Download Targeting Voters in Congressional Elections Overview

Targeting Voters in Congressional Elections
Overview
Targeting Voters in Congressional Elections
Strategies and methods used in political campaigning and for communicating with
constituents have evolved from the days when most Americans still received the news from the
morning paper. Radio, television, and the Internet have transformed the way the public accesses
information and subsequently how political campaigns operate. Congressional candidates have
increasingly shifted their reliance on “shoe leather” campaigns that focused more on direct
contact with constituents, to operations centered on political consultants, television and radio
advertising, the Internet, direct mailings, and micro targeting to reach sympathetic possible
voters. The number of potential voters in each Congressional district has ballooned since
Article I Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution declared that “The number of Representatives shall
not exceed one for every thirty Thousand…” After the results of the 2010 U.S. Census, the 435
members of the House now represent approximately 710,767 citizens on average.
Due to the increasing size of the population within a Congressional district and a nation
deeply divided politically, candidates must constantly find new ways to target supportive voters
in order to be successful in a Congressional election. Candidates from both major parties rely on
“get out the vote” drives to ensure that their base is registered and motivated to vote on Election
Day. With the help of volunteers and staff, successful campaigns dispatch campaign workers to
conduct door-to-door canvassing in neighborhoods to request support for a candidate and to
encourage people to vote. Phone banks are also used to place calls to registered party members
who have supported the candidate or the party in past elections. Independent, or swing voters
may also be targeted by a campaign, particularly if a hot-button issue may provide the candidate
with crucial support necessary for victory in a closely contested Congressional race. Personal
messages from candidates issued by press release, direct mailings, or by face-to-face interactions
with voters remain effective campaign strategies. Incumbent Congressional candidates enjoy
financial and institutional advantages when campaigning and targeting voters, such as the
franking privilege, which allows Congress members to transmit mail or other documents to their
constituents under their signature without paying postage. Since large amounts of campaign
funds are now allocated for television advertising, the electoral benefits of the franking privilege
are not to be underestimated when targeting voters.
The increasing popularity of television as an advertising medium in the 20th century
shifted campaign strategies away from a more personalized “shoe leather” style campaign to
contests that rely heavily on voter mobilization and targeted political television advertisements.
Relying on demographic data that tracks the viewing audience of popular television programs,
campaigns are able to purposely run their political advertisements during programs with large
amounts of likely supportive or independent voters. Television advertising is often the most
expensive part of a campaign, but because of the rise in the amount of negative ads purchased by
interest groups and opposing candidates, few candidates will risk not spending the resources on
television ads that respond to critics or promote a positive image of the candidate. Although the
public often complains about the frequency of political ads on television, especially negative
ones, research shows that they are effective. Many candidates also direct their attention to
specific issues.
Focusing on issues can be a cogent way to attract certain voters. The amount of issue
voters, or persons who vote based on issues as opposed to candidates or parties, has increased
dramatically over the past 50 years. Although some hot-button issues can be polarizing,
candidates who take a firm stance on an issue that resonates with constituents can gain a political
advantage. The types of issues that are important to constituents vary widely across
Congressional districts. For example, a Congressional district that runs along the coast of
Florida will likely focus on issues affecting tourism, while a district in New York City may focus
on rent control or public transportation. Incumbents often choose to capitalize on their
experience during a campaign by focusing on issues that are directly related to their service on a
Congressional committee. Incumbents may also have the benefit of touting legislation that they
helped to pass that positively impacts their constituents. The elevated focus on issues has also
permitted interest groups to play a more visible role in Congressional races.
Both national parties and interest groups have increased voter mobilization efforts. In
more recent elections, interest groups and national parties have combined their personal contacts
with data mining and computer technology to create new target lists of voters for campaigns. A
technique called micro targeting has become the norm in Congressional campaigns. Micro
targeting results when parties, campaigns, or interest groups use direct marketing data mining
techniques to target potential sympathetic voters. Once these voters are identified, they are
exposed to specifically tailored messages designed to persuade them to vote. Voters can be
targeted based on the petitions they sign, college attended, purchasing habits, online activity, or
even hobbies. Online data mining techniques that can track the internet browsing history of
users allows campaigns to create a digital profile of each person who clicks on a campaign ad.
Once information is obtained about the user, a message tailored to appeal to the voter is
displayed in an effort to mobilize and persuade. Surveys are also used to target voters on an issue
specific to them. For example, a Republican candidate who strongly supports 2nd amendment
gun rights, may choose to target members of the National Rifle Association, an interest group
with a long history of backing candidates who favor less stringent federal gun regulations.
Overall, micro targeting efforts permit parties, campaigns, and interest groups to use their
resources more effectively when mobilizing or attempting to attract new voters.
Efforts to target potential voters in Congressional campaigns have grown more
sophisticated in recent years. By relying on micro targeting and cooperation with responsive
interest groups, parties and candidates use an ever increasing amount of available commercial
data on individuals to target voters. Micro targeting has helped to improve the efficiency of
television advertising, direct mailings, and automated phone messages used by Congressional
campaigns. Moreover, even traditionally effective door-to-door canvassing efforts by campaigns
have been improved by the creation of targeted address lists resulting from data mining efforts.
Although face-to-face interaction with candidates and campaign volunteers remains highly
effective with voters, the large number of citizens in each Congressional district requires
campaigns to raise large sums of money and employ a variety of targeting techniques to remain
competitive in a Congressional election.