Presidential Election – Autumn 2020
Presidential Election – Autumn 2020 Trips
Florida
Warm weather, vibrant nightlife, beautify, beaches, competitive elections; the Sunshine State has it all. Florida is one of the most competitive States in Presidential elections, but has consistently voted Republican in recent cycles. Democrats will be hoping that turnout in historically Democratic counties like Miami-Dade, where you’ll be based, and the restoration of felon voting rights approved in 2018, can overturn past Republican victories.
During your trip you will be placed in a Democratic Presidential campaign field office making phone calls and attending events to persuade voters in swing precincts to vote for your candidate. We plan to base most of you in Miami, however we may place some Politrippers in a different city (such as Orlando or Fort Lauderdale) based on requests from campaigns and availability of accommodation. Those who sign up earliest will be guaranteed a place in Miami.
Plus, on your days off you’re just a few hours away from Disneyland in Orlando and a quick flight away from Cuba!
Pennsylvania
The 6th largest state and home of the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a formerly blue state that unexpectedly went for President Donald Trump in 2016 by just 46,765 votes. Democrats will be working hard to win back Pennsylvania’s substantial 20 electoral college votes, with results in the 2018 midterms suggesting a comeback is on the cards.
During your trip you will be placed in a Democratic Presidential campaign field office making phone calls and attending events to persuade voters in swing precincts to vote for your candidate. We plan to base most of you in Philadelphia, however we may place some Politrippers in a different city (such as Pittsburgh) based on requests from campaigns and availability of accommodation. Those who sign up earliest will be guaranteed a place in Philly.
You’ll also get the chance to explore Philly, take part in lots of political and cultural activities organised by Politrip plus you’ll also be within driving distance of other major US cities including Washington DC and New York City!
Michigan
Another state that was supposed to be part of the ‘Democratic firewall’ of blue-leaning states Democrats assumed would vote for Hilary Clinton in 2016, Michigan shocked most political pundits by backing Donald Trump by just 10,704 votes, securing a crucial 16 electoral college votes for the Republican candidate.
During your trip you will be placed in a Democratic Presidential campaign field office in Detroit, the home of US car manufacturing and Motown music, knocking doors, making phone calls and attending events to persuade voters in swing precincts to vote for your candidate.
You’ll also be just across the border from Canada, and the Michigan trip will consist of a social weekend away to either Toronto or Chicago – we’ll let you decide nearer the time!
Wisconsin
Another historically blue state that went for President Trump by just 22,177 votes, the Clinton campaign was heavily criticised for holding very few events in Wisconsin during the 2016 election, potentially throwing away 10 important electoral college votes. It’s unlikely the 2020 Democratic candidate will make the same mistake though, and a lot of energy and resources will be put into Wisconsin in 2020. In fact, activists are already fires up following outgoing Wisconsin Rep. Governor Scott Walker’s decision to limit the powers of the incoming Democratic Governor – so this promises to be a exciting grudge match!
During your trip you will be placed in a Democratic Presidential campaign field office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s biggest city and beer capital of the USA (you still need to be 21 remember!), knocking doors, making phone calls and attending events to persuade voters in swing precincts to vote for your candidate.
Plus, you’ll be just up the road from the Windy City of Chicago, the USA’s 3rd largest city and destination for a Politrip social weekend during your trip!
Virginia
Virginia went safely blue in 2016, perhaps with the help of Hilary Clinton’s running mate and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine on the Democratic ticket. However, Democrats will be working hard to hold Virginia’s 13 electoral college votes in a State closely linked to the political heart of the USA given its border with Washington DC.
During your trip you will be placed in a Democratic Presidential campaign field office within easy driving distance to Washington DC, knocking doors, making phone calls and attending events to persuade voters in swing precincts to vote for your candidate.
Whilst there, Politrip will be organising lots of social and networking activities for you in Washington DC, and you’ll have plenty of time to explore the nation’s Capitol and soak up lots of political culture and history!
California
Whilst California is undoubtedly a solidly blue state when it comes to statewide elections, there are still lots of Congressional races here which need to be defended in 2020. During your trip you’ll be located in historically Republican Orange County, where all of its Congressional seats shockingly flipped to the Democrats in the 2018 midterms. You’ll be there to see if this was a permanent flip or a temporary blue wave, and will be placed in a Democratic Presidential campaign field office just South of Los Angeles, knocking doors, making phone calls and attending events to persuade voters in swing precincts to vote for your candidate.
But we all know one of the main reasons for choosing a Politrip to California will be the year-round amazing weather, perfect lifestyle and abundance of Instagram worthy sights LA has to offer. Rest assured you’ll have plenty of down time from the campaign to explore the concrete jungle of the City of Angels, whilst also working on that tan!
Arizona
A traditionally red state that elected its first Democratic senator since the 1980s in 2018, Arizona is one of several Southwest states which are gradually drifting towards the Democrats. In addition to a very tight Presidential race, Arizona also has a Senate election in 2020 to elect a successor to fill John McCain’s Senate seat. Given the 2018 result, Democrats will be putting a lot of effort and resources in to flip Arizona blue!
During your trip you will be placed in a Democratic Presidential campaign field office in Phoenix knocking doors, making phone calls and attending events to persuade voters in swing precincts to vote for your candidate.
You’ll also be not too far away from the Grand Canyon and Sin City itself, Las Vegas, and Politrip will take you on a road trip to both!
Dates
1 Month Placement
2 Week Placement
Costs
1 Month Placement
2 Week Placement
In addition to the organisation of your trip, this fee covers:
- Provision of suitable accommodation – this will likely be shared with other volunteers in the home of local party supporters, and where this is not available, in an Airbnb or similar
- Full-time in-country Politrip Coordinator who will organise your trip and provide support and assistance for the duration of your trip
- Access to a rental car with a paid driver for the duration of your trip. You and your team will share fuel costs
- Cultural and social activities at your location. This might include a weekend away to a major city nearby, or a programme of events allowing you to get away from the campaign life and soak up some American culture. Activities will obviously vary by location and will be confirmed prior to your departure for the US
- Return transfers in the US from your arrival airport to your accommodation
- Full travel insurance (we recommend volunteers still take out their own personal policy to cover minor medical issues, loss of individual property or flight issues)
- ESTA Visa application fee
- Anytime pre-trip training & support, 24/7 phone & email contact and pre-departure training manual
- A formal 1-day training session with other volunteers, in various locations in UK & Ireland
- A Politrip t-shirt
This does not include flights or expenses in the USA.
In addition to the organisation of your trip, this fee covers:
- Provision of suitable accommodation – this will likely be shared with other volunteers in the home of local party supporters, and where this is not available, in an Airbnb or similar
- Full-time in-country Politrip Coordinator who will organise your trip and provide support and assistance for the duration of your trip
- Access to a rental car with a paid driver for the duration of your trip. You and your team will share fuel costs
- Cultural and social activities at your location. This might include a weekend away to a major city nearby, or a programme of events allowing you to get away from the campaign life and soak up some American culture. Activities will obviously vary by location and will be confirmed prior to your departure for the US
- Return transfers in the US from your arrival airport to your accommodation
- Full travel insurance (we recommend volunteers still take out their own personal policy to cover minor medical issues, loss of individual property or flight issues)
- ESTA Visa application fee
- Anytime pre-trip training & support, 24/7 phone & email contact and pre-departure training manual
- A formal 1-day training session with other volunteers, in various locations in UK & Ireland
- A Politrip t-shirt
This does not include flights or expenses in the USA.
Flights
As part of our service to you, we’ll be monitoring airlines and sites such as Skyscanner to find the best possible price, and will advise you when to buy your tickets. If you want to get a rough idea of flight costs currently, try searching for flights between the UK and USA around the Politrip dates.
Payment Options
Holding fee – paid via website once initial eligibility passed
Deposit – paid once full application submitted and accepted
Monthly payment – remainder of balance divided by number of months until trip
Payment details
To make paying for your trip as flexible and easy as possible, you can now pay your Politrip fee by monthly direct debits. This service is interest free and your monthly payment will equal your trip fee minus the deposit & holding fee, divided by the number of months until your trip begins.
So for example, if you are booking a place in September 2019 on the 2-week Autumn 2020 trip, your payment plan would be £850 – £220 (deposit and holding fee) / 14 months until departure = £45 per month. If you were booking a place on the 1-month trip your monthly payments would be £80.70.
Basically, the sooner you sign up, the less you’ll pay each month!
Alternatively, you can always pay your fee in full at any stage.
We then advise everyone to book flights as early as possible to get the best prices available, and you should budget accordingly for this. For the 2020 trips, we recommend you buy these at least 6 months prior to departure.
For more information on trip costs, please see our FAQs
How To Apply
1 Month Placement Closing Date
2 Week Placement Closing Date
Applications for every Politrip will close 1-month prior to departure, however it is likely all places will be allocated well before then.
What Happens Next
As places on the programme are competitive and allocated on a first come basis, the holding fee secures your place, giving you time to complete your full application. This application will provide us with more information about you and the trip you’d like to go on, allowing us to tailor the best possible Politrip experience. The holding fee will be refunded in the event that your full application is rejected.
If your application is successful (90% of applications should be successful once initial eligibility has been passed) you will be offered a place on the Politrip of your choice and invited to pay a deposit to secure your place. You will also be asked to sign a declaration form, complete a direct debit form (if paying by monthly installments) and you will receive details of important pre-departure dates and our training programme.
These trips are suitable for a political expert or first-time volunteer. You will be right in the heart of the campaign season with plenty of work to do at all times.
Whilst Politrip aims to have volunteers in each of the states listed here, the actual location of trips will depend on the number of applications we have for each state. We will always ensure there are at least 4 volunteers per location, ensuring you always have a like-minded team to campaign with. Politrip will always endeavor to provide you with your first choice of trip but reserves the right to offer an alternative location before you have booked your flights. If we cannot offer a location to your liking, you have a right to a full refund.