I think we all know that our team has built the most sophisticated electronic campaign in history. People will study the effort for years to come. Howard Dean planted the seeds for us in 2004, but Obama's team has used technology to its fullest potential.
We've all been to mybarackobama. We've canvassed and called using electronic tools. We've downloaded the Obama tool for our iphones (if you haven't downloaded this, you really should... It's way cool). We've signed up to received texts, and have been texted regularly by the campaign.
Well, I believe that the culmination of the amazing data gathering and management will come to fruition on Tuesday. I was trained today to be a 2008 Obama poll watcher. I've been a poll watcher in the past for Kerry. The Kerry effort was a cumbersome task. I remember recording names of voters who had already voted by hand and then periodically contacting our precinct leader. The leader and I then went through a printed master Kerry list, crossing off people who had already voted. This information then had to be disseminated to the GOTV crew. It was slow and frustrating. Many voters were contacted more than once, some were not contacted at all. Lots of time was wasted.
This year we have a tool called Houdini. Houdini is an electronic list of people who have self identified as supporting our democratic candidates. Houdini prioritizes folks who may be harder to get to the polls (infrequent or first time voters). On Tuesday, we're going to attempt to ensure that every single voter on our Houdini list goes out and votes.
Poll watchers will be stationed in each precinct. We will have a printed Houdini list in our hands, and will check off the name of each person on our list who has voted. We then use our cellphones/iphones/blackberries to call in our list of people who have already voted and enter a code for that voter. Those names then vanish off the list. Poof, no need to expend extra energy contacting that particular voter.
Our goal is to make contact with every single voter on our Houdini list until we have assured that they've voted! No voter will be left out.
This will be a GOTV like none that has ever been seen. I keep hearing media comparisons of Barack's ground game to W's. This is not an accurate comparison. Our GOTV is going to be way better!
Update:
I forgot to say, if you vote other in the poll, please tell us what you are planning to do. Enquiring minds, and all. (I realize I should have included a choice for more than one of the above).
