Computerized targeted electioneering seen reducing voter turnouts

Mudslinging and a lack of competitive races may have had a role in this year's record lows across Long Island in off-year election turnouts, but high-tech targeting now done by political parties has become so laserlike that as the famed political comic strip "Pogo" once opined: "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Computerized electioneering can slice and dice voting records so finely that candidates and parties now look to identify and bring out a smaller and smaller universe of sure supporters rather than trying to persuade larger numbers to cast ballots on their side, winnowing total turnout numbers. In Suffolk, the turnout was a record low 19.1 percent.

Each political party -- especially in off-year elections -- aims first and foremost at what is known as prime voters, or those who vote in every election. That can target their mail, phone and direct contact at the door, by age, sex and even their likely ethnicity based on names. There also are businesses that make a whole range of lifestyle data available to determine who are more likely to support their candidates.

"In this age of data mining, the experts almost have the ability to read people's minds based on the information they can collect on spending habits, the movies you rent, the books you read and the magazines to which you subscribe," said Desmond Ryan, as veteran Albany business lobbyist.

But just as importantly, such targeting also means large numbers of potential voters are ignored -- they get no calls, see nothing in their mailboxes and may have no clue of pending elections.

Rich Schaffer, Suffolk Democratic chairman, said the high-tech targeting in use for about five years "lets us focus our resources more efficiently, but the downside is there's a lot of people that we're not in communication with at all." And the level of turnout is so low, it has become "a crisis."

When he first ran for office as a county legislator in the late 1980s, Schaffer said, Democrats would home in on party members and voters with no political affiliation. He said a mailing might aim to hit 50,000 of the 70,000 population in a legislative district, and the party did not have a record of how regularly people voted. Now, he said, mailings in similar-sized districts with more precise targeting are aimed at about 15,000.

He added the party uses the same targeting in phone and door-to-door campaigning, hitting on the most active voters and those "considered persuadable" on issues such as the environment, no matter what the party enrollment. A smaller universe is significant because the party has increased its use of paid canvassers to help get out the vote.

"This is a great democracy, but right now it appears not to be working," said John Jay LaValle, Suffolk Republican chairman. "Only half the people eligible are registered to vote and when you have a 20 percent turnout that means 10 percent are making decision on who will run government. That's unacceptable."

But he added that while computer disks to identify prime voters are easily available from the boards of elections, finances often limit how many voters underfinanced candidates can reach. "The cost of campaigns has grown exponentially and sometimes you can only afford to do so much," he said.

LaValle said government should offer a tax credit to citizens of $250 to $500 to show up and cast their votes, noting, "for a couple, that could mean $1,000 and make voting more meaningful. Something has to be done. We have to incentivize people to come out."

Schaffer said state officials need to look at all avenues to increase turnout, such as allowing voting over several weeks or on weekends. "Everything needs to be on the table," Schaffer said.

If increased turnout alters current targeting practices, Schaffer said, "I'm willing to let the chips fall where they may. It's more important to have people take part than any individual election victory."