Virtual Phone Banks is one of the primary methods of voter contact. This article will explain how to collect good data while using VPB. To learn how to set up VPBs, see our article on that topic here.
There are two options to make calls in VPB. They look slightly different but are functionally the same. I will be using option 1 in the screenshots, but option 2 works the same way.
1. In VAN, go to Virtual Phone Bank in the left-hand sidebar. You'll see a list of active phone bank campaigns. Select which one you want and click Next
2. Get an OpenVPB link from your supervisor or local organizer. Enter the link into your web browser, and click next -OR- Get an OpenVPB code from your supervisor or local organizer. Go to openvpb.com and enter the code.
Here, you'll see the voter's name and contact information and your script. You can also toggle between voters in the same household. The bar at the top indicates how close you are to finishing contacting the voters in the list. You'll also often see their sex (based on the Voter File), party, and possibly addresses and home districts.
Dial the number in blue on your phone. If the voter answers, walk through your script and select the appropriate response to each question. Do not enter data if you're not speaking with the named voter. If you speak to others in the same household, click the tab to record responses for the other voter. If niether are available, call back another time.
If you can't reach the voter, click the red "I Couldn't Reach [Name]" Then select the reason why you could not reach them.
Once you're ready to move on to the next contact, click Save & Next Call in the upper right-hand corner. You will not be able to move on until you either select why you couldn't reach the voter or answer at least one question on the script.