In America we believe that all people are equal regardless of gender, age, race, religion, income, or education.
On Election Day all votes carry equal weight.
But on political campaigns some voters are much more important than others.
Now before you decry our broken system, let me assure you this has nothing to do with these voters financial status or any undue political influence they might have.
A voter’s value to a campaign is based upon how consistently they show up to vote.
The most important voters to any primary election or local race are the high propensity voters in the district.
As discussed in Why Winning Candidates Understand Voter Propensity, high propensity voters always show up to vote.
It doesn’t matter if you’re running in a General Election, a Primary Election, an Off Year Election, or a Special Election — you can count on high propensity voters to cast a ballot for or against you.
When an Election is scheduled any time other than November of an even numbered year, the high propensity voters will make up the vast majority of the voter turnout.
They will be deciding your contest. Therefore you must communicate effectively with the high propensity voters and earn their support.
Even if you are running in a November Election of an even numbered year, high propensity voters are still extremely vital to your success.
Mid propensity and low propensity voters will likely vote in the contests for President, Governor, and U.S. Senate, but you can’t count on them to make it all the way down the ballot.
These voters get what is referred to as “ballot fatigue” and turn in their ballots without casting a vote in every race, like the local office you are probably seeking.
That’s not the case with high propensity voters.
High propensity voters have an opinion and want their voice heard in every race.
High propensity voters will still be in the voting booth checking their choices for city council, school board, and water district while the mid and low propensity voters head out the door with their “I’ve Voted” sticker.
Like I said, high propensity voters have opinions and believe strongly in the power of the vote.
They are the most consistent and active part of our democratic system of government.
High propensity are well informed on the issues – or at least believe they are. On top of that, they don’t have a problem sharing their views with others.
Since you are a candidate seeking to improve your community, you more than likely know plenty of these people already.
Chances are you, you’re one of them. When was the last time you missed voting in an election?
Since high propensity voters like to let others know what they think and who they are voting for, you want as many of them on your side as you can have.
High propensity voters are the first people your campaign should be targeting.
Knock on their doors. Call them on the phone. Send them letters introducing yourself a few months before Election Day is even near.
If your district is big enough, get them to engage in a live telephone town hall with you.
Initially high propensity voters may be a bit skeptical of you, perhaps even cynical, when you introduce yourself.
That’s okay. They will like that fact that you want to talk to them about your race.
Most importantly, they will like that you value their opinion and are willing to work to earn their votes.
And earning their votes is a must if you’re serious about winning.
High propensity voters will have questions. Therefore you best have good answers to demonstrate you are worthy of the job you are seeking, as well as their precious votes.
Spend the time necessary to persuade as many high propensity voters as you can to become your supporters.
Not only are they crucial because of their great likelihood to vote in your race, once you have them in your corner they will become your most vocal supporters.
They will tell their spouses to vote for you. They’ll demand their kids to vote for you. They’ll make sure their neighbors and everyone else on their block knows that your the candidate that should be elected.
Candidate Take-Aways
As you prepare your campaign, identify the high propensity voters in your district, then go out there and earn their support and their precious votes.
In many races I’ve been a part of over the years, how the high propensity voters went determined which candidate went on to victory and which one went home in defeat.
I want you to go on to victory so get out there and get the high propensity voters of your community on your side now!