If you could not reach the voter, your options are...
Not Home - This response is used when the voter does not answer the phone, is not home, or the person who answers informs you that the voter is unavailable to speak at the moment. You also use this option when the call goes to voicemail. This response is also used when you cannot reach the voter, but the none of the below options are correct for the situation.
Refused - This response is used if you know you are talking to the voter you are attempting to contact, you have stated who you are/are with and why you are calling, and the voter: hangs up on you, tells you to stop calling, does not answer your questions, is clearly keeping you on the line to waste your time, or heckles you.
If the voter still engages in conversation with you and answers most of the questions you ask, but chooses not to answer certain questions, that is not a ‘refused’. You should fill in the drop down fields or check the box next to the correct options in the script but leave the ones they do not answer blank. The questions they do answer is still valuable information to be collected.
Deceased - The voter has passed away.
Moved - The voter can no longer be reached at the number you are calling.
Spanish - The voter’s primary language is Spanish. In this case you should mark the voter as Spanish. This will prompt them to be moved into a Spanish speaking phone bank for volunteers who speak Spanish to call through.
Call Back - The voter asks to be called back at a later date/time.
Busy - You receive a busy signal when attempting to call the voter.
Left Message - The voter does not answer and you leave a message on their voicemail. Do not leave messages unless instructed to by your Organizer. The time you spend leaving a voicemail is time you may be missing the opportunity to talk to a voter who will answer.
Wrong Number - The person who answers the phone confirms for you that the voter you are attempting to reach can no longer be contacted at that number.
Disconnected - The phone number being called is disconnected or is not a working number. PLEASE BE CAREFUL when selecting this option. Be sure to listen to the prerecorded automated message telling you the number has been disconnected until it ends/starts over. Some numbers are only temporarily disconnected and may be reconnected at a future date. In the case of such a number, best practice is to mark that number as ‘not home’ so that we can attempt to call the voter at a later date when the number might be connected again.
Other Language - If the voter does not speak English or Spanish, and the language barrier prevents any and all conversation from being had, mark them as ‘Other Language’ and we will attempt to contact the voter via a phone bank being called through by volunteers who speak their primary language. You should include which language they speak in the notes section on your screen.
Bobby Michaels