2014: Hitting the Ground Running in North Carolina
The Problem
Lumbee Tribal Chairman Paul Brooks wanted to stage an outreach, early vote, and get out the vote (GOTV) operation among Lumbee Tribal members across North Carolina with a specific focus on tribal members and African Americans in Robeson County. He turned to Four Directions to get the job done.
The Solution
Because of Four Directions’ trusted relationship with Chairman Brooks, he worked with us to utilize the 33,000-member Lumbee Tribal list for voter contact programs with unique messages from Chairman Brooks. Four Directions hired 35 canvassers and coordinated efforts with 23 college phone bankers for early voting. Four Directions hired an additional 51 organizers on Election Day with a specific focus on 20 of 43 precincts in Robeson County.
Voter turnout increased across the state from 2010 to the 2014 midterm elections, but voter turnout increased at a faster rate in Robeson County.
Voter Turnout in North Carolina and Robeston County: Total Turnout
| Area | 2010 | 2014 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 2,700,393 | 2,939,767 | 8.86% |
| Robeson County | 22,878 | 25,332 | 10.73% |
In fact, the Four Directions operation led to almost all of Robeson County’s increase in Robeson’s base voter turnout.
| Early Vote Totals in Robeson County, NC Prior to Four Directions Operation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 28–29, 2014 | 540 | Avg. per hour: 67.5 |
| Early Vote Totals in Robeson County, NC After Four Directions Operation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 30–31, 2014 | 1,025 | Avg. per hour: 128 |
| Nov. 1, 2014 (Open 8am-1pm) |
656 | Avg per hour: 131 |
This is a 90% increase (near doubling) once the operation started and reflects an extra 1,288 voters turned out during just three days of early voting.
The effort catalyzed by Chairman Brooks and Four Directions provided a strong boost to Lumbee turnout across North Carolina and an exceptional turnout in Robeson County by an aggressive voter empowerment operation among both Lumbee and African-American voters in Robeson County.
Put simply, thousands of extra voters turned out because of the efforts of Chairman Brooks and Four Directions.
