Tomorrow is going to be a big day for conservatives. Here are 10 sites that will help you get up to date on the gubernatorial and Congressional races happening this year. Get the real-time inside scoop on what’s going on leading up to November 4th. Continue reading →
As election day draws closer, there isn’t a campaign that doesn’t wish they had more money or people. Because, as every campaign knows, those two resources solve almost any problem.
But even working with limited resources, campaigns are now moving all their hard work and effort toward get out the vote (GOTV) efforts. You’ve worked for months to identify supporters and persuade people who were on the fence, and now the time has come to make sure those people vote. Now it is time to win.
Voter Gravity has a great tool to help in maximizing GOTV efforts on election day, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.
After John Kerry lost a very winnable election in 2004, Democrats were worried that Republicans had gained an almost insurmountable lead in both technology and data analysis…
Even with all of those efforts, the right is still behind in terms of technological know-how and savvy. And technologists on the right are often the first to admit this.
Ned Ryun, the CEO of Voter Gravity, which bills itself as a center-right data-driven election tech platform, noted that culture is a big part of the problem. “The biggest challenge of the center-right is not talent or technology,” Ryun said. “Our biggest weakness is a culture where important things like data and analysis are not emphasized. As a guy who’s done grassroots campaigns in past and as a tech guy, as well, this worries me.”
A recent study conducted by a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor, along with professors and researchers from both England and Australia, examines the potential of social media to pique the Millennial generation’s interest in politics.
Do social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube motivate young people to be more active in their community and political spheres? Surveys and focus groups were used extensively on their 18- to 29-year-old subjects to determine results.
Looking to get some last second insight into voters in your district?
Need to test one more issue before you start your last minute GOTV or print that final mail piece?
Voter Gravity is happy to provide touchtone phone surveys for our clients starting today. You’ll be able to target the voters you want to survey, record your own questions and initiate your survey campaign 24 hours a day.
The best part is – all the data gathered from the surveys is automatically added in the system and appended to voters’ profiles. From one interface, you can now run a completely integrated walk, live call, touchtone and online campaign.
No spreadsheets. No extra tools. No extra time.
A thousand custom targeted surveys for just $50. This is affordable for any campaign at just $.05/minute. You can begin creating your first touchtone survey today!
In addition to the release of Voter Gravity touchtone surveys, we have also upgraded our data import tool.
Volunteers don’t always “get” messaging. Though committed and enthusiastic, they are not often trained in the do’s and don’ts of what they can and can’t say on the campaign trail. A staff member at campaign headquarters may simply point a Super Saturday volunteer in the right direction after handing him a tablet (or sadly still, a printed walk book) uploaded with a walk list and survey questions, and a handful of campaign literature.
With only three Saturdays remain before Election Day, over 700,000 early and absentee ballots have already been cast. This includes votes in states that will likely decide who controls the Senate. The dynamics of GOTV efforts are changing as more and more states are allowing early voting, typically 15 to 30 days before Election Day.
I say this because 33 states in the U.S. allow for early voting. That old cliché, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush holds true. The more voters you can have locked in at the earliest possible moment, the better. Also, this means that your efforts can be focused and targeted only on those who have not yet voted. It saves campaigns time and money. As a senior Obama campaign aide said in 2012, “You stop sending them mail. You stop calling them. You don’t need to knock on their door anymore.” After all, well over 32 million ballots were cast before election day in 2012. That’s a lot of people campaigns didn’t have to contact, making their jobs immensely easier.
Often candidates run for office because they want to help people and lend a hand in solving problems in their community. But such well meaning candidates don’t always realize that the bulk of their time will be spent asking people for money. There are five questions a candidate who is going to make a serious run for office must ask — and answer.
1: How much money will it take to win?
The answer to this is crucial and you must be able to answer it. Come up with a realistic sum. You can accomplish this by looking at reports from previously successful campaigns.
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The excerpt below is from my latest piece in the American Spectator.
We’re sixty-three days out from the midterm elections, and by all appearances they will go well for the Republicans. Gains in the House and Senate are likely, with the majority in the Senate within reach. Pick-ups are likely at the state level as well—just as important, but frequently overlooked. So you can be relatively sure that on the night of November 4, there will a ton of backslapping and plenty of folks walking around with that winning glow.
Seventy four percent of all internet users interact on social networking sites. This is a number that should get the attention of campaign managers. In the last few years forward thinking marketers, digital managers, and communications professionals have known that they can’t ignore social media. What has been less than clear is how much time and resources a business or campaign should put into social media — and how far social media will take you and your campaign.