Early Voting Means Early Opportunity For TV

The time to prepare for the 2012 election cycle is now.

A new and important customer service (and therefore money-making) item to put on your Election To-Do List is to learn everything you can about early voting in your market area. Early voting is a growing phenomenon. It is having a large and increasing impact on election results and has the potential to significantly impact political advertising schedules.

A little known fact: In the 2008 election, John McCain captured the majority of presidential votes in Ohio on Election Day, but Obama carried the state due to early voting over the 35-day election period.

Now available in 36 states, we’ve seen early voters exceed 50% in a number of states during the 2010 election. 

Here’s what you need to know about early voting: Is it available to voters in your service area? How early? Who voted early last cycle and when did they vote? What are campaigners and election officials anticipating for early voting in this cycle? How are campaign media plans addressing it? 

Once you understand these things, then comes the important part: Communicating these facts and concepts to all campaigners in your market.

Consider the impact on schedule placement and demand on inventory if campaigners realize that voting decisions are being made, earlier, by a meaningful portion of the electorate.

TV station sales executives both smile and cringe when they think of pricing and inventory control during the crescendo of campaign activity just prior to an election. Demand completely overwhelms supply and it becomes impossible to make all of your customers happy. It’s an embarrassment of riches.

Imagine the great benefit to all involved as you help campaigners express their messages earlier in the cycle and better achieve their objectives at the same time. You can give them more of what they want (greater access to your audiences and better efficiencies) and they can give you more of what you want (their ongoing investment).

One might argue that early voters are “different;” that they have “already made up their minds.” That may be so, but there is a point at which they are persuaded and motivated — whether it’s about whom to vote for or whether to show up to vote at all.

Other notable facts about early voting:

• 70% of Americans can now take advantage of “no-excuse” early and absentee voting.
• In 2008, 33% of voters voted early. In 11 states, over 50% voted early.
• In 2010, of the 36 states that offered early voting, 28 allowed voting at least two weeks early and nine states allowed votes to be cast four or more weeks before Election Day.

Remember, every state is subject to different rules and logistics … qualifying, mail vs. precinct location, early vs. absentee, as well as the timing of the early voting windows themselves. A great source of information is the U.S. Election Assistance Commission www.eac.gov. Check it out.

Also, be sure to study the treasure trove of political information, including data on early voting, on TVB’s website.

Paul Trelstad is SVP of Gannett Broadcasting and chairman of the TVB Political Task Force.