{"id":2210392,"date":"2024-04-01T07:33:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T11:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-turning-point-actions-chase-the-vote-offset-democrats-election-machine\/"},"modified":"2024-04-01T07:33:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T11:33:27","slug":"can-turning-point-actions-chase-the-vote-offset-democrats-election-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-turning-point-actions-chase-the-vote-offset-democrats-election-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Turning Point Action&#8217;s &#8216;Chase The Vote&#8217; Counterbalance Democrats&#8217; Election Infrastructure?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcan-turning-point-actions-chase-the-vote-offset-democrats-election-machine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2210392&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Conservatives in\u2062 Phoenix acknowledge the Democrats&#8217; advanced election strategies, utilizing \u2064well-funded voter registration groups and ballot chasing operations. Turning Point Action&#8217;s &#8216;Chase the Vote&#8217; program aims to engage low-propensity GOP voters in Arizona, Wisconsin, and potentially Georgia to counter Democrats&#8217; initiatives. By fostering personal\u200c connections and utilizing innovative technology, the program seeks to enhance Republican voter outreach efforts effectively.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>PHOENIX, Ariz. \u2014 It\u2019s not lost on conservatives that Democrats have mastered the art of modern-day electioneering. Through the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/03\/09\/report-democrats-are-weaponizing-nonprofits-to-run-partisan-voter-registration-drives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">left-wing voter registration groups<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/08\/16\/meet-the-tax-exempt-charity-secretly-bankrolling-democrats-get-out-the-vote-operations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bankrolled<\/a> by wealthy Democrat donors and highly sophisticated <a href=\"https:\/\/redstate.com\/redstate-guest-editorial\/2024\/02\/01\/maxwell-what-is-ballot-chasing-and-why-have-republicans-finally-embraced-it-n2169501\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ballot chasing<\/a> operations, Democrats have crafted a state-of-the-art machine designed to accrue their candidates an advantage over Republicans ahead of Election Day. <\/p>\n<p>The GOP\u2019s failure to mimic similar operations has contributed to <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/02\/14\/how-many-elections-must-high-polling-republicans-lose-to-learn-ballots-matter-more-than-votes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">numerous electoral defeats<\/a> in the years since the 2020 election and the coincident expansion of mail-in voting \u2014 but one conservative group is hoping to change that trend.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-270991338\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ced1d3f0800e5de17f5102b1f957f329 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ced1d3f0800e5de17f5102b1f957f329\"><\/div>\n<p>Last week, Turning Point Action (TPA), the 501(c)(4) political advocacy arm of Turning Point USA, held its first series of trainings for hired activists to chase Republican-favorable ballots in the months leading up to the November elections. Known as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpaction.com\/chasethevote\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chase the Vote<\/a>,\u201d the initiative seeks to offset Democrats\u2019 strategy by identifying, engaging, and mobilizing primarily low-propensity GOP voters in Arizona, Wisconsin, and potentially Georgia. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are all these people who do not vote [and] who are on the early voter rolls,\u201d Tyler Bowyer, Turning Point Action\u2019s chief operation officer and Arizona\u2019s RNC committeeman, told The Federalist. \u201cWe need to make sure that they vote, whether that\u2019s early or in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Training GOP Ballot Chasers<\/h2>\n<p>Part of TPA\u2019s training is instructing chasers on how to engage with prospective GOP voters \u2014 and that means identifying the problems with the Republican Party\u2019s current approach to voter outreach. <\/p>\n<p>The general consensus among the roughly two dozen Arizona chasers who attended last week\u2019s training was that the GOP\u2019s methods are ineffective and impersonal. Attendees described them as \u201ctransactional\u201d and opined that the party\u2019s tactics regularly fail to connect with electors in ways that prompt them to vote. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a552f462c4f1fbe2cb4f48735b9c5a1c fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a552f462c4f1fbe2cb4f48735b9c5a1c\"><\/div>\n<p>At one point, Bowyer \u2014 who led the training \u2014 asked who among the trainees previously worked on a Republican outreach campaign and whether they were instructed by the party to follow-up with the list of voters they were given. Of the roughly half who said they worked on such a campaign, not a single trainee raised their hand when asked the latter question. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cSometimes, [Republicans] might say they want to go door knocking but it\u2019s usually just right before a voting period,\u201d Arizona resident and Chase the Vote manager Julie Fisher told The Federalist. \u201cIt\u2019s not such a focused effort to where we\u2019re actually going out and engaging with [voters] on a consistent basis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>TPA\u2019s strategy departs from the traditional GOP voter outreach model by building relationships with prospective voters in the months leading up to election season. Bowyer instructed TPA\u2019s new recruits on how to employ a community-based approach that involves forming personal ties with these potential voters and following up with them after initial contact. <\/p>\n<p>Trainees are advised to make connections with low-propensity voters in more natural ways than just reading off a prepared script. This includes finding points of common interest and generating conversations based on general topics, such as family or an American flag displayed outside the voter\u2019s house. The goal for chasers, according to Bowyer, is to avoid coming off as the election version of a car salesman or telemarketer. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2c376422182f58ccae11a7425d6788ad fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2c376422182f58ccae11a7425d6788ad\"><\/div>\n<p>Equally significant is that chasers are pursuing ballots in the communities in which they live, allowing them to use their knowledge of and connections within their neighborhoods to present a sense of authenticity and better connect with prospective GOP electors in their area. The ultimate goal is for chasers to form a relationship and establish trust with these low-propensity Republicans and encourage them to vote in upcoming primary and general elections. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the Sausage is Made<\/h2>\n<p>So, if forming relationships with voters is such a big facet of TPA\u2019s ballot chasing strategy, how do these chasers know which electors they\u2019re supposed to target?<\/p>\n<p>Using the most recent voter roll data acquired from local and state governments, Chase the Vote\u2019s Matthew Martinez crafted hand-drawn maps \u201cfrom scratch\u201d that identify areas with significant amounts of low-propensity GOP voters. Each custom ward or precinct contains hundreds of these prospective electors. Neighboring territories are placed into groups, which will be overseen by Chase the Vote managers from those respective regions.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cEach of [these] territories are extremely unique,\u201d Martinez told The Federalist. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to draw a blanket across Arizona and expect that to cover everybody. The best way for us to organize is have it tailored to the exact circumstances of the people in the community of [these] territories. And that\u2019s how we made the maps.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>TPA is also targeting newly registered GOP voters and independents, according to Martinez. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<p>In addition to their huge funding advantage over Republicans, Democrat ballot chasing efforts are made easier by the fact that many of their voters are <a href=\"https:\/\/source.wustl.edu\/2020\/02\/the-divide-between-us-urban-rural-political-differences-rooted-in-geography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">concentrated<\/a> in densely-populated urban areas, while Republican voters are more likely to be found in exurbs and rural areas, where voters are more spread out. When pressed on how Chase the Vote\u2019s strategy compensates for this geographic disadvantage, TPA Senior Director Austin Smith contended that in states like Arizona, there are \u201cthousands\u201d of low-propensity Republican voters living in closely condensed suburbs that the GOP has failed to reach and that this makes ballot chasing \u201cjust as easy for [Republicans, but] we just have never done it before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake Maricopa County for instance. It\u2019s the fourth largest county in America but it\u2019s also the largest population-wise in Arizona,\u201d Smith said. \u201cJust in the suburbs of Maricopa County \u2026 you\u2019ve got \u2026 these communities [that] are actually all really close to each other, and there [are] thousands and thousands and thousands of Republican votes in these neighborhoods. So, it\u2019s just as easy for us to go door to door and get Republican votes in the suburbs [as] it is for the Democrats when they kind of live on top of one another in the urban areas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Martinez claimed he and his team have identified 286,000 low-propensity Republican voters in Arizona and 542,000 in Wisconsin. He also noted that TPA\u2019s goal is to have least 600 ballot chasers \u2014 300 in Arizona and 300 in Wisconsin \u2014 trained and deployed prior to the 2024 election, with Smith adding that TPA is aiming to have its first 135 Arizona chasers out of the nest by Memorial Day weekend.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New Tech and Data Collection<\/h2>\n<p>To streamline its ballot chasing initiative, TPA developed an app for chasers to download on their phones that allows them to access the comprehensive data analyzed and produced by Martinez and his team. The app provides chasers with a list of low-propensity voters in their area and includes information such as an elector\u2019s name and address, and a map showing where he or she lives. It also identifies if the voter has a mail-in ballot or is a traditional early or Election Day voter, indicates whether the voter has cast his ballot in any given election, and will update daily with the latter information as it\u2019s released by county governments. <\/p>\n<p>The app\u2019s mapping feature allows users to prioritize which targets to focus on leading up to the election by using icons that signify whether the low-propensity voter still has a ballot in his possession. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Chasers are expected to file weekly reports, which includes connecting their Gmail to Google\u2019s Streak Pipeline software to track the status of low-propensity Republicans in their wards and precincts as they engage with them. In their reports, chasers describe their contacts with these voters and include any information learned about them. The status of these voters can be characterized as \u201cuncontacted,\u201d all the way to \u201ccast ballot in general election.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chase the Vote will collect this data and use it to determine which low-propensity Republicans that chasers can and should focus on ahead of primary and general elections. Turning Point Action retains this data so it can be used to enhance its GOP voter outreach operations and data infrastructure for future elections.<\/p>\n<p>This technology makes \u201cit easy for people to go in and within minutes, observe and identify the voters that need to be contacted and then help chase their ballots when the time comes,\u201d Bowyer said. <\/p>\n<p>Bowyer further explained how national GOP groups such as the RNC have often relied on the same tech vendors over the past several election cycles and have failed to adapt to the changing electioneering landscape. He claimed that, as an RNC member, his questions about how much money the Republican Party has invested in new technologies have gone unanswered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve served in every leadership position within the Republican Party: precinct committeeman, legislative district chair, county chairman, national committeeman from the state. It\u2019s not like I\u2019m like, some yahoo that came out of nowhere,\u201d Bowyer said. \u201cI\u2019ve used these tools for years. And they suck. They don\u2019t work. They don\u2019t do what we need them to do in order to effectively and quickly chase ballots.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Collaboration with Other Groups and Activists<\/h2>\n<p>The Turning Point Action app isn\u2019t just available to its ballot chasers. <\/p>\n<p>Bowyer noted how the application allows chasers to provide conservatives \u201cthey come into contact with a tool to be able to contact voters on their own,\u201d and help ensure \u201cmore people in their community are contacting the targeted voters that we need to chase.\u201d In fact, TPA plans to collaborate with other conservative organizations to help boost its voter outreach efforts, according to Smith and Turning Point spokesman Andrew Kolvet. <\/p>\n<p>Kolvet emphasized that trained TPA chasers can easily show a fellow conservative \u201chow to use the app\u201d and work with them to expand GOP voter outreach efforts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow you\u2019ve got a paid staffer [who] knows how to use the app [and] how to train somebody to use the app,\u201d Kolvet said. \u201cSomebody who\u2019s passionate can get the app, know who their targets are, and be coordinated with a local chaser in a territory where they know there\u2019s 400 to 600 targets and get them\u201d to vote.<\/p>\n<p>Turning Point Action <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpaction.com\/chasethevote\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">intends<\/a> to coordinate with Tea Party Patriots Action, Moms For America, and several other groups on its Chase the Vote initiative. Martinez said TPA wants to involve state and local conservative organizations in the effort as well. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Potential Challenges<\/h2>\n<p>While deploying hires to chase ballots in the areas where they live remains a core component of Chase the Vote\u2019s community-based activism, it could present a potential problem. Smith said that TPA has succeeded in hiring chasers in precincts with substantial amounts of low-propensity GOP voters but noted that doing so may become more difficult as the initiative grows. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve done a good job so far at finding people,\u201d Smith said. \u201cBut I imagine as time goes on, it may get a little bit harder to find somebody that actually lives in that precinct or the precinct next door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also the question of whether TPA will be able to amass enough resources to expand its Chase the Vote operations into Georgia in time for the 2024 contest. Kolvet said that the organization has expended \u201ctens of millions of dollars\u201d on building the infrastructure for the initiative, with funds having gone towards developing and troubleshooting the app, accumulating and finalizing voter data maps, and hiring ballot chasers. The group\u2019s aspirational goal is to put $<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-nevada-a-corrupt-cash-for-votes-scheme-is-hiding-in-plain-sight\/\" title=\"In Nevada, A Corrupt Cash-For-Votes Scheme Is Hiding In Plain Sight\">108<\/a> million towards Chase the Vote, according to Kolvet, who added that a determination on how that money will be spent will be made as it\u2019s acquired. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it going to be difficult? Are there going to be mistakes? [Are] there going to be technical glitches and problems along the way? Yeah, of course there\u2019s going to be all those things. But we\u2019ve come further than anyone ever has before on this subject matter,\u201d Bowyer said. \u201cIf you\u2019re smart about what you do, and you put \u2026 the right program together, you are going to have much more impact than just the \u2018kitchen sink approach.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0091c9f59dcd1a3cfa2e2a1a2cb123a7 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0091c9f59dcd1a3cfa2e2a1a2cb123a7\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Phoenix, Arizona, conservatives recognize Democrats&#8217; expertise in modern election tactics. Democrats leverage left-wing voter registration groups funded by wealthy donors and advanced ballot chasing operations to gain an edge over Republicans. This sophisticated machine aims to give Democrats an advantage come Election Day<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2210393,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Charlie_Kirk_-_53069222564.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2210392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Charlie_Kirk_-_53069222564.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2210392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2210392"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2210392\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2210393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2210392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2210392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2210392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}