How to GOTV Like a Boss
And Make the Cool Kids Jealous of Your Infinite Rizz
Written by JayDee; Edited by nlaumeyer, Grea Kriopia, and SkyGreen
Hey Guys! JayDee here! Are you surprised by the results of the last couple elections? Are you disappointed that you didn’t see a closer and more exhilarating race? Do you think GOTVing is a big hack that the cool elites aren’t sharing with you? Well do I have a big secret for you!
You guys may know me as a guy who tricked the region into making me President not once, not twice, but three times in a row!! Now, if I were to grade my overall performance, I’d probably give myself a B+, you know the kind of B+ which easily could be rounded to an A- but you have one of those teachers who just refuses to round up your grade? However, if I were to grade my second term, it would probably be a strong C, maybe a C+ if I’m being generous (to myself). It would seem the rest of the region agreed with me, seeing as I became the first President in over a decade to lose to Nobody.
What you may not know is that the polls leading up to my third election had me trailing quite heavily behind the Elio/Sincluda ticket which had a 30 point advantage over me in the only poll to be run during the Re-Open Election period. Now, before I go on to talk about GOTV, my GOTV efforts alone did not win that election. This poll was run before a few major events in the election cycle, including the organized regional debate and one that was a bit less organized which supposedly pushed me over the edge.
All that is to say, GOTV alone won’t win elections; there are many factors at play, any one of them can be the difference between victory and defeat. Hypotheticals are impossible to predict accurately so there’s no way of knowing what might’ve been, but there’s no doubt a good GOTV effort will help you break away from a narrow victory or maybe even squeeze a first round Dub in a crowded field.
So I think we’ve established that I was a good President, but good enough to get elected to a third term? Well enough people had their doubts that I had to pull all the stops and make sure I was checking all my bases. So what makes a good GOTV? Whether you’re running for Senate or President, these are some crucial tips that may put you over the Golden Standard©.
Well, the first and most obvious step is to know who you can and can not GOTV to. The easiest way to lose votes is to piss someone off who doesn’t want to be bothered by your messages. I made this mistake once, thankfully the person I GOTV’d meant to take their name off the list anyways so I got a lucky break. Mistakes happen, so if you accidentally GOTV someone on the opt-out list just apologize and move on. That does not mean “accidentally” GOTV someone to get their attention though…just don’t.
Alright, so now you have everyone you can GOTV in a nice Excel sheet (I’m not sharing mine, it’s proprietary), but the Citizenship Spreadsheet is always a good place to start. The next thing to do is color code or identify citizens according to their perceived leanings. For example, in the election with Kazaman and McEntire I had color codes for each candidate and then different colors to signify whether they were leaning towards a particular candidate or had confirmed support.
Knowing where people stand is important to making efficient use of your time and avoiding spamming people who you’re simply not going to convince. It also shows where to put most of your effort. In this election, focusing on Kazaman was critical as he was my main opponent so drawing away supporters was basically like getting two votes for the price of one. However, McEntire was also important as it was likely at least some of her voters were Anti-Kazaman so drawing their support to avoid a run-off was also critical. Your colors will likely change several times, there were a lot of people in the election with Kaz and Elio that I had as sure non-supporters who ended up supporting me and just as many sure supporters who ended up voting for my competitors.
The next step is to actually GOTV, not simply the act of doing it, but knowing where and how often to poke a person as well as who should do the poking. If you’re running for President then you have a whole other person running alongside you that can reach crowds you may not have as much success with. You may also have supporters who are willing to GOTV for you though this can have mixed results. If you’re running for Senate, you may be on your own but I’ve frequently made joint GOTV efforts with other Senators. In the first election, I ran with Pichto who was leaving a very successful term as Minister of Gameside, that made him the natural choice to GOTV to those on the Gameside as well as those who worked primarily in the Ministry of Gameside Affairs. Furthermore, his time in Euro made him the best choice to reach out to some of the older members who had more history in Europeia and might feel more inclined to support Kazaman. The same thing went for Vor, who GOTV’d the ERN Sailors after two very successful terms as their Grand Admiral. Also know who’s friends with who; NS is a social game and people are simply more inclined to vote for someone they’re friends with. In a close race, a good social game can be the difference between the Goldenblock and the Not Goldenblock.
Now, it’s all about timing and location. Being the first to GOTV is crucial, there are people who will vote for you simply because you were the first to reach out. Knowing where to reach out is also important, reach out to people where they’re most likely to see your message. I’ve had people who voted for me simply because I reached out to them on the forum or via Telegram on the NS page. However, GOTVing is a constant effort, be sure to check on people at least once before polls are set to open and again when they do open. The best time to gauge support is typically after a major event like a debate as this will be when people are most engaged in the electoral process. Be sure not to GOTV too much though, you don’t want to come across as desperate or pushy to people who are still indecisive.
However, the best GOTV is a good campaign. Stick to your ideals but show that you’re willing to learn and grow. I managed to defeat the region’s foremost expert in FA while we were only just recovering from an FA crisis which was largely resolved by Kazaman. I did so by demonstrating my willingness to listen to people like Kazaman while still being able to hold to my ideals and show that I’d put the region before personal interests. I managed to defeat a very talented newcomer with the wind on his tail by showing the knowledge I had gained during my tenure but also the humility I held on to. Be someone that people want to elect; that doesn’t mean bending to the ideals of the region to make yourself more appealing, it means showing a hunger for knowledge and the humility to grow.
Even the greatest GOTV of all time can’t overcome a mid-tier platform and campaign effort, but it can make a huge difference in close elections. No matter what office you’re gunning for, following these tips will be crucial to getting the word out there and getting you the extra push you need.
Good Luck!!
