Many consultants will find themselves back in the trenches, in one form or another today.
Whether that's monitoring turnout for a host of clients, simply making supporter calls or jumping in to help with Election Day canvassing, consultants will look to apply their cycles of knowledge to their clients’ pressing problems before the polls close.
So we asked a range of consultants to share their Election Day survival tips:
Check Your Inbox
Brett Schenker, a deliverability specialist at NGP VAN, has this advice: “For those knee deep in it this Tuesday my advice is to realize all of those email blasts aren't going to be read when you want them to be read and contextual emails are the way to do for the day. But, the biggest thing I think that's overlooked is the inbox,” he said.
“There's a decent amount of people who respond back or email campaigns during the day and that could be data that's all the difference and people who need help getting to the polls. For all of the contact being made, pay attention to those who are trying to contact you too.”
Have Your Content Teed Up
Digital consultant Brian Ross Adams said having content ready to distribute on Election Day is key. “I like to make sure I have all the content I need ready for that day, including memes reminding people of poll closing times, ‘thank you for voting’ and any comments necessary for conceding defeat or celebrating victory,” Adams said. “Election Day can get very, very hectic. It's best to be prepared for any and all eventualities.”
Remember To Eat
Low blood sugar is a killer when you need to be on for 20 hours straight, warns JR Starrett, who has managed and worked on a host of races.
“Remember to eat,” he advised. “Election Day is full of ups and downs, but your glucose levels shouldn't be. Remember to give your team time to eat to ensure they have the energy to make it across the finish line. Better yet, be a good manager and send food to your office or staging locations to ensure [each] team is filled [up] and focused for the final hours.”
Find The Right Dashboard
That’s what Ashleigh Grant, director of political accounts and strategy at IMGE, a Republican digital firm, has learned.
“I religiously check DecisionDeskHQ's Twitter account, the Twitter accounts of the hardy band of volunteers that head up the project and their tracking site. They are faster than the AP and correct, so I'm ready before results are confirmed on the networks,” she said.
She suggested subscribing to their dashboard. “You support an awesome organization and get additional access that's behind the paywall,” said Grant.
Keep Your Finger Nails Long
Phillip Stutts, a GOP media consultant who heads Go BIG Media, recalled Election Days spent pacing the office, chewing down his nails. But he found other ways to channel that energy.
“During the Bush years, I followed the general, Karl Rove, and knocked on doors and made phone calls to undecided voters,” he said. “Now, I'm tracking client GOTV digital efforts and appearing on TV, yapping and predicting.”
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
Red Print Strategies’ Casey Phillips, a GOP media consultant, is among those whose work is done by the time Election Day rolls around. His routine, he told C&E, “is to buy cigars and whiskey then check in with the ground teams to see how they should be properly deployed.”
Encourage Friends And Family To Vote, Or Not
GOP communications consultant Chris Faulkner spends his Election Day dispensing wisdom to those close to him.
“I like to remind friends, family and anyone who will listen that handling a ballot should be like handling a gun,” he said. “If you don’t know how or what to do with it — leave it in the holster.”