican ballot in a primary election cycle. Phones and other data MOE has the cleanest phone numbers with identified wireless numbers. MOE also continues to add voter email addresses, as they become available. MOE has valuable micro-targeting data normally used by major retail businesses. MOE has current homeowner data throughout the state. MOE has data for identifying voters by Ethnicity, Income level, Education level, Mobile Home Residency, Birthplace, and many other fields.

Voter File Management MOE has all the tools you need to effectively manage your voter data. The program was carefully designed to be used by individuals from all levels of political and computer experience. We recently redesigned the program home page as we strive to improve the program s accessibility. The functionality of MOE matches or surpasses all other similar products. The difference is how MOE simplifies each process. Key Voter file Management Features Search and View complete voter records. Simple yet comprehensive query interface for targeting voters. Intuitive interface for generating bar coded Walk Lists, Phone Lists, Mail Files, and Phone Files. Simple and rapid barcode scanning. A large variety of different comprehensive count reports. Unlimited number of custom flags and response codes Simple security management with 5 different security levels, from full administrative control to limited access within a single precinct. Simple data import process. Task manager to efficiently assign tasks to campaign staff. Match external files to the voter file by name and address. Generate precinct maps with actual precinct boundaries and zoom-in / zoom-out images. Mapping Module for displaying voter locations on a map with attached voter list. Generate GOTV Door Hangers with polling places New Registrant database for holding new registrants until they appear flagged in the voter database. Integrated with the Contact Management Database, Volunteer Database, Precinct Leader Program, and the Online Phone Bank. Manage support IDs for multiple campaigns.

Volunteer Management Program MOE has recently added an amazing new Volunteer Management Program to help Central Committees recruit, contact, and schedule volunteers. The program even tracks the time when volunteers are working by way of the online Volunteer sign-in / sign-out page. Managing volunteers has never been easier. Key Volunteer Management Features Integrated with identified volunteers in the voter and contact databases. No re-entry necessary. Simple sign-in / sign out page to track volunteer hours worked. Maintain specific volunteer preferences to make managing volunteers more efficient. Simple list generation based on volunteer preferences such as when they can work and what type of work they prefer. Contact volunteers by email blasts, printed phone lists, or online phone lists. Simple volunteer scheduling. Comprehensive reporting of hours worked by each volunteer. Create confirmation call lists and email blasts to contact scheduled volunteers.

Online Phone Bank What if we told you that you could generate a phone list, distribute that list to an unlimited number of callers, and let them begin making calls in less than five minutes? Well that is exactly what the Online Phone Bank can do. Simply create the list and the program will generate a web address link that can be emailed to a list of callers. Once the email is received, the recipient clicks on the link, enters their name, and starts calling voters. The Online Phone Bank displays your custom script and responses without the use of codes that need to be translated. The response data is entered immediately and the reporting provides immediate detailed statistics on recorded contacts.

The Precinct Leader Program The MOE Precinct Leader Program (previously called the Neighborhood Leader Program) software has been completely redesigned to be controlled at the local level. Each county can now support an independent Precinct Leader program where they control who gets the Precinct Leader accounts, what universe of voters are displayed, what scripts are displayed, and what response codes are used. The Precinct Leader application has proven to be an invaluable tool for electing Democrats nationwide. MOE has created the next generation Precinct Leader tool that is easier to use, has more information, and no codes to translate. We listened to feedback from many users throughout the state to create a superior Precinct Leader program for 2010 and beyond.

FAQs Now that you ve seen a bit of what MOE is and what it can do for you and your county, you probably have a number of questions. We have anticipated many of the questions and provided a few answers below. How can my county get access to MOE? It s very simple! When your County Committee has approved the use of MOE, the County Chair should contact the CDP/MOE Liaison with that information. Contact: Martha Gamez at martha@cadem.org or (209) 836-9030. What are we allowed to do and how can we use the voter data? Before we discuss this topic, we must mention that state law restricts the use of voter file information to direct political action only. MOE is intended to encourage DCCs to be active in organizing their communities to support candidates and issues supported by their memberships for local, district, state and federal elections. These tools allow DCCs to support their formally endorsed candidates and issues by generating printable voter lists, as well as electronic files for phoning, direct mail, and sending emails. If you are printing phone or walk lists they must be used by individuals working on behalf of the DCC. If you are generating electronic phone or mail files, the calls and mail pieces must be paid for by the DCC. Voter data generated by a DCC cannot be transferred to any organization other than its own chartered clubs. Candidate or ballot issue campaigns may not have access to the MOE system. They can purchase access to an identical system provided by the same vendor that built MOE. Go to www.politicaldata.com for information on the Online Campaign Center. How long will I have access to MOE? The MOE system is currently being offered to local county committees through the 2010 election cycle with the intention of continuing access through 2012 and beyond. We, the CDP, are committed to finding the resources to make this available beyond 2010 and will notify you as soon as that commitment becomes a reality. How frequently are the voter files updated? The Majority of the state is updated every 30-75 days. Smaller counties are updated every 90 days. During an election cycle, most counties will be updated with a 30 day and 15 day (close of registration) file update. There are many factors that determine when a specific county file gets updated. Please contact us for more information on the typical update schedule for your county.

Absentee status updates are automatically posted about four weeks prior to Election Day for statewide cycles. This information lets you know when and which individuals are schedule to receive an absentee ballot and when they return their ballot. Most counties are updated every 1-3 days depending on the county availability. Polling Places are posted roughly two weeks prior to the Election Day. How will our county get trained to use MOE? There are many support resources available to individuals working with the MOE system. The most popular is the online tutorials that provide comprehensive guidance through each part of the program. If you wish to view the on-line tutorials to become more familiar with the program while your county is getting set up, go to: ftp://ftp.politicaldata.com/. You will be able to download Power Point presentations and/or view the online tutorials without needing access to the system. Beginning in mid-december, the CDP will be providing Quick Start Guides to any county using MOE. This guide will give you an easy how to for each module of the program. We are planning to schedule weekly online sessions on various subjects associated with using MOE. We are optimistic these sessions will provide you with tips for consideration before you get started, such as how to create the flags you might want to use, how to name your files and saved selects, what kind of access levels do you want to provide to users, etc. The CDP is committed to training MOE users from all counties and with all levels of technical experience. We will continue to provide trainings on MOE through the Learn to Win 2010 trainings that are happening around the state. Workshops on the use of MOE will be held at future Executive Board Meetings and the state convention next spring. How many people in my organization can access MOE? There is no limit as long as they are legitimately associated with your DCC. You have complete control over how you set up your accounts, and the ability to create unlimited accounts, within the guidelines listed below. Each user account has its own username and password, and can be customized to provide limited data or system access. How do I provide access to the chartered clubs in my county? You will provide access to your chartered clubs by creating sub-accounts to your account so that all data can still be shared. We will provide detailed information in the Quick Start Guide once you have decided you will be using the program, but essentially, you will be able to set up accounts by access level and/or geographic area (city, Assembly District, Supervisor District, school district, etc.). Can I use MOE to create mail files? Yes, but only for mailings to be financed by the county central committee. Additionally, there are some size limitations as to how many you can generate. This number will be set up, on a county-by-county basis, and fully defined when you execute your Memorandum of Understanding with the CDP.

What is the Memorandum of Understanding? This is a document that will be executed between the County and the CDP. This document will lay out the terms and conditions for the use of MOE within your county as well as the penalties for misuse of the software. How do I report the in-kind contribution? At the time you execute your Memorandum of Understanding, you will be given instructions on how to report the in-kind contribution on your financial reports. Will my data be shared with others? Your data CAN be shared with local campaigns, etc. if you both agree to the sharing and specify what data is to be shared. Contact your CDP/MOE Liaison for information on the details of how that can be done. Can I export the data my organization adds to MOE? Absolutely! You own the data that you entered into the system: your contacts, your volunteers, your flags, your comments, etc. However, due to state privacy laws, you do not own the actual voter file information and will not be able to generate a full export of voter personal information from the program. Do I need any special equipment or preparation for MOE? All you really need is a decent computer with high speed internet access. All of the processing is done on the MOE server so you do not need to load any software or purchase expensive computer equipment. MOE can be access from your home, office, DCC headquarters, or favorite coffee shop. Does this offer expire? No. You can sign up today or next fall. While we encourage campaigns to start early, we know that some counties may take longer to get started. How do I get technical support? Technical support will be provided through various online tutorials and product documentation as well as live support for resolving problems not anticipated or covered in the support materials. We plan to build a support community to assist fellow DCC users from various counties with suggestions and tips related to managing data in the MOE system. If our effort to provide the most responsive and effective live technical support, we will ask counties to assign a single technical representative in their county to be the primary support contact person. We will have well trained support providers from the CDP as well as PDI technical support staff. CDP MOE Contact information For questions about MOE, to obtain MOE for your county, or for technical support for your County Committees, please contact our CDP/MOE Liaison: Martha Gamez, California Democratic Party, martha@cadem.org, (209) 836-9030.