General Meeting Minutes—Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 6:30pm at HQ
Welcome and Introductions: Julie called the meeting to order at 6:36pm, welcomed attendees, and introduced members of the Executive Committee.
Approval of the Minutes: Minutes from the September 16th General meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Donna reported that our balance is $3900. We raised $11,200 this year through the Picnic, the School Board Challenge, the Super Dems.’ email ($1700), and general contributions ($3600).
· Expenses included printing and mailing costs, Facebook and ActBlue fees totaling approximately $300. Funds allocated to the Citizens’ group will be transferred to them.
· In response to a question about charges, Donna explained that a “false charge” was credited back to CADC. Other fees included texting verification and similar charges.
Rick Galena re: the Citizens’ campaign: Rick summarized the Citizens for Carlisle Schools’ accomplishments, winning strategies, and recommendations for future elections:
· Communication/Fundraising -- 120 volunteers engaged; 750 Facebook followers; 7,000 doors knocked; 9,700 postcards written by volunteers; over 30,000 texts sent; 34,000 total mail pieces; digital ads were seen by over 67,000 people and viewed over 500,000 times; over 300 donors contributed $75,000.
· Election – 10,127 people voted; turnout was increased by 9% across 15 precincts. The Citizens held almost 100% of D and I voters and won between 10-20% of R voters.
o (See Election Results—precinct turnout and candidate results--breakdown chart created by Tom DeWall)
· Winning strategies and takeaways
1. Had great candidates.
2. Had a plan that included proven techniques – What do we need to do to win and then determining how much it will cost.
3. Used message discipline – Presented viable alternatives; defined Team For Change candidates; asked, “Which candidates have a plan?”
4. Takeaways – 1) Contested school board elections are the new norm and 2) slates of candidates can win (bipartisanship can be desirable).
· How to win future elections
1. Address registration and turnout – Had less than 200 new D.s; We do best when turning out D. voters; Need a presence in N. Middleton and Dickinson Twp.; We have 1200-1900 Super Dems., focus on “dropoff” D’s (there are approx..2600 of them) who don’t vote in Municipal elections.
2. Redefine volunteerism – Create one-off opportunities; Follow through with and thank volunteers.
3. Modernize campaign strategies – Manage social media effectively and efficiently; Train people in data collection (Votebuilder and Mini Van.)
Election Results: Tom created a breakdown chart that summarizes precinct turnout and candidate results. He highlighted that Precinct 3-1 had the biggest increase in total voters.
Fundraising Committee: Maren thanked everyone who donated. Julie mentioned that the fundraising committee could use help with events.
Area Leaders’ report: Wendy commented that all PCPs picked up their turfs for doorhangers and more Votebuilder training would be helpful. New N. Middleton housing developments appear in Votebuilder, but not in precincts/turfs. Five college students assisted with canvassing. All precinct tables were covered all day on election day, even when PCPs weren’t there.
Current challenges/needs – not all turfs are in Minivan; PCPs are still needed; Could we create more “Thank a Dem”-like signs for fundraising? Continue efforts to collect emails from prospective volunteers at voter tables. Created PCP “business” cards similar to the ones that Wendy and Pat made. There was general discussion about strategies for the 2024 elections.
Announcements and upcoming events:
· The next General Meeting will be held on Jan. 20, 2024 at 11:00am. Candidates who will be running against Scott Perry and Barb Gleim will be invited.
· Is the Primary being moved from April 19? If not, petition signings will take place in February.
Adjournment – Julie adjourned the meeting.