According to this robocall, early voting (via voting machines) is available in Fairfax County if the voter meets Virginia’s absentee ballot requirements.
I have been registered to vote for the past 18 years. I’m not a member of any political party because I believe that political parties and all the shenanigans that go along with them are ridiculous. I understand the concept behind them but in modern day America they don’t seem to be working (look at Congress). Maybe it’s really the two-party system that I have problems with as I don’t feel that I fit in either of the two major parties.
Because I am independent, I always get my share of partisan folks that seek to convince me to vote for their candidate each election season. Most of this “convincing” has not been very effective. As a result, I’ve put together a list of some of the things that these people have done. This list will serve as what to do if you don’t want to convince me to vote for your candidate.
Focus on why I shouldn’t vote for your candidate’s opponent. If you have good reasons to support your candidate, you don’t have to resort to negativity. Even if you convince me that the other I should vote for the other candidate, you still haven’t convinced me that I should vote for your candidate.
Attack my morals, values or intelligence. If you attack me I’m shutting down and won’t entertain anything further you have to say. Bullying me isn’t going to change my mind about anything. What’s that they say about vinegar and honey?
Tell me that I’m part of the losing team if I don’t go with your candidate. I’ve never been part of any “in” crowd so why should I try to be now. I was raised to be an independent thinker (although according to stories I might have been one at birth) so bandwagon arguments don’t work on me.
Give me canned responses. If you are telling why I should vote for a candidate you should share with me why you are voting for that candidate. Canned talking points and direct quotes from the media or forwarded emails don’t work for me. I want a personal story.
Tell me your candidate has experience without telling me what that experience is. This goes back to the canned responses. If you have done your research, you will have something to offer instead of silly slogans.
Focus on propaganda and phrases that don’t mean anything. I don’t do spin. Keep your spin away from me. People who won’t answer questions have something to hide. If you listen carefully to spin, it’s obvious what isn’t being said. This includes emails containing false or misleading information.
Tell me that your candidate “deserves” to be President, Vice-President, School Board Chairman, etc. because he is black, because she is a woman, because he is a regular Joe, or because he is a war hero. This list is by no means all inclusive but none of these are reasons for me to vote for someone. I do care about a candidate’s background and perspective but simply being one thing or another is not something that uniquely qualifies someone to hold office.
Try to appeal to my emotions and/or presume that you know enough about me to know what my priorities and issues are. I’m always surprised at what people think I care about. I think they project their own priorities on me. If you are one that scoffs at my personal interests and involvement in the community, there is absolutely no way that you will be able to appeal to my priorities because you don’t understand what they are. Knowing about my background may help you as well.
Talk about your or the other political party as a whole. Okay, Bill Clinton had sex with an intern, Joe Lieberman is a Democrat and Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. If you want to talk about parties as a whole you have to take the good with the bad and vice versa; most are not willing to do that. I’d rather focus on the candidates, what they’ve done, and what they plan to do.
Leave out, make up or exaggerate facts. I have a good memory so try this if you want. I also keep the internets within reach at all times so I can check your facts.
Incidentally, most of this list also works for how not to convince me to buy something, join a particular church, go out on a blind date with one of your friends or do whatever. The second you resort to any of these tactics, you’ve lost me. I’m just not a fan of the hard sell.
