1 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: On this episode of the News World, you may remember 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: hearing about the multiple mail in and absentee ballots cast 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: in the twenty twenty and twenty twenty two elections. Traditionally, 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: Republicans tend to vote in person at a polling place, 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 1: while Democrats have more of a likelihood to use mail 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: in or absentee ballots. That historical trend has really challenged 7 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: us to come up with solutions about how we can 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: encourage Republicans to vote both in person and by mail 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: to maximize voter turnout. As we begin to think about 10 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: and plan for the twenty twenty four election, I wanted 11 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: to have a conversation with key leaders at the Republican 12 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: National Committee about some of the efforts they are leading 13 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: to ensure a fair, free and honest election. So I'm 14 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: really pleased to welcome my guest, Elliott eccles, political director 15 00:00:53,600 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: at the Republican National Committee. Elliett, welcome and thank you 16 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:09,119 Speaker 1: for joining me on newts World. 17 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 2: Thank you, Ms Speaker, happy. 18 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: To be here now. You're originally from Rome, Georgia, and 19 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: you've worked both in state and local politics before joining 20 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: the R and C. I'm curious what drew you into politics. 21 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: In the first place. 22 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 3: It was honestly my Sunday school teacher. When I first 23 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 3: got involved in politics, it was a guy named Tom 24 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 3: Graves who was a state rep in Georgia. And I 25 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 3: actually didn't even vote in two thousand and eight when 26 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 3: I was eighteen. Hope and Change didn't sweep me up. 27 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 3: But when Tom decided to run in a special election 28 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 3: to fill an open congressional seat, I thought, if guys 29 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 3: like Tom are willing to kind of step into the 30 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 3: arena and get involved, I should be willing to get 31 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 3: involved and help him as well. And it's funny he 32 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 3: actually had three different elections that year, through some special 33 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 3: elections and then ultimately the Tea Party wave that came 34 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 3: in twenty ten. 35 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: I loved it. 36 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 3: I loved the personal connections you made on campaign and 37 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 3: being able to share a message with voters. And as 38 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 3: always resonated with me, is going door to door, being 39 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 3: able to convince your friends and neighbors to ultimately cast 40 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 3: a ballot for someone. 41 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: Would you say in that sense the y're a people person, 42 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: very much so. And Rome, George is the right size 43 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: town to really get to know folks. 44 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 3: Yes, there, and I do believe that used to be 45 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 3: here just outside of your old congressional district as well. 46 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: Correct, Yeah, it was. 47 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: It was just one county over from my district, so 48 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: I was very familiar with it. Now, by twenty seventeen, 49 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: you ended up managing the Republican National Committees operation in 50 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: Virginia for the Ed Gillespie for Governor campaign. Had a 51 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: large staff, a voter contact operation, I think the biggest 52 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: in the history of the Commonwealth up to that point. 53 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: You had something like one hundred and three staff statewide 54 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,679 Speaker 1: and you had three point five million dollar investment. What 55 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: was that like? And that's a big jump to take 56 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: on a project on that scale. 57 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: You know. 58 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 3: After the twenty sixteen election where Donald J. Trump at 59 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 3: the time Hillary Clinton became President Trump, I was kind 60 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 3: of trying to figure out what to do, and I 61 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 3: got to go back to my home state of Georgia 62 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 3: and work for Karen Handel when she beat John oss 63 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 3: Off the first time and was back in Georgia for 64 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 3: about one hundred days. That kind of sprint special election, 65 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 3: and then I got this great opportunity and it really 66 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 3: let me kind of put into practice a lot of 67 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 3: organizing skills and leadership skills that I learned back in Georgia, 68 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 3: whether it was with Tom Graves or it was in 69 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: that special election, and saw firsthand in twenty seventeen, really 70 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 3: that the Democrats started to put such an emphasis on 71 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 3: early voting and mail in voting. And you look at Virginia. 72 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 3: You know today Virginia is one of the states that 73 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: has one of the longest early vote periods in the country, 74 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 3: and so a lot of the things that we're doing 75 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 3: today we really learned lessons even back to twenty seventeen. 76 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: Why do you think the Democrats focused so intensely on 77 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: early voting. 78 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 3: I think that one of the things that they've done 79 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 3: is they've really operationalized voting. 80 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: They see it as a way to a much. 81 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 3: Longer period to get all of their people out, and 82 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 3: they've embraced that. A lot of it is because they 83 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 3: have more infrequent voters than we do. A lot of 84 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 3: our Republican voters they're die hard voters, and they know 85 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 3: when they want to vote, they want to vote on 86 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 3: election day. The Democrats they utilize more of those days 87 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 3: to get more of their people out over a longer window. 88 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 3: At least that's kind of what they previously had done. 89 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 3: And they've really honed those skills as well. 90 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: What did you do after the Gillespie campaign. 91 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: I moved back to Washington, d C. 92 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 3: And I ran a political training operation at the Republican 93 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 3: National Committee, and a lot of what we focused on 94 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 3: again were those organizing skills and techniques, but also really 95 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: starting to utilize the absentee ballot and early vote laws 96 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 3: even in twenty eighteen, to make sure that Republicans were 97 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 3: contacting their friends and neighbors to ultimately get them out 98 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 3: earlier than ever before. 99 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: After the results of twenty twenty shook all of us 100 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: about election integrity, the Republican National Committee in two tho 101 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: twenty two ran the largest Republican election integrity operation called 102 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: Protect Your Vote and as Ioner Send It. Over eighty 103 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: thousand Republicans served as poll watchers and poll workers. I mean, 104 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: how effective was that project? 105 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: Yeah? 106 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 3: I think it was incredibly effective. And I know that 107 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 3: you're a big historian yourself, and so to kind of 108 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 3: give some of your listeners a little bit of a 109 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 3: history lesson is Unfortunately, the Republican National Committee was unable 110 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 3: to participate in election integrity or election day operations because 111 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 3: of a court case in New Jersey in the nineteen eighties. 112 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 2: Well, ultimately that judge. 113 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 3: Passed away, and after twenty twenty the Republican National Committee 114 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 3: was able to then kind of get back involved again. 115 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 3: We were under what was called a consent decree in 116 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 3: that operation in so many states it is explicitly a 117 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 3: party function to recruit and train those poll watchers. 118 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 2: We were able to partner with all of. 119 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 3: Our state parties around the country and our county parties 120 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 3: and local parties to fill some very important volunteer and 121 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 3: election worker roles around the country. Some of the things 122 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 3: that I saw personally that I think had a huge 123 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 3: impact it was having our volunteers, whether it be the 124 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 3: pole watchers or the election observers in places like Milwaukee 125 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 3: County in Wisconsin, when they bring all the absentee ballots 126 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 3: to the central count location where they count them, we 127 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 3: not only had people that could oversee the process as observers, 128 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 3: but we actually had people at the table counting those ballots. 129 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 3: And I think that what that program did in twenty 130 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,239 Speaker 3: twenty two, and those eighty thousand poll workers in pole watchers, 131 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 3: it really restored faith that our elections were safe and 132 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 3: secure for our voters, but also for our volunteers, and 133 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: that's one of the big things that we've ultimately tried 134 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 3: to do on the operational side when it comes to 135 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 3: election integrity, is really give our voters confidence that when 136 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 3: they go to the polls, whether they cast their ballot 137 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 3: on the first day of early voting, they mail in 138 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 3: their ballot, or they vote on election day, that it's 139 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 3: going to be safe and secure and their vote and 140 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 3: all legal votes are going to be counted. 141 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: So you really have a dual process. One is to 142 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: get the vote early and the others to make sure 143 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: that the count's honest. 144 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: That's absolutely correct. 145 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 3: Look to get people to vote early, and I know 146 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 3: we'll kind of talk about bank your Vote here shortly, 147 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 3: but you can't ask people to go vote early if 148 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 3: they don't believe their vote's going to be secure. And 149 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 3: that's why these two really go hand in hand. 150 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: Let's talk about that because the Republican National Committee is 151 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: now launched what you all call bank your Vote. What's 152 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 1: the concept behind bank your Vote? 153 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 3: The short answer is that we are looking to educate 154 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:41,239 Speaker 3: Republican voters on when, where, how, and then ultimately why 155 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 3: they should cast a ballot early. 156 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 2: Again, I kind of go back in history. 157 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 3: A little bit twenty years ago, George Bush's re election 158 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 3: campaign focused heavily on the seventy two hour task Force, 159 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 3: and the seventy two hour task Force had five or 160 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 3: six different components. 161 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 2: To it, but one of the big ones was ultimately. 162 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 3: Getting their volley tiers organized and then getting the vote 163 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 3: out the last seventy two hours of the campaign. In 164 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 3: that two thousand and four election, roughly twenty percent of 165 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 3: the vote was cast nationally before election day. In twenty twenty, 166 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 3: more than seventy percent of the vote was cast before 167 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 3: election day. You go back and you look and whether 168 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 3: it was the Christian Science Monitor, it was New York Times, 169 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 3: it was all these other groups. One of the things 170 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 3: that was kind of universally accepted and said about the 171 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 3: seventy two hour task Force was that the seventy two 172 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 3: hour Task Force gave the Republicans a strategy and technological 173 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 3: edge that helped them hold the House and Senate in 174 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 3: previous elections and helped deliver the two thousand and four election. 175 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 3: That's ultimately what we see with our bank Yerr Vote 176 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 3: initiative now, with it really being election season and not 177 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 3: just election day, we have to beat the Democrats at 178 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,079 Speaker 3: their own game, and we have to go out there 179 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 3: and we have to maximize the number of votes we 180 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 3: can get before election day so we can ultimately turn 181 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 3: out and have a huge election day turn out with 182 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 3: our Republican voters too. 183 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: Doesn't this new emphasis on early voting by both parties 184 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: really change everything about the strategy of advertising and of 185 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: when to invest in when you need to raise resources. 186 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 3: It makes it critical as we're looking at the playing 187 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 3: field now. You know, there are states like Pennsylvania where 188 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 3: you can actually request an absentee ballot application today for 189 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 3: the general election in twenty twenty four, and now some 190 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 3: states the laws are a little different, and a lot 191 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 3: of states January one you can start to request those ballots. 192 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 3: Some states it's Midsummer or even kind of earlier into 193 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 3: the fall. So a lot of our strategy is now 194 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 3: pushed up a lot sooner, and a lot of our 195 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 3: organizing efforts and a lot of the things that we'll 196 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 3: be doing in the way that campaigns. 197 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 2: Are going to be spending their money and resources. 198 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 3: You know, it's no longer hoping that a lot of 199 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,119 Speaker 3: money comes in at the end of September and October 200 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 3: and you kind of spend it at the end of 201 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 3: October and then going into election day. 202 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 2: You know, a lot of these places, we're. 203 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 3: Going to see sixty five seventy in some congressional districts, 204 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 3: eighty ninety percent of the vote is going to be 205 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 3: cast before election day, and not that election day will 206 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,959 Speaker 3: ever become irrelevant, but in some of these campaigns, election 207 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 3: day will be just a small fraction of the total vote. 208 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 3: And if campaigns and the RNC and the state parties 209 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,559 Speaker 3: are not preparing for that, accordingly, we'll see bad results 210 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 3: on election day. 211 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: And this is all state dependent, isn't I mean, every 212 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: state develops its own unique laws. 213 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 3: I was in Kansas City yesterday talking with Republican county 214 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 3: party chairs from around the country, and one of the 215 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 3: best compliments I always get, and this was, you know, 216 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 3: verbating from a guide that said, you know, I thought 217 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 3: you were going to tell me that I'm from Washington 218 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 3: and I'm here to help when you led this off, 219 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 3: But you facilitated a conversation that really makes it easy 220 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 3: for me to take this back to North Dakota so 221 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 3: we can ultimately implement this in North Dakota. 222 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:56,719 Speaker 2: And that's exactly what we want. To do. 223 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 3: We're going to have state specific websites rolled out some 224 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 3: of our leadership teams in California and Nevada and Wisconsin. 225 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 2: And if you go to NV. 226 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 3: Dot bankr vote dot com, you'll see the Nevada Bank 227 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 3: your Vote website and it's going to look different than 228 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 3: our New York when So, if you go to NY 229 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 3: dot bankr vote dot com, the New York page will 230 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 3: be different than Nevada page. And these plans are not 231 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 3: cookie cutter. There's nothing about this that is a top 232 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 3: down approach. I mentioned this at the beginning. I really 233 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 3: consider myself a grassroots person. I've always enjoyed organizing, and 234 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 3: I've always worked at the local level, and that's how 235 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 3: these plans are really facilitated and developed at the local level. 236 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: Hi, this is Newt and my new book, March the Majority, 237 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 1: The Real Story of the Republican Revolution. I offer strategies 238 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: and insights for everyday citizens and for season politicians. It's 239 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: both a guide for political success and for winning back 240 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 1: the Majority. In twenty twenty four. 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As a nationwide coordinator, you 253 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 1: have to have like fifty different states plus the District 254 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: of Columbia, and in some of the states you have 255 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: just remarkably different patterns from rural to big city, and 256 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: all of that somehow has to be orchestrated into getting 257 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: the maximum early vote. 258 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 3: What makes the RNC really a key leader in this 259 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 3: and really the best to help this operation is because 260 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 3: we can have that direct partnership not only with our 261 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 3: state parties, but with campaigns. There are a few entities 262 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 3: out there that can have the direct coordination that the 263 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:35,199 Speaker 3: RNC can with candidates and campaigns in our state parties 264 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 3: because we're developing this at the local level, and because 265 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 3: we have such good relationships with folks around the country, 266 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 3: because of our infrastructure, with data, with digital, with election integrity. 267 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 3: It really puts us in a key position to have 268 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 3: these conversations and build out these plans as we move forward. 269 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: In that context, I have to ask you, there are 270 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:57,080 Speaker 1: a couple of states, I think Montana, Nevada, and California 271 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: where you legally can harvest votes. Now what does it 272 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: mean to harvest votes? 273 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 3: The short version of it is somebody other than the 274 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 3: voter can take that voter's ballot and go return it 275 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 3: for them. And it sounds kind of crazy and it's 276 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 3: one of those weird laws that makes no sense to me. 277 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 3: The Republican National Committee actually fought this in Arizona. We 278 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 3: went all the way to the Supreme Court, and we 279 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 3: ultimately won to ban ballot harvesting in Arizona. And before 280 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 3: we kind of get into some of the successes we've 281 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 3: had with ballot harvesting, one of the things that we're 282 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 3: going to do we're going to fight bad laws first. 283 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 3: Some of these we can be proactive with some of them, 284 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 3: we have to be defensive as Democrat groups bring lawsuits, 285 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 3: but we're always going to fight these crazy laws because 286 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 3: ultimately we want to make it easier to vote and 287 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 3: harder to cheat. Our chairwoman, Chairwoman McDaniel, she is not 288 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 3: a lawyer, but she does brag about being the most 289 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 3: litigious chairman in RNC history, and so we're going to 290 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 3: fight these every way we can in the courts, but ultimately, 291 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 3: when the blankfield is set and when states set their rules, 292 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 3: we're going to beat the Democrats at their own game. 293 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 3: And in places like California, you don't want to give 294 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 3: away too many of our secrets, but the organizing that 295 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 3: we did in churches with gun store owners and other 296 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 3: conservative organizations where we have strong relationships there, that's where 297 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 3: we were most successful. And one of the things that 298 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 3: we always like to point to is Congresswoman Young Kim, 299 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 3: who is one of our Republican representatives in California. In 300 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 3: churches in her congressional district, they were able to harvests 301 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 3: collect more ballots than her margin of victory, and so 302 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 3: ballot harvesting, though we might hate it, might think that 303 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 3: it's a bad rule and a bad law, we're going 304 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 3: to beat the Democrats at their own game where it 305 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 3: is legal and make sure we maximize the number of 306 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 3: votes for our Republicans. 307 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: What it means is that somebody can be designated to 308 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: go and just pick up ballots, and is there a 309 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: chain of custody or how do you know that the 310 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: ballots are bringing in are legal? 311 00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 3: This kind of goes back to I think the infrastructure, 312 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 3: the are and sy and the attorneys and the election 313 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 3: integrity folks that we have here. 314 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 2: Every state's laws are different. 315 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 3: In some states own the ballot, you have to sign 316 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 3: your name, you have to sign it over to someone specifically. 317 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 3: In some states volunteers or paid canvassers from an organization 318 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 3: can come and get them with less requirements and the 319 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 3: chain of custody is a lot less stringent. So it 320 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 3: really is state specific. Truthfully, in almost every state around 321 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 3: the country, some form of ballot harvesting is technically legal. 322 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 2: Now it's very very. 323 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 3: Restrictive in some states where you have different kind of 324 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 3: signatures and you have to have different kind of like 325 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 3: notorization that you're unable to physically return the ballot yourself. 326 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 2: But it is a weird law and it varies by state. 327 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: When you developed this I noticed also, and I thought 328 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: this was a very encouraging sign that you've also launched 329 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: a Spanish language version of Bank your Vote and a 330 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: direct appeal to the Latino community. 331 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 3: One of the biggest cesses that Republicans have had in 332 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 3: minority communities around the country really since twenty sixteen has 333 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 3: been with Hispanic voters, and whether that's in South Florida 334 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 3: and you look at a lot of the representatives down there. 335 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,919 Speaker 3: You look at how Governor DeSantis one Miami Dade County 336 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 3: in his reelection. You look at the Rio Grande Valley 337 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 3: which is in South Texas and congres Woman Monica de 338 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 3: la Cruz there, and then the special election that we 339 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 3: won with Meyra Flores as well. 340 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,200 Speaker 2: You look at California, you look at Arizona. 341 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 3: Across the country, we've really done phenomenally well with Hispanic voters, 342 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 3: and this is really our next level of commitment and 343 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 3: investment in that community. We have a lot of offices 344 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 3: and what we call them community centers and Hispanic areas 345 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 3: around the country, but now we want to give them 346 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,360 Speaker 3: a resource that they can point their friends and their 347 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 3: family to online that makes it accessible for them. 348 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: According to the Gallipol. In twenty twenty, sixty two percent 349 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: of Democrats planned to vote early and only twenty eight 350 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 1: percent of Republicans do. I hope that you'll actually be 351 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: able to match the Democratic early turnout. 352 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 2: I will say that we don't have to match it. 353 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 3: A lot of what we have to do is we 354 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 3: have to maximize turnout and we have to improve our 355 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 3: margins because if you look through a lot of the states, 356 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 3: even in twenty twenty two, in places like Georgia and 357 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 3: Arizona and Nevada and Wisconsin, Republicans won at the top 358 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 3: of the ticket. I've got some information here right now 359 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 3: in front of me, and I'm looking at Ohio for example. 360 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 2: Ohio has a. 361 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 3: Key Senate state, some key congressional districts as well, and 362 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 3: if you look at the percentages of absentee and early 363 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 3: vote in the past years, our pathway to victory is 364 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,959 Speaker 3: only a percent or two higher in these places, and 365 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 3: it really keeps pace with what. 366 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 2: The Democrats have. 367 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,679 Speaker 3: So we don't have to necessarily win absentee in early voting, 368 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 3: but we can't lose as much. One of the analogies 369 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 3: that I like to use is I think you'll appreciate 370 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 3: this Georgia as well. The University of Georgia Bulldogs back 371 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 3: to back national champions in college football. One of the 372 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 3: reasons they were so successful the last two years is 373 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 3: because they didn't go into the fourth quarter down four touchdowns. 374 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 3: They put points on the board in the first quarter 375 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 3: and then they ran ahead the whole game. Now, our 376 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 3: Republican campaigns that have not been successful, they've waited until 377 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 3: election day. 378 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 2: To try to put points on the board. 379 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 3: And if we're going to be successful moving forward, we 380 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 3: have to get those votes on the board and then 381 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 3: start running ahead. And this is really important from a 382 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 3: financial perspective that doesn't get talked about a lot. 383 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:34,720 Speaker 2: When we looked and we. 384 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 3: Did an analysis of twenty twenty two, the Democrats were 385 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 3: spending less than four dollars per voter in battleground congressional 386 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 3: districts to turn out voters, and Republicans were spending around 387 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 3: twenty dollars per voter. And why is that. That's because 388 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 3: Democrats were voting in that first week of early voting 389 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 3: or returning those absentee ballots back that first week, and 390 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 3: we had four or four Republican voters that as they 391 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 3: vote every election, waiting until election day. Unfortunately, Republican campaigns 392 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 3: are spending time and resources talking to those voters when 393 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 3: the Democrats are able to go after swinging independent voters, 394 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 3: which is ultimately going to be the decider in the 395 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 3: twenty twenty four election. 396 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:19,360 Speaker 1: If you can get voters to turn out early, then 397 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 1: you can focus your attention on the remaining non voters 398 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,479 Speaker 1: and you get a lot more impact per dollar and 399 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: per hour of effort then if you still have a 400 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 1: huge universe of non voters. Is that an accurate explanation correct? 401 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 3: And what we see too is that a lot of 402 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 3: these swing and independent voters they really make up their 403 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 3: mind the last couple of days of the campaign. 404 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 2: Or even on election day. 405 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,239 Speaker 3: And we want our Republican campaigns to be able to 406 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 3: focus their time and resources really talking to those swing, 407 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 3: those persuadable people that need to hear directly from them 408 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 3: in order to ultimately move them our direction to vote. 409 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 3: What we can't have is tens of thousands or hundreds 410 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 3: of thousands of republic plans that still haven't cast a 411 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,679 Speaker 3: ballot going into election day, and our campaigns are spending 412 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 3: time and resources talking to those, So the more Republicans 413 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 3: that we can get to vote early, then the better 414 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 3: the ability that we have to target swing voters and 415 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 3: ultimately persuade them to vote for our Republican candidates and campaigns. 416 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: The Republican National Committee has become a very large and 417 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: sophisticated operation. I remember back when I first got involved 418 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: many years ago, it was dramatically smaller, dramatically simpler, and 419 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:48,439 Speaker 1: you all have gradually grown a really sophisticated national system. 420 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: But one of the things that you talk about is 421 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: how the Republican National Committee Data works with the Republican 422 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: National Committee Digital. So first of all, what is RNC 423 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: data and what is RNC Digital, and then how do 424 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: they work together. 425 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 3: One of the great things about the rnc's data and 426 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 3: data trust operation is that if you're a Republican running 427 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 3: for any office at any level, this data is offered 428 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 3: to you for free. It's the same data that President 429 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 3: Trump's campaign in twenty sixteen and then in twenty twenty utilized, 430 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 3: and ultimately what we're able to do is we're able 431 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 3: to give all types of vote history on voters. We're 432 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 3: able to give all types of information. And one of 433 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 3: the things that this data can really do that I've 434 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 3: found to be extremely helpful at the end of a 435 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 3: campaign because of the vote history we have. That is, 436 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 3: because of the information collected from decades of collecting a 437 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 3: voter file, we typically know when voters actually cast their ballot. 438 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,679 Speaker 3: Most people are creatures of habit. They vote the same 439 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 3: way in about the same ten day period every election cycle. 440 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 3: So as we're able to dig in and kind of 441 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 3: know how and when people should be voting, we're able 442 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 3: to target them online with our digital operation, but also 443 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 3: with our neighbor to neighbor field operation as well, And 444 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 3: the digital effort really compliments what we're doing in the field, 445 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 3: and the field effort really compliments the digital effort as well. 446 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 3: A lot of the digital effort is some of those 447 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 3: annoying text messages that people get, but it's also strategically 448 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 3: placed digital ads driving people to take an action to 449 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,159 Speaker 3: request that absentee ballot, or return their absentee ballot, or 450 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 3: even find the location for their early voting spot in 451 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,400 Speaker 3: their county or in their town. So it all works 452 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 3: in harmony to compliment each other. But yes, it's built 453 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 3: off of decades of collecting and enhancing a voter file, 454 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 3: and a lot of that data is enhanced every day 455 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:44,120 Speaker 3: by volunteers that. 456 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 2: Are knocking doors. 457 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 3: And again, I'm so proud of the operation that the 458 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 3: Republican National Committee has had with our state parties and 459 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,639 Speaker 3: campaigns around the country. In the last two campaign cycles, 460 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 3: the RNC and our partners, we've made more than three 461 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:03,239 Speaker 3: hundred million volunteer door knocks and phone calls. And so 462 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 3: as we're going door to door, as we're making those 463 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,679 Speaker 3: phone calls, we're able to collect better information than just 464 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 3: surveys online. 465 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 2: Or consumer data. 466 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 3: We're able to actually utilize information at the local level 467 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,439 Speaker 3: and constantly improve it. 468 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 2: So it's been one. 469 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,719 Speaker 3: Of our biggest assets that I think really puts us 470 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 3: ahead of Democrats. And now as we move forward, having 471 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 3: this unified message behind bank your vote is going to 472 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 3: make it all the more successful. 473 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: I'm curious, given the growing sophistication with which we try 474 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: to identify people and understand people, how has that process 475 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: of identifying and understanding voter has changed over the last 476 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: five or ten years. 477 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 3: In the last five or ten years, the RNC and 478 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 3: the data operation, we've been able to collect literally thousands 479 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 3: of different data points on voters. Some of this comes 480 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,959 Speaker 3: from the consumer side of things, that is your magazine subscriptions, 481 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 3: what kind of car you drive, hunting and fishing licenses 482 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 3: of different things. 483 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 2: Kind of on the consumer side. 484 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 3: But I think one of the biggest advantages of RNC 485 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 3: data and really the change in these voter profiles over 486 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 3: the years, it's been how many times we've been able 487 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 3: to contact voters directly, whether it be door to door 488 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 3: in person, or it be over the phone or even online, 489 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 3: and we've really been able to hone in on the 490 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 3: issues that they care the most about. We've been able 491 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 3: to then measure the intensity at which they care about 492 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 3: those issues, and then we're able to find out through 493 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,119 Speaker 3: their vote history and vote preference. 494 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 2: When they plan to vote. 495 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 3: And so as you look at the evolution, especially the 496 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 3: past five or ten years, again we have all that 497 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,959 Speaker 3: consumer information, but we know what voters care about the 498 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 3: most through advanced modeling, sure, but also through the direct 499 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 3: voter contact that we've had, and then through the vote history, again, 500 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 3: we know exactly when and how that person plans to vote, 501 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 3: and we're able to tailor our voter contact to the 502 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 3: timing and again the method of which they're going to 503 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 3: cast about. 504 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: Given all the efforts that the parties make in terms 505 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: of jerrymandering districts and drawing lines to maximize partisan advantage. 506 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: How does that affect your entire project? 507 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 3: It honestly has either narrowed or expanded the field. And 508 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 3: one of the things again kind of back to fighting 509 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,719 Speaker 3: bad laws in the court. One of the things that 510 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 3: we have tried to do is fight some of these 511 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 3: poorly drone and jerrymandered districts in states around the country. 512 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,640 Speaker 2: You look at New York. We were one of the first. 513 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:30,239 Speaker 3: Organizations to file a lawsuit against the State of New 514 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 3: York with their congressional districts. We ultimately won, and because 515 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 3: of that, we had a successful election day in New 516 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 3: York in twenty twenty four with electing some new Republicans. 517 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 3: But we're back in the court again with New York 518 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 3: maps now and even other states too that we're fighting. 519 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 3: So it definitely kind of keeps us on ice for 520 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:48,199 Speaker 3: a little bit and it makes us see where the 521 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 3: playing field ultimately kind of bears out after these court decisions. 522 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 3: But no matter what the court decisions, once those lines 523 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 3: are set, we implement district specific strategies to go after 524 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,640 Speaker 3: the targeted voters in those districts. 525 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: When you talk about all this, I'm curious. Governor Glenn 526 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,240 Speaker 1: Youngkin has a really big effort underway in Virginia to 527 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: try to win control of the state legislature. Will the 528 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: RNC play a role on that. 529 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 3: Yep, we're working with them and other partners in Virginia now, 530 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,199 Speaker 3: whether it be through some of the election integrity efforts, 531 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 3: but again also through our support of data. I was 532 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,400 Speaker 3: actually looking at it this morning, the absentee and early 533 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 3: vote report that our data team and the Data Trust 534 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 3: generates that goes over to them. So we're already looking 535 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 3: at the people that have voted we're kind of in 536 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,479 Speaker 3: the Commonwealth of Virginia they are, and then looking at 537 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 3: those target districts and seeing who we still need to 538 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,880 Speaker 3: turn out to vote in this really long, extensive early 539 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 3: voting period so we can ultimately win on election day. 540 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 1: One of the things I noticed was that people can 541 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,640 Speaker 1: go to bank your Vote dot com to learn about 542 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: what's going on. What will they discover at bank your 543 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: vote dot com. 544 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 3: If you go to bank your vote dot com right now, 545 00:27:57,359 --> 00:27:59,880 Speaker 3: there's really kind of one action that you can take, 546 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 3: and that's to take our pledge to either vote by 547 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 3: mail or vote early or get some more information. We're 548 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 3: currently rolling out state specific websites. So if you're in 549 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 3: New York, or you're in Nevada, or you're in California 550 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 3: or Wisconsin or Ohio some of the states we've started 551 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 3: to roll out, those will have state specific pages that 552 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 3: you can go when you can collect more information. You 553 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 3: can even request absentee ballots in some places. But if 554 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 3: you go to bank your vote dot Com today, you 555 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,360 Speaker 3: can pledge to commit to vote early before election day, 556 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 3: and by the time the year's over, we'll have state 557 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 3: specific websites in all fifty states that voters will be 558 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 3: able to go and get very detailed information on when, where, how, 559 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 3: and then ultimately why to vote early in that state. 560 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: So if somebody wants to become a volunteer, if they 561 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 1: listen to this podcast and they thank you, I want 562 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: to get involved, I want to help win. Is going 563 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 1: to bank your Vote dot Com help them get involved? 564 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 2: It does. 565 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 3: When you take that pledge, we will then be reaching 566 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 3: out to you to find other ways to get you involved. 567 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 3: Our chairwoman says it all the time, and I totally 568 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 3: agree with her. The best thing you can do is 569 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 3: pledge to bank your vote early. And then be a 570 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 3: volunteer for us, help us get out the vote or 571 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 3: help us protect the vote going into election day. 572 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: I want to thank you for joining me and sharing 573 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 1: with our listeners what the Republican National Committee's focused on. 574 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 1: It's a very big organization. It's sort of in the 575 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: shadow of presidential campaigns, but I know from my own 576 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: experience over many years how important it is, and how 577 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: much it has grown in sophistication and in capabilities, and 578 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: how much the chairwoman has really made a big difference 579 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: in focusing it and then being able to raise the 580 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 1: resources and get things done. So I really appreciate what 581 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: Ron has done. I appreciate what you're doing right now 582 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: every day. I really appreciate your taking the time to 583 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: be with us in the effort you're making to ensure 584 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: a fair, free and honest election in twenty twenty four. 585 00:29:55,640 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 3: Yes, sir, thank you very much for the time as well. 586 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest, Elliot Eckles. You can learn 587 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: more about the rnc's Bank your Vote efforts on our 588 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: show page at newtsworld dot com. Newtsworld is produced by 589 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: Gingers three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Guernsey Sloman. 590 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the show 591 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: was created by Steve Penley, and I want to thank 592 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: especially the team at Gingers three sixty. If you've been 593 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and 594 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: both rate us with five stars and give us a review, 595 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: soe this can learn what is all about. Right now, 596 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: listeners of Newtsworld can sign up for my three free 597 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: weekly columns at gingishtree sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm 598 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: Newt Gingrich. This is Newtsworld.