alexbores.io / relational-organizing

Relational organizing

A short preparation guide for reaching out to friends in NY-12. Ten minutes of setup, then as much or as little outreach as you have time for.

Work in progress. A full guide is coming — Reach walkthrough, message templates per relationship type, a short script for the conversation, and what to do when a friend pushes back. Below is the five-minute version.

setup

Install Reach and find your list

Reach is a free app that cross-references your phone contacts against the voter file. Install it, grant contact access (local-only — contacts don't leave your phone), and filter to NY-12. You'll usually find 3–10 people you know without realizing it.

message

What to say

The single most useful thing you can do is send a personal text in your own voice. People can tell when a message has been copy-pasted. A few framings that tend to work:

  • "Hey — noticed you're in NY-12. Random question: have you seen the primary on June 23? There's a state assembly member named Alex Bores running, and the AI industry is spending millions to beat him. Worth a look."
  • "You might've seen those 'Alex Bores: Wrong For Congress' texts. They're from an AI-industry super-PAC trying to sink him because of the AI-safety bill he wrote. Happy to send more context if you're curious."

After the first message, the most valuable follow-up is to ask if they've made a voting plan — when, where, in person or mail. Helping someone figure out "I'll vote Saturday morning on the way to the gym" moves the needle more than ten reminder texts.

practice

Try it on a simulated friend

Alex is a Dem in NY-12 who's seen some attack ads and isn't sure what to think. Text them about the race — you'll see Alex's reply and a suggested next message. The goal is a commitment to vote, in about five back-and-forths.

norms

A few rules

  • Only text people you'd already text about something else. Don't cold-message former coworkers you haven't spoken to in years.
  • Don't pile on. If a friend says they've already heard from five people, thank them and stop.
  • Be honest about what you know. If you don't have an answer to their question, say so and follow up later.

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