There’s one thing every candidate facing a primary Tuesday September 14 knows: turnout is likely not going to be very high, and that makes the "get out the vote" effort a critical one. Even those who are running for the first time are aware of its significance.
"I'm not an old hand at this, but from everything I've learned, it is very important to get out the vote,” said Glen Urquhart, who faces Michele Rollins in the Republican primary for Delaware’s lone seat in the U.S House of Representatives.
Rollins goes one step further: “It is the most important thing,” said Rollins.
The numbers explain why making sure that supporters actually show up at the polls is a necessity. In 2008, with a hotly contested Democratic governor’s primary between Jack Markell and John Carney topping the ballot, only 28 percent of the state’s registered Democrats voted. On the Republican side, a mere 16 percent of registered Republican voters showed up to weigh in on the GOP governor’s primary pitting Bill Lee against Mike Protack. In 2006, with a Republican primary for U.S. Senate and a Democratic primary for U.S. House, only 8 percent of republicans and 7 percent of Democrats voted.
Delaware’s Republican party hopes its “Victory Operation,” launched last month will help increase its turnout in both the primary and general elections. The national Republican party provided Delaware’s GOP with three full-time staffers charged with bolstering voter outreach and turnout efforts from two new field offices in Wilmington and Georgetown. It’s also providing technical assistance in the form of high-tech phone banks that can increase the number of calls made and the speed with which information from those calls is processed.
"What it really is, is national people bringing us the tools to empower our grassroots Delawareans,” said Delaware GOP Party Chairman Tom Ross. “Rather than a good, solid Delaware volunteer hand-dialing a phone eight hours a day, get a high tech phone system that can dial for them so they can talk to more friends, family, and neighbors and get the message out.”
Tad Rupp, who ran Tim Burns’ unsuccessful bid to win the special election for the late John Murtha’s house seat in Pennsylvania, is handling the Delaware “Victory Operation.” Rupp says the primary is being used as a ”dry run” for what they hope to accomplish in November. But considering the attention on both the Mike Castle-Christine O’Donnell U.S Senate primary and the House primary showdown between Rollins and Urquhart, Rupp acknowledges its usefulness now.
"While our focus is on electing Republicans in November, this comes in stages and we need to make sure the right people are nominated,” said Rupp. "When you look at the past, primaries in Delaware have not been high turnouts. People haven’t had a lot of reason to come out and vote in a primary. I think this year people realize the implication of who we elect in our primary is going to affect (what happens) in November.”
Rollins, the Republicans’ endorsed candidate in the House race sees the benefits of the beefed up party support. “When you add that support to the race you feel pretty good about it,” said Rollins. Urquhart claims he’s unconcerned about any edge that support may give his opponent, adding he feels it could backfire. “The establishment endorsement, this year, as we've seen in Alaska and many other races this year is something of a liability,” said Urquhart. "People don't want the establishment anymore because they are suspicious.”
Delaware’s Democratic Party is not ramping up a major "get out the vote" campaign for the primary. The only statewide primary for the Democrats is the treasurer’s race between Chip Flowers and incumbent Velda Jones-Potter. The party’s acting executive director Katie Ellis says their efforts Tuesday will be “pretty limited–just rides to the polls,” leaving it to individual candidates to get their supporters out.
State Representative Earl Jaques is among the democrats seeking votes on Tuesday as he attempts to fend off a primary challenge in the 27th district from James Maravelias. Representative Jaques understands he can’t rely assistance from the party, so he’s worked to mobilize support since May.
"We started off door-knocking the entire district and now we are phone-banking the entire district,” said Representative Jaques. Jaques' sister and campaign manager Elaine Walker adds they’ve even gone beyond those standard practices. "Personal postcards have been sent to different people, handwritten postcards,” said Walker.
Those efforts will culminate with one last push by the Jaques campaign Tuesday. "On primary day, we will have what they call 'knock and drag' at the last hours where we will go to people's houses to get out the vote,” said Representative Jaques.
But even the best get out the vote strategy can be sunk by voter complacency or apathy. “If the feeling is that there is no problem and I'm fine and they get relaxed and stay home, you never know what could happen,” said Rollins. So, Urquhart says you are left holding your breath that the enthusiasm you saw on the campaign trail carries voters to the polls. "You can't buy commitment and passion,” said Urquhart.