WE ARE NOT GIVING UP.

We did not send Harris and Walz to the White House, but we did tremendous work on electing Democrats up and down the ballot here in Nebraska. It’s time now, to find out who we can count on to have our backs, and make sure that we have the backs of our like-minded neighbors. The Block Captain program is about building relationships and finding community. Don’t live the next 4 years thinking you are a lone blue dot in a sea of red. As a Block Captain you can meet neighbors and find your people near you.

About the Block Captain Program:

Serving as a Block Captain means you are responsible for connecting with 50 voters in your neighborhood to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. We adapt the model for Rural Captains, Apartment Captains and Dorm Captains.

We’re ready to take back all levels of government for the people — from city councils and school boards to the Legislature, and Congress!

The best way to elect Democrats is on a personal level at the doors with conversations about how to vote and the issues we care about.

We must communicate our values. We know the current one-party rule at the state level is bad for democracy. Block Captains build relationships with their neighbors and become the point of contact when they have questions or need assistance around election time.

It is clear the Republican Party is now so extreme they have totally lost what it means to serve and to put people first. Whether it is the violent insurrection, separating children and families, allowing giant corporations to pollute the land water, and air, taking away reproductive rights, shutting down the government, and giving the biggest government handout in decades to millionaires and billionaires while pretending they are giving tax cuts to our families or cutting health insurance and food stamps to working families. The GOP is now the party of mean and we are ready to take our state back.

We now have more than 750 Block Captains. If you have any questions about the program, send an email to gina@nebraskademocrats.org

Materials:

We have everything you need to serve as a Block Captain. We give you the “turf” — a fancy name for the list of 50 houses in your community where you are responsible for talking to voters. We train you either with online videos that you can watch when it’s best for you or in-person trainings that you can attend.

Here are some of our resources for Block Captains:

Block Captain Handbook

Block Captain Flyer

2022 Block Captain Training Booklet

2025 Training Schedule:

We conduct trainings via Zoom in order to prepare Block Captains all across the state. We can also host training sessions for county parties and other groups, just contact Gina Frank.

Block Captains should watch for emails from Gina that includes their voters’ contact information and specific instructions for each round of voter contact.

Feb-March- Lincoln and Omaha will deliver vote-by-mail applications to your 50 contacts. Greater Nebraska will join their county party for a community-building activity and/or send postcards to your 50 contacts to stay on contact! The training will be on February 10.

July-August- We will talk to our neighbors about what is important to them and what they would like to see happen or what help they need. This will be in the form of a survey using minivan which will help the county and state parties as well as candidates staying in touch with voters ideas and concerns. The training will be on June 26.

September-November- A Block Captain favorite, we will bring the Dems Deliver paper to our 50 contacts! The training will be on September 8.

CANVASSING TIPS:

DOOR-TO-DOOR CONVERSATIONS WIN ELECTIONS Face-to-face conversations are the most effective way to turn out voters for Democrats. The Block Captain program is how we win elections at the grassroots level. Talking with voters is a skill you will practice and develop over time. It is a bit of an art and a science. Most of all try to remember how you would want to be approached.

KEY REMINDERS:

1. Be yourself.

2. Listen attentively and with care.

3. If you don’t know the answer, be honest and say you can find out and get back to them.

4. Stay positive.

5. On average, you can knock 20 doors per hour. Usually, you talk to about 6 people in that hour because not everyone will be home.

6. Wear a Democratic shirt or button so voters do not think you are selling something.

YOUR CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR

As a Block Captain, you need a few things to get started as you canvass your neighbors. Grab a good clipboard and tote bag to hold these critical items:

- At least two pens
- The list of your 50 households
- Canvass tips and reminders
- A bundle of newspapers
- Post-it notes (a great way to leave a handwritten note)
- Water bottle, stay hydrated!
- Comfortable shoes and a button or Democratic t-shirt so voters know you are not selling something!

DO THESE THINGS AT THE DOOR:

- Talk to all 50 households on your list. These are the voters and neighbors you are now responsible for registering, educating and getting to the polls.
- Look around before you knock. See if there is anything relatable you can use in the door conversation. A bumper sticker of a group you know, a great garden, nice yard, kids toys, etc. People are proud of their homes, saying something nice opens up the conversation.
- Be friendly, but get firm commitments. If someone tells you they support Democrats, be sure to ask them to commit to vote. If they commit to vote, ask them to volunteer. And if someone is argumentative, politely end the conversation.
- Use the script, but put it in your voice. The canvass script is a basic guide for your conversations. Be sure to use your personal story to explain why you’re supporting Democrats up and down the ballot. That’s the best way to build a meaningful connection with voters.
- Smile and have fun! Voters will respond to your enthusiasm and your energy.
- Shake the fence before you enter a gate. If you shake it, this will usually wake a dog up so you know if it’s safe to enter. Some experienced canvassers carry a few dog treats in their pocket for the dog lover vote :)
- Leave a note behind. If the voter is not home, write a quick note with your name signed. Leave the literature with your note somewhere the voter can see it (you can roll it up and stick it between storm door and main door for example)—but never put it in or on their mailbox.
- Follow up. If you don’t know the answer to a question DON’T MAKE UP THE ANSWER, instead tell the voter “that is a good question, I will get back to you.” Then either send them a note in the mail, drop by the house or leave them a voicemail with the answer. Just email me gina@nebraskademocrats.org and I will help get you the answer.

DON’T DO THESE THINGS AT THE DOOR:

- Don’t go inside a house. Safety first. If you’re invited into a home, politely decline.
- Don’t go inside a gate that has a “beware of dog.” This is a good sign to simply leave a note rolled up in the fence and call this voter instead!
- Don’t put literature in the mailbox. Leave literature in the door or under the mat. It is illegal to insert material in someone’s mailbox.
- Don’t be rude to anyone. Remember, you represent the Democratic Party. If a voter does not agree with us, that is ok.
- Don’t get into an argument. Never get in an argument. If someone disagrees with the Democratic Party or a candidate, offer to take their information and share it with the candidate.
- Don’t speak negatively of other points of view or people. We can and do stand up, but we are not rude. As Michelle Obama says, “When they go low, we go high.”