Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with elections

Movie scenes about democracy.

EnormousTalkingOnion — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:02:11 -0800

What movie scenes would you show a middle school class to teach them the nature/importance of democracy?

Volunteer or Paid Political Consulting?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:53:29 -0800

My client is late paying me. Plus, I am concerned about how they are (or are not) using the products and services I am providing. Should I stop providing those products and services and send a late notice, or somehow give them the benefit of the doubt for a while longer? I want this client to succeed at their endeavor, but I don't want to be taken advantage of either, whether intentionally or not. I was hired as a consultant by a man who is a declared candidate for a federal office. I made my rates clear at the outset, but offered to charge half that rate since he initially asked me to volunteer. The services I provide are technical, time-consuming and expensive, and I declined to volunteer. He agreed to the half price rate. In addition, I charge no travel or researching (reading) fees; only for the creation of hard products, like campaign artwork, databases, TV and radio commercial development, etc. I also set up interviews, do videotaping and other media related work in support of the candidate. Professional staff in a political campaign, like campaign manager, volunteer coordinator, financial manager and media director are almost always paid positions.

I have found several guides for political campaigns that suggest a path for campaign staff development and campaign strategy progression. I've shared these with the candidate. But as near as I can tell, he has not begun any serious fundraising, or consistent efforts to meet any of his constituencies yet. Partly, I'd guess it's because he is a business owner and spends most of his time running it. Public campaign financing websites show his competitors ahead in donations. He has paid me for two invoice I've already submitted, but is now more than a month late in paying me for the most recent work I've done. Because he isn't raising the funds, he is paying me from his business which he says is having a cumulative effect on him. Also, he has not found (or attracted) a campaign manager or (volunteer coordinator), and campaign staff really need a campaign manager to tell them what strategy to follow. I am a media professional, and I suggest and create basic media for the candidate, logos, lists, etc. But I can't do the work of a campaign manager. In politics, perception is reality and I don't think it is helping him that no one has offered to fill that role.

Campaigns seem to need much more than what you think of everything to be successful; time, money, people, advertising, whatever. And I don't want to burn any bridges. But I have two invoices worth of work that haven't been paid yet and I don't know understand why he isn't following the conventional path by laying the critical groundwork.

2009 European Elections

nam3d — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:08:45 -0800

I'd like a laymen's answers to how the european elections work in the UK and how the outcome effects British life on a daily basis.

Throw [Every Last One Of] The Bums Out!

Rykey — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:45:58 -0800

ThrowTheBumsOutFilter: What would be the foreseeable political, economic, and/or social consequences of EVERY incumbent congressional candidate losing his/her seat in 2010? I'm trying to expand upon an idea I have for a story about a grassroots campaign in the USA that succeeds in unseating every member of congress (both houses). Obviously, such an upset would be a logistical nightmare on Capitol Hill, but for the purposes of this story, I'm interested in how the nation would be affected by an all-rookie congress-- politically, economically, and socially, short- and long-term.

For the purposes of this question, assume that yes, this crazy, nearly impossible situation actually came to pass, but that everything else is bound by reality (i.e., no speculations that involve the supernatural, science fiction, etc.).

How to win HS election swing vote with school news advertisement?

seandq — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:57:50 -0800

Help me come up with a funny campaign ad targeted to high schoolers to clinch the Student Body President election. I have a large chunk of support from friends, teachers, and administrators around the school, but the swing vote in the election is won or lost with an advertisement aired over the school news on CCTV.

Some ideas:

I was known for a YouTube video I recorded and have since deleted in freshman year with a lipdub to the Final Countdown. People have told me to incorporate said song into the campaign ad. It went microviral around the school, but it doesn't have as broad of an appeal I like.

Next idea that's really ringing a bell for me would be for me or others to voiceover softball questions regarding my candidacy and clip in celebrities answering these questions with a "Yes, that's right." or "Of course", etc. It'd be funny, but the availability of "celebrities saying yes to something" on Google or YouTube was little to none.

I found out from experience that appearing on the news and giving a serious address is a no-no. People judge your character and ability to do the job from your overall persona and not just one speech on the news, so this is the time to be silly. However, I can't do a Benny Hill-esque video with pratfalls and then just pop up in the end and be like "VOTE FOR ME!"; there needs to be an underlying message relating to the campaign although it could be humorous. An example of this was "Current President loves sports" which linked to a cut-in of an image of Michael Vick during his dogfighting scandal.

I wanted to ask the hive mind because you are all-mighty, all-knowing, and you have been here in one way or another before. I appreciate all MF has given me from an entertainment and a knowledge standpoint and I'd appreciate if you all would be able to help me out.

(Before anyone says anything, yes, I have one or two comments. I've been a member for ~ a week, didn't plan on asking AskMF until about 10 minutes ago, and plan on being an active member in the future.)

"Yes we/they/you can/should/did!" (How has profound democratic change come about in the past?)

omnigut — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:16:38 -0800

"Is the hope for profound change misdirected in a country where almost 50% of the population voted for the incumbent party?" (Historical perspectives on this question, please) I'm looking for specific examples of democracy from above and below—when democratic leaders have "gifted" [what is generally accepted to be positive] social change without popular motivation, and others in which this change has happened from genuine democratic/popular movements. USA history preferable, but international history definitely welcome.

Of course, any musings over that answer for today's situation would be appreciated, but preferred in a private message; this question is looking for a historic perspective where great politics has occurred in the absence of clear (or, perhaps, specific) voter support.

Finally, I'm looking for links to articles/journals [and books, eventually] which examine the difference between the feelings/views expressed by people in polls, on the one hand, and the professed missions of the parties they vote for, on the other.

i.e. Do people vote for the parties that best represent them?

Is the world watching the US elections?

nikkorizz — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:33:07 -0800

Is the world watching the United States 2008 presidential elections? Who are they routing for? I've heard that, for example, people in Kenya are paying close attention to the elections simply because of Obama's ancestral heritage, but I'm wondering if other countries are interested in the US elections for something other than curiosity, candidate heritage, or just wanting to see George W. Bush out of office.

I'd like to know of some examples of non-Americans living outside the U.S. routing for one presidential candidate over the other.

Personal stories are great, but links to articles are preferred.

Vote by mail?

jca — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:00:45 -0800

Reasons the United States does not vote by mail in elections? (Other than Oregon and states that offer "any reason" vote by mail absentee voting.)

Can someone provide information and/or links as to why vote by mail isn't adopted in all U.S. elections? Would you be for or against voting by mail? How well does it work (or not work) where it is offered?

If you're not a swing state, why not create a swing district?

Dec One — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:39:21 -0800

Electoral College filter: Why do nearly all states award their electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis, when splitting them up could get them more attention and favorable policies? Battleground states get more attention from presidential candidates, which means more favorable policies from the federal government as potential presidential candidates pander to win those states' votes.

So if you're a state that's not a battleground, wouldn't you want to do something about it? Like figure out a part of your state that could be a battleground district, and award all the votes of that district to the winner of that district?

Maine and Nebraska split their electoral votes up by district, but none of those districts are ever competitive. We can do better!

For example, take New York State's 31 electoral votes. I propose that the winner of New York City (which will always be the Democrat) get 13 electoral votes. The winner of the rest of New York State gets 18 electoral votes. This is approximately in proportion to the size of the populations.

Well the non-NYC parts of NYS went for John Kerry in 2004 by two percentage points, 51-49. Instant swing state!

There are other efforts to bring attention to non-swing states. But these, like National Popular Vote, require states to come to agreement with other states, and look unlikely. But splitting up your state into artificial electoral districts in order to attract attention could be done by one state acting alone. Why don't any states do this?

Possible answers I've thought of:
1. Democrats in blue states don't want to take reliable electoral votes out of the Democrats' column (same for Republicans in red states)
2. Legislators would never be able to agree on the district boundaries.
3. They haven't thought of it.

Is one or more of those correct, or is there something else?

When did we get to start voting for voters instead of voting for legislators who voted for voters?

phrontist — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:30:48 -0800

I'm looking for a listing, preferably something with citations of the actual state laws, of when each state changed it's laws to allow for the direct election of electors in the electoral college.

Help me help my friend into politics

parmanparman — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:07:49 -0800

Late last year, I convinced a friend to run for public office in my hometown. He did! How can I help make sure he has a bright political future? I convinced a childhood friend to run for office in the East Bay, California city were both raised in. Then I lost my job and returned to Washington, DC, where I am currently employed.

He was of course interested in politics when I talked him into putting his name on the ballot, but I convinced him to set his sights on a good post on a small, but political incisive board that deals with rental property rights. He is already an appointed member of the garbage board in my hometown and has been a major force there for transparency in the contracting process.

Out of the blue, a longtime city councilor passed away after a long illness. Friend called and asked for advice and again I told him to keep going for the board seat. I even wrote a letter to our hometown paper endorsing him for the seat. However, unknown to me, Friend filed to run for the vacant council seat pitting himself as a young, independent facing a large, well-oiled and nepotist political machine (my hometown has been essentially run for 25 years by a husband and wife duo: one was mayor while her husband was state assemblyman, then they switched places).

Although I think he is being naive to think that he can win the council seat, I don't want him to leave behind the idea of a career in politics. Friend is a natural leader with strong interests in community building, ending homelessness, crime prevention through business investment, youth empowerment, and working with troubled young adults.

It's too late for Camp Wellstone, but after the election if he does not win I want try to get him some real exposure to the local and California state political process. I am looking for something involving networking, bill-writing, and organizing. Who should I approach? What groups should I look into? Any stories you would like to share about similar experiences?

Poll gap, why must you narrow?

mcstayinskool — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:06:05 -0800

Why does a political candidate's lead in opinion polls tend to shrink as the election approaches? I read this in the New York Times today: "wide gaps in polls have historically tended to narrow in the closing weeks of the race". I read that ALL the time, but I've never seen an explanation for the phenomenon. Anyone know the answer? Wild guesses are fine, but a substantive answer is preferred...

Help me find a flash map.

Jeff_Larson — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:49:09 -0800

Are there any good, preferably open source flash maps available for mapping election data on the national level (with data for each state)? I've tried this, it's very pretty but doesn't seem to be what I need. But it seems to have problems with linking labels to state names, e.g. for the smaller states it must have an option to place labels outside of the state, and have the label's background color link to the states color. It also must be updateable in real-time, have the ability to drilldown into state data using popups or zooming, and look nice with loads of design customization options etc. Basically what I'm looking for is a thing like these:

NY Times - I know they had a deal with many-eyes for this, but i can't seem to get them on the horn to get something updateable.

WAPO - at the bottom.

CNN

Any leads?

Genuinely Fair

netbros — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:44:28 -0800

Now that the primary season is over and major party nominees have been determined for the upcoming U.S. presidential and congressional elections, please help me find unbiased, non-partisan, impartial news and commentary outlets to follow the campaigns. I would really like to avoid mouthpieces and parrots like Fox News, Kos, Sullivan, Reynolds, et. al. Presumably it is still actually possible to get balanced coverage of candidates, parties, and affiliations. Where are they? Any media are fine; TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, internet. As always, thanks in advance for your assistance.

Where to best experience Election Day?

lodev — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:47:58 -0800

I'd like to travel to the US in october and november. Where can I best experience election day? I'm planning a trip from October 25th until november 15th. Last year I did the west coast (San Francisco, L.A., Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Yosemite et al.). This year I'd like to go back. Where doesn't really matter. I'd like to go back to San Francisco, but New York City, Boston, Florida, .. all seem nice as well.

One thing I'd really like to witness first hand is election day. I'm guessing the rally where the new mister/ms. president elect is going to give his/her victory speech, surrounded by Ben Affleck et al. is a bit hard to get into for non-party members, but what's the next best thing? What city/state do I need to be in? How do I find out where the action is? How do I get in?

Thanks in advance for the help!
Sorry for "crossposting", but with two posts so far this year (including mine) travelfilter seems a bit in a coma and unlikely to get some answers.

Source of info about actual voter attitudes/knowledge.

Claypole — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:42:55 -0800

I have recently read Chomsky's "Hegemony or Survival"; in it, he sights this article , which investigates voter apathy in the 2000 elections, and the surprising figures about how little surveyed voters knew about candidates' policies. The information for this article comes from the Vanishing Voter Project, which no longer exists. Is there any site where I can find out about these sort of subjects in the 2008 elections?

How can I donate more money to Barack Obama?

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:57:15 -0800

How can I donate more money to Barack Obama? I would be willing to donate more of my money to Barack Obama's cause, but I have already donated the maximum legal amount of $2300 for the primary.

I have read that you can donate not just $2300 for the primary, but also another $2300 for the general. In fact, this is encouraged on every politician's website that I've seen. However, it's not clear to me whether the candidate can use general election donations for the primary; if not, I'd rather hold on until it's clear that he's actually going to run in the general.

Another alternative: You can give additional money to... uh... PACs and stuff?

So, my questions are: If I donate now towards the general election, would he be able to use those funds in the primary?

If not, what PAC (or whatever) would most help Obama win the primary?

Submitting anonymously because I'm not interested in having people know that I'm giving thousands of dollars away.

Billary '08?

jytsai — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:41:49 -0800

Settle-a-bet-filter: Lets say that Hillary wins the primaries; would it be legal for Bill to run as her vice president? And how likely is this to occur?

How do I vote strategically in the presidential primaries?

box — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:08:11 -0800

I live in Arkansas. It's a Super Tuesday state, and I can vote in either party primary. Polls currently suggest that Clinton and Huckabee (both of whom have Arkansas ties) are way, way, way ahead in my state. I prefer Obama to Clinton, but I'm not in love with either of them, and, really, I just want to see a Democrat win the general election. Bearing all of this in mind, how should I vote in the primary?

How do primaries work?

Framer — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:45:02 -0800

Are primaries "private" functions of their respective parties, or are they "public"? Who decides how they work? The parties aren't public entities, and they clearly control much of the process -- when the primaries are held in each state, how delegates are parsed, and such. Just as the DNC is punishing MI and FL, could they decide to not even hold primaries in some states, let states choose their delegates based on height, or whatever? And who decides if a state is going to have caucuses (cauci?) or a primary? And it seems that the states' public agencies expend a fair amount of resources -- it's the board of elections that does the tallying, certifying, polling, etc. -- but are they required do do so? Do the parties help cover these costs? If not, could a third party expect the same resources to be made available to them? (No need for a big discussion about the viability of third parties and all that, just wondering.)

Will President Obama take my job away?

micketymoc — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:29:35 -0800

What would an Obama Presidency mean for the business process outsourcing industry? I work for a company that creates marketing materials for US clients. A growing number of my countrymen also work for call centers that do a lot of business with US companies. Barack Obama hinted in his SC victory speech that he would bring back jobs outsourced abroad. What does that mean for my company and its employees?

Has he made any concrete policy positions that would deal with business process outsourcing in particular?

I was impressed by Obama's SC victory speech, but I couldn't help but wonder if I was cheering for someone who would make life very difficult for my employers (and me) in the near future.

Milblogging the Election

k8lin — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:46:13 -0800

Are there deployed soldiers blogging about the US elections? I'm interested in seeing what currently deployed soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan have to say on blogs about the United States elections. While I'm specifically interested in reading about the current state primaries and the upcoming national election, I'd also like to read about previous elections as well, if possible. Are there any military blogs that mention the elections in a post or two? I did a cursory exploration of some popular milblogs and didn't come up with anything.
I'd also like to see if anyone talks about the experience of voting absentee when deployed.
I'm not looking for specific endorsements of candidates -- I know that's probably not out there -- just general thoughts on the electoral process in the United States.

Transportee-ocracy!

orthogonality — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:58:31 -0800

Can you give me a guide to the upcoming Australian federal elections? Please highlight with a broad arrow the close races, the bell weather ~~districts~~ constituencies, the handicapping, the pundits' best prognostications, and which web sites and times to watch real time results in the Dominions beyond the Seas?

Doing my homework

anonymous78 — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:20:04 -0800

I could offer excuses, but I won't. I'm unacceptably uninformed about the presidential hopefuls. Are there any good sites/articles offering summaries, breakdowns and/or analyses of the candidates' views/opinions on key issues? I'm primarily, but not exclusively, interested in the Democratic candidates.

Looking for online communities for newbie politicians?

libertaduno — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:17:17 -0800

I'm looking for online forums/community for politicians, especially for newbies, especially for independents, especially on how to get elected, best states to run in for different political bents, etc.