Austin Interfaith Targets Citywide Turnout for Runoff Election
Since April 10th over 100 Austin Interfaith leaders from 30 congregations, schools, and worker associations conducted an intensive non-partisan Get Out the Vote Campaign, which targeted over 25,000 registered voters. This GOTV effort was conducted through pulpit announcements and signups in congregations and schools, civic academies on issues, and intensive door-to-door registration and GOTV walks as well as phone banks in targeted precincts. During the last 2 days of the runoff election Austin Interfaith leaders reached over 1,500 households through door-to-door block walking (300) and phone banking (1,200). 17.9% of registered voters who signed onto the Austin Interfaith agenda voted early for the runoff election compared to 5.59% city average.
For Austin Interfaith leaders this runoff election was not about the opposing candidates, but about the Austin Interfaith agenda of issues. “Our candidate is our agenda, and we have focused a lot of energy over the past year on GOTV efforts to advocate for education, workforce development, living wages, immigration, and issues affecting the homeless”, said Eric Holloway of St. David’s Episcopal. “And we did it the old fashioned way…through networks of relationships in our member institutions and through face to face conversations in neighborhoods. This is an effort that is going to continue over several election cycles.”
In addition to citywide turnout efforts through member institutions, Austin Interfaith also targets individual precincts. In this past Novembers gubernatorial election, the 9 Austin Interfaith precincts targeted saw a raw vote increase of 14%, compared to 5% increase countywide compared to the last gubernatorial election.
During this spring’s citywide general election, Austin Interfaith leaders targeted 5 specific precincts: on the East side precincts 124, 438 and 439; on the South side in Dove Springs precinct 450; and on the North side precinct 163. Again, turnout in these precincts increased or maintained turnout while the citywide average dropped when compared to the last similar council election. In the runoff, turnout in targeted precincts increased by30%.