Mayoral candidate Kathy Rogers sent out "robocalls" across the city today.
A robocall is a computerized phone call where the candidate records a message and then a computer calls a phone number and when you pick up the phone [or the machine picks up], the message plays. We got one here at the house and a few other people have let me know that they have received them, too. Rogers' message is basically biographical in nature, with the open government thing, and a plea for votes.
Some people complain about getting phone calls from candidates but it can be an important part of the political process. Robocalls, not unlike direct mail, advertising, and doorknocking, are tools used by campaigns to reach out to voters, in order to make sure they get out to vote. Despite many of us saying we don't need to be reminded that an election is coming up, many, many others do. And, there is no way a campaign can differentiate between a voter who will definitely go out to vote and one who might. Hence, the blanket communication and contact.
Sure, a super-organized campaign, with hundreds of campaign coordinators all talking to each other can parcel out enough information to know that, yeah, this person is a 1 or 2, don't bug them until Election Day after noon-time if they have not voted. But in a small mayoral race, getting this done is next to impossible.
A robocall is a computerized phone call where the candidate records a message and then a computer calls a phone number and when you pick up the phone [or the machine picks up], the message plays. We got one here at the house and a few other people have let me know that they have received them, too. Rogers' message is basically biographical in nature, with the open government thing, and a plea for votes.
Some people complain about getting phone calls from candidates but it can be an important part of the political process. Robocalls, not unlike direct mail, advertising, and doorknocking, are tools used by campaigns to reach out to voters, in order to make sure they get out to vote. Despite many of us saying we don't need to be reminded that an election is coming up, many, many others do. And, there is no way a campaign can differentiate between a voter who will definitely go out to vote and one who might. Hence, the blanket communication and contact.
Sure, a super-organized campaign, with hundreds of campaign coordinators all talking to each other can parcel out enough information to know that, yeah, this person is a 1 or 2, don't bug them until Election Day after noon-time if they have not voted. But in a small mayoral race, getting this done is next to impossible.
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