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Post by melanell on Oct 30, 2024 12:29:33 GMT
I've been mulling over this topic the last few days. Now, to preface, everyone of voting age knew which party they'd be voting for here, and knew they would be voting, since long before election-related mail started arriving. There was never anyone undecided to sway with postal campaigns. So perhaps in homes where there are undecided voters, or people who may be likely not to vote, things are different. And, I will point out that I myself, volunteered to mail postcards, LOL, which may make the rest of this sound odd, I admit.  But after watching my household's behavior in regards to the mail, I wonder, how effective is it to send out so much mail? Does it help? We get political mail almost everyday, and often multiple pieces, and it's been going on for months now. That's both mail promoting specific candidates and mail about voting in general, both from organizations, and from the state. And my gosh, my eldest, who is only old enough to vote in the presidential election for the first time this year, they receive twice the mail that DH & I do. But here's the thing, we look at almost none of it. We did open a few of the items from the state, specifically those regarding polling places and checking your registration status. I did apply to vote early, but I did it online. I didn't use any of the 4 or 5 applications sent to me. My eldest did note one postcard, because the simple message cracked them up. "Please vote!" But at least 98% of it goes straight into the recycling or trash unviewed in our house. And I think of the time and expense being spent, and I sure hope it's making some sort of greater impact in other homes. Part of me figures, it must make a difference, or they wouldn't keep doing it. But then I think of all of the other illogical things that happen in politics, and then I'm not so sure I feel comforted by that first thought.  I feel like the stuff about voting in general is likely more useful than the others, but again, that's because they are the ones we paid attention to. And we're only one household. So what do you think? (And sorry so long!) |
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Post by pantsonfire on Oct 30, 2024 12:33:51 GMT
It can sway some because they see the same candidates over and over. They spend upwards of $60,000 to send those mailers. And they aren't regulated. I got one for a local city council member (who isn't in my area so I can't vote for...talk about waste!!) who states they were endorsed by the Dem party. Nope. They are not.
A school board candidates listed a city council member supported them. They in fact do not (they stated on record they don't).
But seeing the same name over and over daily can drive some to vote for that candidate.
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Post by pantsonfire on Oct 30, 2024 12:34:19 GMT
I grumble and put in the recycling bin.
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Post by jenb72 on Oct 30, 2024 13:17:05 GMT
We read none of it. Never in the history of ever has any of it swayed anyone in this household. It all goes in the trash unread. Including the handwritten letters and postcards (both of which DD(25)received this year). And the numbers sending texts and calling get ignored and blocked.
I checked our mail yesterday and out of probably 25-30 mail pieces (that qty only happens during election season), 5 were actual legit mail that needed to be opened. We have 5 adults that get mail at this house. The overload of mail during this time is insane. I feel bad for our mail lady and the number of paper cuts she must get from all the postcards.
I teased with DH a few times that if you want to encourage people to vote, give them a way to turn off the political mail/texts/calls/ads once they've done so. See how fast they vote just to make it stop.
Jen
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Post by guzismom on Oct 30, 2024 13:17:45 GMT
It doesn't even make it into the house...
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Post by librarylady on Oct 30, 2024 13:34:19 GMT
Goes straight to the recycle bin or trash.
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,653 
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Post by pinklady on Oct 30, 2024 13:35:25 GMT
Those flyers used to go right in the trash. However, since 2016 I have been keeping them (if they are actually on my ballot to vote for) and using them when I fill out my ballot. I read the fine print to see who actually sent it. It helps a lot especially during primaries when there are two democrats that I'm looking at. If you are a republican  they can help you weed out the MAGAt people if you aren't already brainwashed. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Oct 30, 2024 14:42:55 GMT
Most of what we get is Republican candidates so I throw it out. I do wish that some of the democrats sent info out (I wonder if I’m on a Republican only mailing list)? Most of the time I have to specifically look up who the democrats is that is running (against Emmer or the other state candidates). I will vote for the democrat but wonder how they can expect to win if they don’t ever do any advertising.
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Post by pantsonfire on Oct 30, 2024 14:57:14 GMT
Most of what we get is Republican candidates so I throw it out. I do wish that some of the democrats sent info out (I wonder if I’m on a Republican only mailing list)? Most of the time I have to specifically look up who the democrats is that is running (against Emmer or the other state candidates). I will vote for the democrat but wonder how they can expect to win if they don’t ever do any advertising. I also only get Republican with the occasional "Democratic" one who isn't supported by any local, county, or state Dem party. I am a registered Dem. But they just mass send them, and I am not even in their zone. I also get the anti LGBTQ ones (Prop 3 has ones that changing the CA constitution will cause young bride marriages and destroy families) That one is funded by some whack-a-doodle "Christian" group in CA. |
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Post by workingclassdog on Oct 30, 2024 15:06:35 GMT
I never look at it, goes straight to the trash.. I only keep our mail in ballots, our big blue book and that is it. One year I kept all the fliers to see how many we got and while I don't remember the exact number it was a BIG pile. I didn't do it this year, but I wish I did! Yesterday there were 10 in the mail!
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Post by cbet on Oct 30, 2024 16:05:26 GMT
They're a nice size to use as shims in my die cutting machine.
I live in an apartment building. I've seen many of the residents there pull out the election mail and toss them straight into the dumpster (right next to the mailboxes, how handy!)
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Post by ntsf on Oct 30, 2024 16:11:16 GMT
I do look at the local democratic ballot recommendations.. and the teachers's recommendations.. the rest of the flyers go in recycling. so 2 pieces out of a hundred
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TXMary
Pearl Clutcher
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean. God, I wish I was sailin' again.
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Post by TXMary on Oct 30, 2024 16:13:47 GMT
I don't even look at them. They go straight to the trash can.
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Post by katlady on Oct 30, 2024 16:19:39 GMT
One year, a friend and I saved them and made them into an art journal. We folded them in half, and sewed them together. We gessoed the pages so we could paint on the them since many are glossy. It was fun and the pages were neat because sometimes we would let the wording underneath show through.
These days they go straight into the recycling bin. The only ones I looked at where the ones by the party that listed their recommendations for all the local races and propositions.
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Post by ecvnj58 on Oct 30, 2024 16:20:08 GMT
I listened to a podcast once that I cannot find now but they basically it up political songs for a fake candidate to see if people would vote for them. And people did not based on anything other than the familiarity of the name from the signs.
I think this is kind of the same. Some people may just subconsciously vote because they saw so many things. Maybe tying them to their choice party but I bet there is something to do with the volume of seeing these names over and over and over again
Also I live on the boarder of 2 states. Yesterday when I went to vote someone was asking why a question from the neighboring states wasn’t on the ballot. They said they saw all the commercials on TV and didn’t know why they couldn’t vote on it. So I don’t think the masses are really educating themselves on this besides what’s conveniently thrown in front of them.
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Post by melanell on Oct 30, 2024 16:49:56 GMT
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, everyone. I'm glad yo hear they are useful to some of you, either for actual political issues--or for crafting. |
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 31, 2024 12:35:28 GMT
I don't look at them.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Oct 31, 2024 15:35:08 GMT
As annoying as they are, they help pay for our regular mail.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Oct 31, 2024 15:56:19 GMT
I glance at it then throw it away, but we aren't a swing state, so we've gotten nothing at all on a national level. I will occasionally get something for a local race, but they are just as likely to come to the door and hand it to me personally.
The constant texts are what gets my goat. It makes me feel better to send back a strongly worded message about wasting my time, especially if they can't bother to get my name right (most address someone else...I've had the same phone number 25 years, so it is probably a typo someone made 15 years ago that keeps getting shared).
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Post by Laurie on Oct 31, 2024 16:02:50 GMT
They go straight to the trash here as well.
I told people at work that I am collecting them and putting them in piles. If one of them has more than double of their counterpart then I am voting for the counterpart because they didn't annoy me as often.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,317
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Oct 31, 2024 21:49:45 GMT
I thought since every eligible voter had voted we'd get less fliers (still waiting to find out, I just turned in dd's ballot yesterday). I just got home from picking DS up from school and saw a car slowly driving down my street, I thought they were lost... nope hand delivering three more fliers directly to my porch. Grrr.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,317
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Oct 31, 2024 21:53:52 GMT
I glance at it then throw it away, but we aren't a swing state, so we've gotten nothing at all on a national level. I will occasionally get something for a local race, but they are just as likely to come to the door and hand it to me personally. The constant texts are what gets my goat. It makes me feel better to send back a strongly worded message about wasting my time, especially if they can't bother to get my name right (most address someone else...I've had the same phone number 25 years, so it is probably a typo someone made 15 years ago that keeps getting shared). I'm not getting texts (DH is) but political emails addressed to Clark (nowhere close to my first name) + mylastname. I'm about to look this person up online and forward him all the emails he has been using my email address to sign up for! |
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by mich5481 on Oct 31, 2024 22:18:07 GMT
Mailers are the most cost effective way to get votes. I learned that in a graduate course on political campaigns at Florida State many years ago. The numbers have obviously changed as to how much it costs per vote, but it was way cheaper than things like commercials or door to door canvassing (which was the most effective way to earn votes).
I do look at the mailers, because it reminds me of a previous life and I know how carefully crafted they are supposed to be to evoke emotion and action. I'll never forget the mailers I received from the FL Dems in 2016, against Donald Trump. It made me so angry, as it said "His words make us feel worthless," and it included several choice DT quotes. I posted it to social media, saying that no man defines my worth and I was concerned that the Dems felt like a man's words could define a woman's worth. I can't stand Trump, and I hate what he's done to the GOP, but I stand by that sentiment.
I do find it very interesting that most (if not all) of the Trump mailers I have received this year tell me to go vote early or vote by mail since he complained about those two very things as being rife for corruption in 2020. Then again, NC is a huge swing state this year, so I suppose he'll take any votes he can get, no matter how he gets them.
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snugglebutter
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by snugglebutter on Oct 31, 2024 23:01:13 GMT
We have received a TON this year, more than usual. I think having an 18 year old is contributing to that as I started noticing that a number of them have her name on them.
We toss them of course, though my kids do get a laugh out of some of them.
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Post by lisae on Oct 31, 2024 23:26:38 GMT
I think it was 2020 when I received a handwritten post card which I read. Otherwise it all goes into recycling. I honestly can't think of a single piece I got from the Harris campaign; it has all been Trump. I did notice that at least one was addressed to me rather than DH. I'd say I've received 30 fliers at least.
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breetheflea
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Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Nov 1, 2024 0:53:58 GMT
I think it was 2020 when I received a handwritten post card which I read. Otherwise it all goes into recycling. I honestly can't think of a single piece I got from the Harris campaign; it has all been Trump. I did notice that at least one was addressed to me rather than DH. I'd say I've received 30 fliers at least. Of the nine I just retrieved from my mailbox this evening (yesterday there were only eight) four had DH name on them, four had DD (19) name on them, and one was "our last name or current resident." Seven were for people running for stuff, one was for an initiative, and one was a list of people the local newspaper endorsed. It was 50/50 democrat/republican. DD got a handwritten postcard this year, from "Randall" telling her her voting status was public, but who she voted for was private or something to that affect. I think I'm going to scrapbook it later. |
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Post by melanell on Nov 1, 2024 1:06:22 GMT
Today we received 9 election related pieces of mail out of 11 mail pieces total. Our mail carriers must be feeling the difference these days as they carry this stuff door to door.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 3, 2024 12:52:51 GMT
It all goes straight to the trash in my household.
By the time we are this close to an election, we've already done our research as to the candidates, and know who we're voting for.
And I am going to be super honest, I really resent that names, addresses, and voting affiliation are public record. The number of texts and personalized postcards and letters our household has received is creepy. I don't ever want strangers writing me, pleading with me to vote.
But, I also dislike political canvassers, of any party, coming to my front door. Yesterday two canvassers of my party knocked on my door, and started loudly speaking through my door, "LavenderLayoutLady, Adult child 1, Adult child 2.... I want to speak with you."
Like, WTF.
I did open my inside door, and told her to leave my property immediately.
Aggressively addressing me through my door will not sway me to vote for your candidate.
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Post by compeateropeator on Nov 3, 2024 14:21:59 GMT
I do not believe it makes a huge difference to most people these days with online information and use. I think the older generation who do not really access the internet are probably those that get the most benefit out of mailed information and may use it to make decisions.
While I do get quite a few mailed flyers, most of them are for local candidates. I typically will glance at them as I put them in the recycling. I will say for some of the lessor local elections they do prompt me to sometimes look up people or at least have a name presence in my mind for candidates like justice of the peace, etc.
What I will be so happy to see ending is the political television commercials, more importantly those that don’t affect me 😆…Kelly Ayotte (running for NH Governor) I am looking at you! Joyce Craig, who she is running against, has some but no where near as many as Kelly. Whole moly, I swear I have seen those couple commercial’s of Kelly’s 1000 of times.
I live in Vermont but our local stations encompass area in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Upstate NY so I get to see ads for all 3 areas on all three of my local abc, nbc, and cbs stations. Elise Stafanik’s are the ones that bother me the most and cause me to really yell at the TV and use not so nice language . 😄
Ironically as I was writing this post there was a story on does political advertising work and how it has changed over the years on CBS Sunday Morning. 😄
ETA - I have gotten political phone calls and texts but have not had anyone knock on my door (and as I work from home I am here a lot).
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Post by katlady on Nov 3, 2024 19:11:41 GMT
We voted a week ago. We still get flyers in the mail, not as much as before. I don’t know if it is because we voted, or just the end of the campaign in general. The texts have stopped though. We never had door knockers.
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they can help you weed out the MAGAt people if you aren't already brainwashed.
