Katelyn Wallace was working three phones at the Chicago Republican headquarters on North Lincoln Avenue. Two were on speaker, and a handset rested on her shoulder. All were ringing simultaneously.

The 24-year-old was calling far-away Illinoisans to encourage support for Bob Schilling, the Republican incumbent in western Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.

“People are sassy tonight,” said Wallace, after dealing with a non-responsive voter.

With Election Day less than two weeks away, pressure is on for staff members and volunteers at the Chicago Republican Victory Center. The center is located not far from the DePaul campus, at 2768 N. Lincoln Ave.

“A lot of it is like a money game. If there’s a race where the Democrats should win, but you force them to spend as much money as you can, there’s drop off from other places,” said Wallace. “This race suddenly becomes competitive because we are making a lot of noise and it messes up with their plan.”

Right-leaning partisans, like phone-calling volunteer Don Marsh, are confident of the outcome of this year’s election.

“I’m very encouraged, I was pleased with the debates and the response in the aftermath of the debates,” said Marsh, who is an editor at Mining Media International, a trade magazine group.

Proudly placed at a table near the entryway is an article from the The Daily Caller asserting that, in some areas outside Chicago, Mitt Romney is ahead 45-38 percent. “Across the county as a whole,” it states, “Romney leads 43-31 among independent voters.”

“We were surveying with the highest rate downstate,” said Marsh, referring to southern sections of Illinois.

“People (were) willing to take our survey on the phone,” added Wallace of the highly Republican area.

Wallace is the Victory Center coordinator for the Illinois Republican Party. With locations in every state, volunteers focus on voter ID, getting out the vote, absentee ballots and early voting pushes.

While most of the centers plug for one specific candidate, the Chicago branch works with six Congressional races in addition to the presidential race.

“I think (it) provides its inherent challenges, but (at the same time) people can help out with all the races,” said Wallace.

At one moment, calls were being made for Republican incumbent congresswoman Judy Biggert in the new southwest 11th District; a split second later, volunteers switched gears to talk about Rep. Bob Schilling in northwest Illinois’ 17th.

Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the headquarters’ staff works in four shifts, each filled with 20 volunteers. This center only manages phone calling. Volunteers aren’t asked to walk precincts and knock on doors, Wallace explained, because the contested districts are so far away and far apart. Some days, the number of walk-in volunteers exceeds Wallace’s expectations.

“Part of my job is to fill the schedule. In theory we have 80 shifts to fill, there have been days when we have over 80 people,” said Wallace.

The office is walking distance from DePaul University. Inside there are 20 phones lined up on approximately 10 rectangular tables. In an effort to keep chairs filled with volunteers, Wallace and staff members hold bi-weekly and weekly events.

“We had the state treasurer Dan Rutherford, (who’s) running Romney’s Campaign for Illinois, we had a breakfast and so he rallied the troops a little bit, which was neat,” Wallace said.

The headquarters also hosts a Young Republicans Night on Tuesdays, Chicago Republican Party night on Wednesdays and a Super Saturday where higher phone calling goals are set.

“It’s easier to motivate people when there’s a big event,” she said.

The Victory Office has geared up for early voting, which began Oct. 22. Their website lists the locations and hours for early voting in all 50 city wards. The last day to vote early is Nov. 3.

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Story from DePolitics2012. com, featuring work by DePaul communications graduate students.