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Last-minute Volunteers Flock to Democratic Campaign

By Erika Fricke

As Democratic party volunteer coordinator Tama Weinberg was explaining the phone banking system to a walk-in volunteer today, he cut her off, "I have a compelling need to clarify the issues around the presidential election," he said. "And where can I curse the Green party voters?"

Weinberg was unfazed. It was election day at the Democratic Headquarters in Alameda County and such requests were part of the bargain. Weinberg and her troops were busy trying to get in as many volunteers-and more-than the place would hold.

Snickers candy bars, Three Musketeers and boiled eggs kept energy up. While many of the volunteers were retired older women, several people had taken off work to volunteer and others arrived as soon as school was out.

Old-hand volunteers said that issues like the environment and abortion rights, combined with fear of a Bush presidency, were bringing in an unprecedented number of volunteers for a get-out-the-vote movement.

"I think there's been a strategy implemented over the last few weeks with labor, women and seniors; there's been a mobilization at the local level," said Katha Delaney, a volunteer for the Democratic campaign and voter transportation coordinator. That effort was expected to push state turnout up to 75% compared to 50% nationally.

In addition to regular volunteers, the Democrats convinced more than 100 cold call citizens to volunteer. "They say, 'Oh yeah, we're really concerned about blah-blah.' Well if you're really concerned, help out!" said Rachel Richmond, Get-Out-the-Vote coordinator.

The response was so strong that coordinators found that sometimes they lacked space for everyone to work. By 1:30 p.m.,100 people had already been dispatched to drive voters to the polls and enough volunteers waited to bank phones that Courtney Call Kennedy could easily take a break.

As the day wore on, volunteers called potential voters throughout Alameda County.

Such volunteer work is a little like practicing scales. The mantra for the day: "This message is for everyone in your household who has registered to vote. Today is the day to exercise your power. The important thing is to get out and vote."

Volunteer Gilda Lieberman didn't miss a beat as she recited this mantra. She was too caught up in election excitement to tire of the message, even though she had worked the previous night, as well.

"I sat next to a 13-year-old last night," Lieberman said. "She told me that there are school classes of children working the phones."

Some adults used their free days from employers.

Alibris.com, an Emeryville Internet company, allows their employees two paid community service days. Maresa Danielsen and Joanne Fong took their days to volunteer for Gore. Asked why Fong decided to volunteer for the first time ever in a campaign she replied simply, "Because I don't want Bush to win."

"They say they're really scared," Weinberg said of the unexpected volunteers. "We've gotten a lot of people who've said that they were going to vote for Nader and now they're going to vote for Gore." In fact, she added, several Republicans, dismayed by the idea of a Bush presidency, also spent hours phoning for Gore.

"They were really convincing," she said.

Volunteers attribute the last-minute surge of volunteering to the closeness of the campaign.

"All the people around me, all we've talked about is how important the election is. I've never seen this before," said Lieberman.

When a toilet flooded on Monday, Richmond took off her coordinator hat and put on her rubber gloves. Shuffling around on a blue towel to seep up some of the overflow she said, "It's kind of a reminder that while most people think campaigns are all about smoke-filled rooms and complicated strategies, it's actually about grassroots, really hard work by volunteers who give a damn. In that sense it's always humbling and reassuring. Despite everything, we have a functioning democracy."