Early Voting Alters Campaign Strategies - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

Sacramento, Calif.  Nearly 8-million mail in ballots have been sent out for this November's election, half a million more than the 2008 election. That increase in the number of voters, who cast their ballots early, can alter the strategy for a campaign.

In California, 40% of the electorate is now voting by mail. Previously, people who voted by mail were older, largely conservative, and more likely to be republican, according to California State University Professor, Dr. Kim Nalder. That trend has really shifted in the last decade. So now you have far younger voters, nalder says, and people who are more independent-minded, voting early. And the campaign targeting has to change along with that. Nowadays, a campaign's commercial would be broadcast, at a totally different point in the campaign than a decade ago- a direct effect of early voting.

Under california election code (2188), campaigns and candidates can access the state's voter registration database that shows by name, who has voted. It also shows that person's address and their party affiliation, thus allowing campaigns to tailor their strategies to those who haven't voted yet.

Dr Kim Nalder said "So for the initiative campaigns they're doing a lot of ground-level get out the vote efforts and it's easier for them because they can look at lists of who has voted already and so they can target their likely voters especially for something like prop 32 which is very union focused so the unions can actually really carefully look at those lists and encourage those who haven't voted already to vote."

According to dr. Nalder, there's a dangers to early voting  particularly when it comes to congressional races and ballot initiatives. Things can change late in a campaign season, she says, and there are no do-overs when it comes to voting.