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Two rounds of blended automated and live calls were placed in
support of Measure B, a Bond issue in the San Francisco, East
Bay Area of California. Measure B, a Transportation Initiative,
would expand BART in Alameda County, increase Altamont Commuter
Express service and Countywide Express, Local and Feeder Bus service,
extend special transit services for seniors and persons with disabilities,
improve pedestrian and bike safety and provide for road improvements
to I-880, I-580, I-680, I-238, Rt. 84, and Rt. 92. We combined
live to live operator voter contact calls with an automated, carefully
targeted, "Celebrity" voice message delivered to answering machines.
The automated recordings were made by Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
On the first round of calls Congresswoman Lee asked the voters
to vote "Yes on Measure B". In the second round of calls she urged
voters to vote for Al Gore, support the local Democratic Team,
and to vote "Yes on Measure B". Congresswoman Lee is well known
and respected in the East Bay Area and using her voice was a positive
endorsement in support of Measure B.
Measure B won with an overwhelming 81% of the vote. The Measure
was the first transportation tax to exceed the new supermajority
of two-thirds vote approval requirement that was passed in 1996.
Automated calls with the use of a local celebrity voice were
an efficient and cost-effective marketing tool for delivering
the message and winning the election.
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