All Aboard the Mail-In-Ballot Train

WELCOME ABOARD

Since the introduction of no-excuse mail-in voting in Pennsylvania, we have advocated for a forceful robust vote-by-mail prog

ram as part of any election plan put together by Targeted Strategic Solutions.

When the titular head of your party is so loudly against mail-in ballots, it is easy to see why so many kept any kind of true program at arm’s length. It’s why it’s rewarding to see so many Republican activists, consultants, operatives, and party leaders now advocating for the party to fully embrace mail-in-ballots.

It's about time.

I put together my first mail-in ballot chaser program back in 1997 when I worked at the Montgomery County Republican Committee. Back then, a letter from the county chairman and a green ballot with our endorsed candidates mailed daily to all Republicans who requested an absentee ballot made up our chaser program. Not bad for the 90s. A few years later, Al added daily phone calls to voters to the mix on campaigns he was working.

Today, we utilize letters, text messages, volunteer post cards, live phone calls, and more to get Republicans to return their ballots and vote for Republican candidates. Each of these items are touchpoints with the voter. The longer a voter takes to return their ballot, the more touchpoints your campaign will have with them. For many, a single letter will work. Others will need a call and a post card. Others still will take a text message in addition to all the rest.

SAFETY FIRST

But a truly complete mail-in ballot program encompasses a targeted solicitation aspect as well. In Pennsylvania, no excuse mail-in-ballots were introduced in the middle of the pandemic. The state spent a fortune advertising the new way to vote and even sent every voter an application to vote by mail. Special interest groups flooded mailboxes with application after application. It was an invasion of ballot applications. Democrats embraced them. We didn’t.

Now after two years of Democrat growth, Republicans are ready to engage. But there’s one big hurdle we must get over. There remains a large segment of the Republican voting population that just doesn’t trust anything to do with mail-in ballots. We must win some of them back.

Any part of a solicitation must include an education on the safety and security involved in voting by mail in Pennsylvania. There are specific ballot protection initiatives included in the Pennsylvania mail-in ballot law, including a voter ID provision. For those Republicans that still see voting by mail as a personal afront to all they hold holy, nothing we do or say will get them back. For those who are open to the idea of voting by mail, messaging about safety and security should be the priority.

VOTE EARLY…NOT OFTEN…JUST EARLY

We don’t have early voting in Pennsylvania, but counties can begin mailing ballots as early as 50 days prior to election day. It might as well be early voting. Getting voters to return their ballots early is where Democrats have distinguished themselves. The early return is the secret in their sauce and still the part most overlooked by Republicans.

Once a voter returns their completed ballot, it’s too late to make any changes. If a voter decided to vote for every Democrat on their ballot but decides two weeks out from election day that they now wish to vote for the Republican candidate in a race – too bad. If they voted for the Democrat running for US Senate but changed their mind after seeing a debate – too late. Once you return your ballot, you have voted.

A successful mail-in ballot program includes knowing who applied, who returned their ballot and more. Tracking ballot returns is more than just knowing names on a list. It’s knowing who the voters are on that list. Tying your mail-in ballot list into your ID list helps you know that YOUR voters have returned their ballots. This helps your campaign make critical messaging decisions in the closing weeks of the campaign.

ROUND THEM UP

Once counties start sending ballots to voters, you need to switch gears into overdrive to maximize the return rate. Get voters to complete their ballots correctly; return their ballots and return them early; and return the ballots with Republican votes, particularly for your candidate.

A mail-in ballot chaser program is too important to leave to a volunteer or part-time campaign staffer, and it’s far too important to leave to someone who just woke up to the importance of voting by mail. The key to a successful mail-in ballot program is having an experienced hand focused on all parts of the effort. This includes specific strategies, tools, and methods to get ballots returned. Each touchpoint is a different way to communicate with the voter. And each touchpoint - whether a letter, postcard, live call, text message or phone drop – helps to get that voted ballot returned when used as part of a strategic and targeted program.

Targeted Strategic Solutions, LLC is your partner for a strong and successful mail-in-ballot program. Reach out today to see how we can work together.