Sixth CD in the Field – Aurora Sentinel

Voting in Colorado starts October 15 with a new Democratic-inspired universal mail-back ballot. This should benefit campaigns with the best get-out-the-vote efforts, which in 2014 are massive, expensive computer- and online-driven productions.

But, they include the candidate walking or phoning voters one at a time. Mike Coffman and Andrew Romanoff are full at it in Aurora battling for voters in one of the county’s closest contests.

Aurora Sentinel, Rachel Sapin, 9-25-14:

Floyd Ciruli, a nonpartisan Denver-based political consultant, said even in a race where only a couple thousand votes could decide an election, canvassing alone does not translate directly into a win. But he said Romanoff is gaining an experience he can talk about in a campaign ad or at a future debate with his opponent. In turn, Romanoff’s campaign is gaining information about a potential voter. The Coffman campaign is on the streets, too, gaining the same intelligence, and not gaining the same sure-fire win.

It’s not uncommon for campaigns from both parties to cull state voter data for their door-to-door efforts. The sorting often involves targeting registered voters who are unaffiliated, key constituencies or those who have voted against their party in recent years.

Ciruli said that whatever Romanoff learns about unique voters while canvassing will be added to lists the Romanoff campaign uses when ballots are mailed to voters.

“The bulk of it is to identify every voter you can as a potential supporter, and then call them the day ballot arrives,” Ciruli said. “Most of this will happen behind the scenes. It’s very expensive, and time-consuming. Democrats are concerned young people and minorities will not turn out. They’re anxious to get them all out to vote.”