2024 General Election Vote-by-Mail Program
TDP Mail Ballot Request: Prime and Chase Plan with General Guidance
Updated: Oct 9, 2024 1:45 PM CST
Overview
For nearly a decade, the Texas Democratic Party has sent vote-by-mail applications to eligible Democratic voters aged 65 and above to increase voting access for Texas seniors across the state. The 2024 Vote-by-Mail Program will continue this effective and cost-efficient turnout initiative, sending a mailing that contains a pre-filled “Mail Ballot Request Form” with an enclosed return envelope to a targeted universe of voters aged 65 and above.
TDP’s bilingual Mail Ballot Request Form allows eligible Democrats to apply to receive ballots by mail for the 2024 calendar year. The forms are designed for ease of use with color-coded instructions and large print. Each form is printed with a unique barcode—allowing returned applications to be tracked for efficient, targeted outreach to recipients to maximize return rates. Using Targets in VAN, County Parties and Campaigns can identify the universe of voters who received the mailing, as well as those who have returned their mail ballot request forms and will receive mail ballots for the year.
In addition to the printing, mailing, and tracking of the forms, our vote-by-mail program also includes a “Prime and Chase” plan. TDP will send “Prime” texts to recipients before forms are delivered to prepare them to look out for the mailing and reduce discard rates. Once forms are delivered, “Chase” texts will be sent to remind recipients to complete and return them. This guidance is to serve as a resource for County Parties and Campaigns who wish to supplement these plans with their voter contact efforts.
“Prime”: Prepare recipients to receive before delivery
“Chase”: Remind recipients to return after delivery
Application Prime and Chase Timeline
What do the pre-filled TDP Mail Ballot Request Forms look like?
Here’s a sample version of the TDP Mail Ballot Request Form for the 2024 General Election. Each request form will be prefilled with the recipient’s name and registration address. The reverse side of the form is printed with the mailing address for the recipient’s early voting clerk. The recipient simply fills in their DL/ID# AND Social Security Number, their contact information (phone number and email address if applicable), and then signs the form. When the form is detached and folded, it can be placed in the enclosed return envelope which has a window to allow the early voting clerk’s address to be viewed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This form is not designed for general use. DO NOT PRINT OR DISTRIBUTE THIS FORM. This request form CANNOT be used by anyone who is only eligible to vote by mail because of a disability, confinement in jail, or because they will be out of the county. This request form CANNOT be used by anyone who needs assistance completing or signing it.
Voters who need assistance completing a mail ballot application - or are eligible to vote by mail because of a disability, confinement in jail, or because they will be out of the county - can visit txdem.co/LWVApp (or txdem.co/LWVAppESP for the Spanish language version) to print out an appropriate form. Mail Ballot Applications must be returned to the early voting clerk of the county in which the voter is registered. Visit this link to find the mailing address for each county’s early voting clerk.
On or before October 11, if a voter does not have access to a printer, they may visit txdem.co/vbmrequest to request that TDP send them a mail ballot application. This option is not available to voters after October 11.
What is Mail Ballot Application Prime and why is it important?
Voters typically are not aware of being targeted by our Vote-By-Mail program, and will likely not be expecting a mailing from us, let alone a prefilled mail ballot request form.
Because people are more likely to discard mail from unknown or unexpected sources, we “prime” recipients by contacting them ahead of time and letting them know who we are and why we are sending them a form. This way, recipients can expect the mailing and be more likely to fill it out, which means they are more likely to vote! It is also our first opportunity to direct them to our Voter Protection Hotline if they have any voting concerns or issues.
The target population for our mailing is senior citizens who may not be up-to-date on the confusing and constantly changing voting laws. By contacting them early, we can clear up any confusion and make sure they are informed and empowered to vote.
What is Mail Ballot Application Chase and why is it important?
Recipients of our request forms won’t always know to expect a mailing from us, and even if they do, voters may need reminders to return their forms on time, or they may have questions about the vote-by-mail process that they need help answering before completing their form.
To make sure recipients have all the info they need to vote by mail, we “chase” the applications (request forms) by contacting them after their form has been delivered to let them know who we are, and why we sent the form to them. By contacting recipients after the forms have been delivered, we can remind them to complete and submit the form, ensuring that more voters are empowered to cast a ballot.
Studies show that our application chase programs increase the likelihood that our mailing will be opened, signed, and returned by recipients. We need your help to reach our goal of making at least one successful contact with as many recipients as possible by October 4th.
What are the three most important things to let recipients know during Application Prime and Chase?
The fundamental goal of our Vote-by-Mail program is to increase Democratic turnout by reducing the confusion and complexity of the mail ballot process for voters. Providing key information to recipients and helping them complete their mail ballot request forms before and after they are delivered is critical to the program’s success. When you’re speaking to recipients about completing their forms, the two important reminders to give them are:
Include BOTH your Driver’s License/State ID Number AND the last 4 of your SSN. If voters don’t have both, include the number that they do have, even if it is expired.
Include your phone number and/or email address if you have one so the elections office can follow up with you if they have any questions or need any additional info from you.
You can also help us spread the word on social media so fellow eligible Texans can vote by mail:
VBM Program VAN Targets, Scripts, and Survey Questions
2024 VBM Program Targets:
*2024 Vote By Mail: VBM App Prime
Note: name changes to VBM App Recipient after applications have landed in voters’ mailboxes.
*2024 Vote By Mail: VBM App Chase
*2024 Vote By Mail: VBM Ballot Chase
You can find the full summary of all VAN targets, including VBM Program Targets, by visiting txdem.co/tdp-targets. Generally, our VBM program targets likely Democrats aged 65 and older with a history or high likelihood of voting by mail. If you have specific questions related to targets, contact our Data team by submitting a help ticket at txdem.co/help.
2024 VBM Program Scripts:
*2024 VBM Program App Recipient: PRIME Script - Branched
*2024 VBM Program App Recipient: PRIME Script - Linear
*2024 VBM Program App Recipient: CHASE - Linear
*2024 VBM Program App Recipient: CHASE - Branched
*2024 VBM Ballot Chase Script - Branched
*2024 VBM Ballot Chase Script - Linear
VBM Program Scripts are loaded into VAN, and are designed to be used with corresponding VAN Targets of the same name. You can also find VBM Program VAN Scripts at txdem.co/vbmprogramscript.
2024 VBM Program Survey Questions:
SQ1: XCmty Dem Support – Can we count on you to support Democrats up and down the ballot in the upcoming election?
Chase Phase: Went live in VAN on Sep 27, 2024
SQ2: XCmty Rcvd VBMApp24 – Have you received your application to vote by mail?
SQ3: XCmty Rtrn VBMApp24 – Have you completed, signed, and mailed back your application to vote by mail for the 2024 election cycle?
SQ4: XCmty VBM Ballot 24 - Have you received your Vote by Mail Ballot yet?
General VAN Resources
How do I create my Application Prime/Chase Lists and set up my phone banks in VAN?
We've created step-by-step instructions for creating VBM Program Prime/Chase Lists, and for setting up your virtual phone banks at txdem.co/vbmprogramphonebankguide. The instructions outline the appropriate targets to use depending on whether you are creating a Prime List to reach out to recipients before their mail ballot request forms are delivered, or a Chase List to contact recipients after their request forms have been delivered.
What if I find someone who didn’t receive the mailing and needs an application?
As you contact VBM Program Targets, you may run into seniors in the same household who did not receive a mail ballot request form. For voters who are eligible and would like to vote by mail, they can print an application at txdem.co/LWVApp (or txdem.co/LWVAppESP for the Spanish language version). Mail Ballot Applications must be returned to the Early Voting Clerk of the county in which the voter is registered. Visit this link to find the mailing address for each county’s early voting clerk.
On or before October 11, if a voter does not have access to a printer, they may visit txdem.co/vbmrequest to request that TDP send them a mail ballot application. This option is not available to voters after October 11.
What if I have questions about a VBM Application?
Answers to the most frequently asked VBM questions are available at: txdem.co/vbm-faq
Please discourage volunteers from answering any other questions – or anything they are not 110% sure they know the answer to. We never want to provide inaccurate information to voters.
If a voter has questions about voting, please reach out to the Voter Protection Hotline at 1-844-TX-VOTES (1-844-898-6837).