California Calls embarked on its 11th civic engagement campaign on October 14 contacting 101,811 statewide voters – at the doors and on the phones – to encourage them to sign up for the Affordable Care Act, the new healthcare law that will go into effect on January 1, 2014. During the four-week period, 1,000 grassroots canvassers spread out across the state in 12 counties – from San Francisco in the north, to San Diego in the south.
Here are some of the highlights of the outreach campaign:
- Out of the 101,811 voters contacted, 77,483 — 76% of the voters contacted — said they support the Affordable Care Act.
- 20,649 people statewide said they planned to sign up for the new healthcare insurance marketplace.
- Data collected during the campaign showed that one out of four voters contacted were aged 18-34, and they were the most likely to state they planned to sign up for Covered California than any of the other age groups contacted.
- In Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, canvassers used a smart phone canvassing tool that saved time and allowed canvassers to collect data at the door while tracking responses in real time.
“In-person contact is critical to the success of enrolling Californians in health coverage,” said Daniel Zingale a senior vice president at The California Endowment, which helped support California Calls’ outreach effort. “We commend grassroots organizations like California Calls that are committed to informing Californians about the Affordable Care Act. Their canvassers spent hours tirelessly walking to thousands of households to ensure that community members have accurate information about the new health law and how it affects them. These efforts will go a long way in helping Californians get enrolled into health coverage.”
Young grassroots leaders were encouraged to participate in a “Best Of” Contest by posting videos and photos from the campaign to social media venues like Facebook, Instagram and Vine. Click here to see some of the winners.
