$48 Million. Total amount AFSCME will spend on political activities in 2004.  Fifteen million dollars in political action funds will be spent, making AFSCME one of the top five PACs in the nation.

7 Million. Total number of pieces of direct mail and leaflets in targeted districts.

8 Million. Total number of persuasion and GOTV telephone calls into targeted districts.

1.7 Million. Total number of hours that 15,000 AFSCME members will work in 16 battleground states on AFSCME, AFL-CIO Labor 2004 and nonpartisan GOTV operations.

Ohio
AFSCME has 120,000 members in Ohio and more than 10% (13,000) are participating in election activities, such as knocking on doors and making phone calls.  Because Ohio is so important, AFSCME started our program over a year ago - earlier than in other battleground states.  In 2000, Labor represented 18% of the Ohio population but 36% of the vote.

This year, AFSCME registered 11,000 of its Ohio members to vote (100,000 total are now registered) and is sending nearly 1,000,000 pieces of direct mail. In addition, AFSCME is using sophisticated bar code technology to track registration forms and other information so that we know not only the work address of a voter but also the floor on which that voter works.

Iowa
AFSCME represents more than 30,000 people across Iowa and has nearly 100 staff and members working full time on the ground.  We ran an intense voter registration drive resulting in nearly 90% of our membership becoming registered to vote.

New Mexico
AFSCME has nearly 10,000 members in New Mexico, a five-fold increase from the 2000 election.  This advantage could prove crucial this year, as Al Gore won New Mexico by only 337 votes in 2000.

Oregon
In Oregon, where people vote strictly by mail, 80% of AFSCME members are registered.  Over 90% of AFSCME members voted in 2000, compared to only 60% of registered voters in general.

Independent Expenditure Program. AFSCME is running a $3 million express advocacy campaign targeting unmarried women, a critically important group this year that was under-represented in voting in 2000.

Child Care. AFSCME has launched an innovative non-partisan campaign to register and turn out family child care providers in low turnout areas.  We will contact more than 200,000 providers in a dozen states via house visits, telephone and mail.  AFSCME is helping providers all across America organize to win union representation.

Hmong Outreach. AFSCME is working with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance on GOTV efforts targeting large and growing Hmong populations in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN and Eau Claire, WI.  Several mailings in the Hmong language will be sent to nearly 4,000 MN households prior to Election Day.

Puerto Rican Outreach. AFSCME is implementing a campaign within the new and growing Puerto Rican communities of Orlando, FL and Lehigh, PA to bring them into the political process.  This includes 25,000 Puerto Rican voters in Orlando and 20,000 in Lehigh. AFSCME Council 95 in Puerto Rico has sent members to Florida to help with this effort.

Iowa & Wisconsin Issue and Advocacy Ads. In Iowa and Wisconsin, AFSCME is spending $2.5 million on radio and television express advocacy and issue advertising on the outsourcing of jobs, health care, rising gas prices and the Iraq War.