As political consultants, we are often caught up with the day-to-day activities of running a campaign. While most of our jobs are phone banking, canvassing, and getting out the vote on Election Day, one aspect of campaigning requires extra attention this election cycle: mail-in ballots.
We have observed an exponential increase in the number of voters requesting absentee ballots from the supervisor of elections offices. Many campaigns are now asking us to track this statistic as a benchmark that plays into their overall voter turnout goals. Campaign consultants will tell you that a voter who requests an absentee ballot is far more likely to vote than a voter who doesn’t.
What are mail-in ballots, and who uses them?
Mail-in ballots are sent to the address listed on their voter registration form. When a mail-in ballot is returned, it becomes what is known as an absentee ballot. The main reasons voters use absentee ballots are because they will be out of town or unable to vote at their limits due to illness, disability, or being over age 65.
It is an instrumental accessory in providing accessibility for these sections of our electorate. Mail-in ballots are also an important tool for campaigns, giving us the ability to build a strong foundation of voting before Election Day.
Things to keep in mind when targeting voters who request mail-in ballots
There are three main factors to consider when looking at potential absentee voters:
- History
- Voter competitiveness
- Party affiliation
If a voter has appealed an absentee ballot in the past, there is a good chance he or she will do so again. Therefore, it is worth looking at a voter’s history to determine if they voted by mail or in-person in the 2012 election.
In addition, the political field organizer of the race also plays a part – it’s more likely that someone will vote by mail in a highly competitive race than in a landslide. There is no doubt that voters won’t be turning out for this election, so targeting absentee voters through mail-in ballot requests gives campaigns the ability to maximize their vote before Election Day.
Finally, it should be noted that certain demographics are more likely to vote by mail than others, including the elderly, the disabled, and military members.
Campaigns to encourage mail-in voting
As political consultants, we should encourage campaigns to do everything they can to encourage the use of mail-in ballots. We need to continue to further develop our outreach and voter registration political campaign strategies by encouraging voters we know will vote early or by absentee ballot, via mail, to take advantage of this service.
Making it easy for a voter who wants to vote early or by mail is key to getting your campaign’s voters to the polls. Do everything you can to promote absentee balloting.
Campaign suggestions that go with mail-in ballots and absentee voting
Awareness Campaigns
Make sure your campaign is promoting absentee ballots. Implement an awareness campaign, letting voters know that if they are unable to make it to their precinct on Election Day, they can vote by mail (absentee ballot).
There are many different channels that you can use to promote absentee ballot requests. Utilize phone banks, door hangers, canvasses, and direct mailers (snail mail) to let voters know about the service.
Voter Registration Campaigns
Generate a voter registration drive in conjunction with your absentee ballot outreach efforts. Your turnout goals depend on it. Reaching out to this young millennial demographic via social media, along with encouraging these voters to register and request an absentee ballot, can help your goals substantially.
Candidate Visibility Campaigns
Candidate visibility is essential, especially in such a short campaign cycle, and absentee ballots play into that. Be sure to get your candidate’s face out, thereby placing their ads in the absentee ballot packets mailed out to potential voters who will be voting by mail. It is another chance to remind voters that they have a choice.
Postage-Paid Return Envelopes
We are very fortunate that the city of Texas, Corpus Christi reimburses local municipalities for postage incurred when mailing out absentee ballots to registered voters, making it cheaper for your political campaign firms to mail these promotional items. So be sure to utilize them!
Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaigns
As always, GOTV efforts are essential to driving turnout on Election Day. Campaigns need a digital GOTV culture. So make sure to take benefit of early voting by placing an absentee ballot request form in your campaign literature.
Poll Watching at Absentee Ballot Sites
Just like poll watching on Election Day helps get out the vote (GOTV), so can tracking absentee ballots in real-time! If you are able to track where absentee ballots are coming from, you can compare the results to your voter list. If there is a direct correlation between voters requesting absentee ballots and turnout, then this information should be used to create future campaigns to encourage absentee balloting.
Every campaign should ensure their GOTV efforts are as effective as possible. The only path to do that is by utilizing absentee balloting and revolutionizing our outreach strategies. Mail-in ballots can change elections – if we use them correctly.
Remember, absentee ballots are important tools for campaigns. Our job as political campaign consultants is to educate campaigns on how best to utilize this service and why it’s crucial that they do so.
Are mail-in ballots still important post-2021?
Yes. While the next redistricting is in 2022, we know that voters will continue to be disenfranchised by the legislature’s actions in suppressing voting rights. We will carry on to see a rise in voter apathy and a lack of excitement about local elections, let alone the presidential election. Mail-in voting will always be important to us as consultants.
Conclusion
It is imperative that you reach out to potential voters who will vote by mail in the upcoming election. Don’t waste time with your traditional voter outreach strategies. You need to utilize absentee ballot requests and request forms if you want to focus on GOTV efforts for Election Day. Campaign consultants should educate their clients on absentee ballots and how they can use them to win elections. Absentee balloting is the future of electioneering, and we need to utilize it if we want to continue to drive turnout and change elections.