Know Your Voters: The Key to Electoral Success

Monday, February 1, 2010

(Arlington County Democratic Committee)At its most basic level, politics is not all that complicated. To win as a candidate, you must do two things: (1) identify your supporters; and (2) make sure those supporters turn out on Election Day.

If the old political mantra is true that you are only as good as the voters you know, then Arlington presents one of the most challenging political environments around. In Arlington, we are blessed with a population of young, energetic voters who are interested in politics, but those same young voters tend to only stay in the DC area for a few years. Each Congressional cycle - every two years - an astonishing 25% of Arlington's voters are new. To be successful, we must stay ahead of this moving target.

That's why this Spring, the Arlington County Democratic Committee is undertaking its most ambitious, comprehensive voter identification drive in years. As I write, we are compiling lists of new voters to be contacted by our precinct captains and volunteers. We are planning canvassing events in March and April in targeted precincts. And we a readying phone banks to reach out to unidentified voters.

As the Arlington Democratic Party, we want to know what issues matter to you, and most of all, we want to know if you will join us - as a volunteer, as a supporter, as a voter. To reach the thousands of voters we have not yet contacted, we need all hands on deck. I hope you will take the time to sign up as a volunteer.

Knowing your voters is "Politics 101." I hope you will give whatever time you can spare to help in this vital effort, which truly is the key to our success.