The subject line says it all -- Don't buy emails for GOTV. You may have gotten solicitations from groups like Advocacy Data (see below) sent out earlier today that essentially say, "Buy our emails, it will help you get more votes for your candidate." It won't. They will tell you that their emails are "opt-in." They aren't. They may have opted-in somewhere along the line to someone's email list, but they sure didn't opt-in to your candidate's email list. Email is a medium where people only want to hear from those with whom they have a relationship and have given permission. Need more data? The Analyst Institute says "At least eight studies have show that GOTV emails are not an effective way to increase turnout." Additionally, your email vendor may turn off your access completely to sending more email, because sending emails to purchased lists makes all of their clients' emails go into spam folders.

Not only is buying emails for GOTV ineffective, it's lazy. As we teach at NOI, if you actually want to build power and win elections with online tools, those tools need to be connected to smart strategy. The strategy we advocate, Engagement Organizing, is based on the idea that campaigns of any size can engage their constituents as whole people, not just email addresses or open wallets. This requires relationship building, not just email blasting. Email can build engaging relationships with whole people, but not if you buy an email address and spam it once or twice. That's just a waste of time. Instead, when you build a relationship over time with your supporter / voters / activists, and get them to feel deeply connected to your goals, they will not only support / vote / act for you, they will become your evangelists. That's not as "easy" as buying a list, but it's infinitely more effective. Save your GOTV dollars for tactics that work.

Original cash photo by thetruthabout.