VAN OpenVPB

1. Navigate to the OpenVPB via the link provided by your group leader or

Organizer.

2. Click the ‘Get Started’ button.
3. Log in with your Action ID information. If you do not have an Action ID, create one via the ‘Create an Action ID Account’ link below the log in fields.
4. Once you have logged in, you will be taken to the ‘Join a Phone Bank’ screen. Click the ‘Join a Phone Bank’ button.
5. If prompted to, enter the eleven to fourteen-digit Virtual Phone Bank Code from the end of the OpenVPB link you received. It will look like the following example: ABCDEFG-1234567.
6. The system will begin prepping your session, and your screen will refresh with your first voter’s information and the script.
7. On the left portion of your screen is the ‘About’ section for the voter you are attempting to contact. This section will contain important info such as the voter’s phone number, voting city/state/zip, and other information that will aid you in your conversation with the voter.
8. To the right/main portion of your screen, you will see the voter’s name and phone number you’ll be attempting to contact them at. Below the name and number is the script that will guide you through your conversation with the voter.
9. As you scroll down through the script, you will notice drop-down fields throughout the script. These drop-down fields are where you will record the answers to the questions you will ask the voter. It is very important to select an answer for each question as they answer. If a voter chooses not to answer a particular question, leave the drop-down for that question blank, but input the answers for the questions that the voter does answer. The script is a guide to what you should say, but the most important thing is to have a real conversation and share why you are supporting your candidate, issue, or piece of legislation. You should stick to the script as much as possible, but use it as a guide (and ask all the questions!) and speak from your heart.
10. Your script may also include check boxes for Activist Codes. As with the drop downs for the questions described above in step 9, only check the boxes for the Activist Codes that the voter mentions or indicates during your conversation with them.
11. After you have gone through the entire script with the voter and have ended the conversation, you will see two buttons at the bottom to choose from. One is the ‘Stop Making Calls’ button and the other is the ‘Save & Next Call’ button.
12. The ‘Stop Making Calls’ button will save the info you just recorded for the voter whose profile screen you are on and will end your phone banking session for you. Once you click that button, it will take you to the ‘Thank You’ screen and ask you to confirm that you are ready to end your phone banking session. Your options on this screen are: ‘Make More Calls’ to return to the phone bank, or ‘Leave Session’ to end your phone banking session.
13. The ‘Save & Next Call’ button will save the info you input for the voter you just finished speaking with and take you to the next voter to call.
14. If you could not reach the voter, click the red ‘I Couldn’t Reach (voter name)’ below their name and number, and a drop-down with options will appear. This guide will go over the options available. Select the appropriate option according to the guide and the descriptions for each option.
15. Once you have marked the voter with the correct ‘I Couldn’t Reach’ response, click ‘Save & Next Call’ to move on to the next voter. If you accidentally clicked the ‘I Couldn’t Reach’ button, click ‘Cancel’ to go back to the script and input the answers to the questions that the voter answers.
16. Finally, when you have reached the end of your time allotted to make calls, navigate to the bottom right of the screen and choose “Stop Making Calls”. Once selected, a pop-up will appear.
17. You can either keep making calls or leave the session. If you press the x at the top corner, the system will ask you to keep making calls. If you choose “Leave Session”, you’ll be logged out.

Logging In 

Whether you choose to phone bank from the comfort of your home or decide to participate in a phonebanking event with other local or national Indivisible members, these steps will walk you through the entire process from start to finish. 

• Navigate to the OpenVPB via the link provided by your group leader or Organizer. Your screen will look like the image below.  
• Click the ‘Get Started’ button.

Log in with Action ID or Create Account

• Log in with your Action ID information. If you do not have an Action ID, create one via the ‘Create an Action ID Account’ link below the login fields
• Once you have logged in, you will be taken to the ‘Join a Phone Bank’ screen. Click the ‘Join a Phone Bank’ button.

Start Making Calls!

• If prompted to, enter the eleven to fourteen-digit Virtual Phone Bank Code from the end of the OpenVPB link you received. It will look like the following example: ABCDEFG-1234567.
• The system will begin prepping your session, and your screen will refresh with your first voter’s information and the script. 
• On the left portion of your screen is the ‘About’ section for the voter you are attempting to contact (See image below). This section will contain important info such as the voter’s phone number, voting city/state/zip, and other information that will aid you in your conversation with the voter. 
• To the right/main portion of your screen, you will see the voter’s name and phone number you’ll be attempting to contact them at (See image below). Below the name and number is the script that will guide you through your conversation with the voter. 
• As you scroll down through the script, you will notice drop-down fields throughout the script. These drop-down fields are where you will record the answers to the questions you will be asking the voter. It is very important to select an answer for each question as they answer. If a voter chooses not to answer a particular question, leave the drop-down for that question blank, but input the answers for the questions that the voter does answer. The script is a guide to what you should say, but the most important thing is to have a real conversation and share why you are supporting your candidate, issue, or piece of legislation. You should stick to the script as much as possible, but use it as a guide (and ask all the questions!) and speak from your heart.
• Your script may also include check boxes for Activist Codes. As with the drop downs for the questions described above in step 9, only check the boxes for the Activist Codes that the voter mentions or indicates during your conversation with them.
• After you have gone through the entire script with the voter and have ended the conversation, you will see two buttons at the bottom to choose from. One is the ‘Stop Making Calls’ button and the other is the ‘Save & Next Call’ button.

*Note: the phone number of the caller is directly under their name and also under “Preferred Phone” in the left pane – but for security purposes, it will not be shown here.

• The ‘Stop Making Calls’ button will save the info you just recorded for the voter whose profile screen you are on and will end your phone banking session for you. Once you click that button, it will take you to the ‘Thank You’ screen and ask you to confirm that you are ready to end your phone banking session. Your options on this screen are: ‘Make More Calls’ to return to the phone bank, or ‘Leave Session’ to end your phone banking session. 
• The ‘Save & Next Call’ button will save the info you input for the voter you just finished speaking with and take you to the next voter to call. 
• If you could not reach the voter, click the red ‘I Couldn’t Reach (voter name)’ below their name and number, and a drop-down with options will appear. This guide will go over the options available. Select the appropriate option according to the guide and the descriptions for each option.
• Once you have marked the voter with the correct ‘I Couldn’t Reach’ response, click ‘Save & Next Call’ to move on to the next voter. If you accidentally clicked the ‘I Couldn’t Reach’ button, click ‘Cancel’ to go back to the script and input the answers to the questions that the voter answers.
• End Your Phone Bank 
• Finally, when you have reached the end of your time allotted to make calls, navigate to the bottom right of the screen and choose “Stop Making Calls”. Once selected, a pop-up will appear: 

• You can either keep making calls or leave the session. If you press the x at the top corner, the system will ask you to keep making calls. If you choose “Leave Session”, you’ll be logged out. 

Don’t forget that you can watch a step-by-step video of the above guide by clicking here.

Great! You’ve made your first call in OpenVPB!

1. Be sure to make confirmation calls at least 48 hours in advance so you know who will be joining your phonebank. If someone is having technical difficulties and not making calls with you in person, you’ll need to know who to look out for random texts or emails from who may be requesting assistance.
2. While making your confirmation calls, ask your phone bankers to log into OpenVPB with their Action ID account info to make sure they have their account set up and they know their login credentials. This way they are not asking for assistance at the last minute when the phone bank begins. OpenVPBs are available 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time daily for the duration of your OpenVPB, so ensure they are logging in during that time frame.
3. If you are hosting a virtual meeting, hop on the video call at least 15 minutes early to welcome the early birds and troubleshoot any technical difficulties you or others may be experiencing with the video call or the OpenVPB. Log into the OpenVPB before the day of your event to make sure you have the right OpenVPB link, the voter info shows up on your screen, etc.
4. Take advantage of those 15 minutes ahead of the call and ask any first time phone bankers to join you as well. Use that time to make sure they are able to log in successfully, answer any questions they may have, make sure they’re comfortable with the script and messaging, and help them with any last minute nervousness.
5. Keep it fun! At the top of the phone bank, welcome everyone to the call and get them pumped up! Plan adequate breaks that everyone takes together. Plan an encouraging game to play on breaks. Encourage everyone to keep track of their contact rate, and celebrate when someone hits a goal, like five successful contacts!

Bonus Step! Check out this Train the Trainer: How to Run a Successful Phone Bank slide deck for more useful tips on having an AWESOME phone bank!

Your options for this scenario:

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 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 are 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.

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.

In each script template, you will find sections that can be edited and sections that cannot. Any underlined sections cannot be edited, but everything else should be edited to reflect your program’s and community’s context. 

Underlined sections are usually Survey Questions and Activist Codes. If the Survey Questions or Activist Codes in the template you have chosen do not meet the needs, but the overall theme or message of the template does, please reach out to a member of the Data Team to assist you in finding an adequate replacement.   

Electoral scripts 

Multiple Candidate Script

Single Candidate Script

Candidate + Issue ID Script

GOTV Script – Best Practice

VBM Signup Script (e.g., are you registered to vote by mail?)

Issue ID Script + Volunteer Ask

Advocacy Scripts 

Please Note: Advocacy work surrounding ballot measures and referendums may not be allowed in your state due to some state voter data compliance laws. Before you use our tools for ballot measure work, please reach out to your Organizer or a member of the Tech Team with questions about this type of voter engagement in your state. 

Redistricting Advocacy Script

Federal Lobbying Script

Elected Official Accountability Script Note: This may look like calls to resign, conduct, or ethics.

Through our tools, you’ll be connected with registered voters in areas across the country. We think it is really important to make sure everyone stands up to be counted, so we focus on talking to never-voters to semi-frequent voters, to remind them to vote in each election. We know that we can’t win an election without a wave of support up and down the ballot.

Great question! While each phone banker’s results will vary, the average shift is about two hours long, and the average phone banker dials about 45 to 50 numbers per hour.

Another great question! If you’re calling during the week, Monday through Friday, the best time to call is 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time of the state you’re calling into. This is when most voters are off from work and at home, and likely able to answer your call. On Saturdays, peak call time is 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. local time of the state you’re calling into. And on Sundays, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time is best.

Yes, it is, especially when we first start calling into an OpenVPB. Voters change their phone numbers and/or move very often. But don’t be discouraged! Finding out that these numbers are disconnected or the wrong number for the voter is a good thing. Removing these numbers from our lists helps clean the lists up, and if we have additional numbers for the voter, those numbers are added for the next round of calls, increasing our chances of contacting the voter. Just mark these numbers with the appropriate selection from the “I couldn’t reach … ” options, click save, and move on to the next voter. Every cycle sees improvements in the technology VAN uses to help filter out disconnected or wrong numbers. So we’ll see less of these numbers as time passes.

Not all voters have answering machines or voicemail service. The average answering machine or voicemail service is activated after 7 to 8 rings. If after 7 to 8 rings, no one picks up or an answering machine or voicemail service is not activated, mark the voter as ‘not home’ and move on to the next voter.

In this situation, marking the voter as ‘not home’ is the correct response. Unless the person on the phone confirms they are who you want to speak with, then mark the voter as ‘not home’. We do not accept answers to our questions for a voter from their spouse, family member, roommate, etc, as not all relatives or household members vote the same way.

If a voter says they are not voting for any candidate in a particular race, leave the drop-down menu for that question blank, scroll down to the notes section at the end of your script, and indicate that the voter does not plan to vote for a candidate in that particular race.

Mark the voter as ‘not home’ so that they stay on our list and we can attempt to call them at a later date.

When phone banking, unless instructed by your Organizer or group leader, it’s best practice not to leave messages. The time you take leaving a message might result in you missing the opportunity to speak to the next voter on your list. A live conversation is always preferred when engaging with voters over leaving a message. If a voter does not pick up, someone else picks up and tells you the voter is not home/available, your call goes to voicemail, or the phone rings more than 8 times (the average amount of rings before an answering service would be activated) then mark the voter as ‘not home’ and move on to the next voter.

A ‘refused’ is any conversation where the voter does not answer the questions we are calling to engage them on. Whether they are polite about refusing (“Thank you, but I’d rather not answer.” “For me, my vote is a personal matter.” “Thank you for what you do, but I won’t discuss who I vote for with anyone.”) or impolite (“Don’t call me again!” “Take me off your list!” or just hangs up on you) if they do not answer the questions you are asking, then they are considered as refusing to answer. Please note: If they answer some, but not all of the questions you ask them, that is not a refusal. Mark the answers for the questions they do answer, and leave the questions they do not answer blank.

This often happens because the phone system for that particular area code may differ as to whether it requires you to use a 1 in front of the area code when dialing the number. Try this:

• If you did not dial the number with a 1 before the area code (area code + number), try again and add a 1 before the area code.
• If you did dial the number with a 1 before the area code (1 + area code + number), try again and do not add a 1 before the area code.
• If you still have no success, mark the voter as ‘not home’ so that we can attempt to reach them at a later date.

Yes, we can send an email or a text to a voter (email is preferred) BUT

1. The voter must explicitly say YES for the text or email to be sent.
2. It must be sent by the phone banker who spoke with the voter. That means that the voter’s info should not be shared in a chat log or with other volunteers. The best practice we use in this situation is that the phone banker should send the message to the voter as soon as they are finished speaking with them so that they do not forget and so the voter can perform the action as soon as possible.

Whenever sending a follow-up message to a voter, especially if by text, we want the message to be as short and to the point as possible. Friendly reminder that some voters still pay per text/minute. A great example would be: “Thanks for making the call to your senator today! Here is the number to call: xxx-xxx-xxxx. And if you’d like a script or talking points to use, here’s a link: www.example.com”