The last weeks before Election Day during the early-voting period, voters are bombarded with information through direct mail, texts and social media.
If you are a voter in a district where there are competitive races, no doubt your mailbox is stuffed with political mail. As of this writing, I am buried in 49 pieces of political mail; 37 of them are from just four legislative candidates. The remaining 12 are for five other races.
This year I’ve found some interesting things in mailers and not just in my district. (I get Democratic mail.)
First, there is the copycat flyer approach of endorsed candidates from Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico and something similar coming from candidates endorsed by Moms Demand Action. Same design, same exact message, same colors, just a different candidate picture. An impersonal strategy at best.
And speaking of Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico, in Senate District 9, Sandoval and Bernalillo counties, a flyer on behalf of their endorsed candidate claims the candidate has “a record in the Roundhouse” and “voted time after time to protect reproductive rights.” It’s not just misinformation — it’s a lie. Their candidate has never been elected or served in the Roundhouse.
Sloppy or intentional, PPVNM knows of the error but has yet to issue a retraction.
They aren’t the only ones. Equality New Mexico sent out a text message to some voters in House District 18, my district. The message claims that one of the candidates, Anjali Taneja, is “deeply involved with the corporate medical establishment.” Nothing is further from the truth. Taneja is a doctor who runs a medical clinic, many of whose patients are uninsured. It’s a highly contested race, between her and the Equality New Mexico lobbyist candidate. After an outcry, the director admitted he should have done it differently.
In Chaves County the race for Senate District 32 to replace outgoing Sen. Cliff Pirtle is between Rep. Candy Ezell and Chad Hamill. A Republican political action committee supporting Hamill sent a mailer accusing Ezell of being too liberal. Now that qualifies as the silly season in politics. Ezell is a tough talking farm girl, a no-holds-barred woman. She votes 100% of the time with Republicans — doesn’t believe in climate change or gun safety laws and supports cutting programs to reduce spending.
In Senate District 42, encompassing three southeastern counties, Rep. Larry Scott uses mail to accuse Sen. Steve McCutcheon of being cozy with the Democratic governor simply because he accepted her appointment to the vacant seat. But voters are smart. They understand that Scott, who also applied for the appointment, would have accepted if chosen.
Many of the same mailers are filled with endorsements from current or previous elected officials. Although political endorsements are the least effective, candidates spend lots of time securing them.
It’s a matter of debate what kind of endorsements work best and if they matter. An early endorsement might help secure a few activists. Late endorsements can help secure undecided voters in a tight race.
Endorsements from unions are described as a “call to arms” for members and sometimes come with volunteers, signs, and monetary resources.
Personal endorsements from longtime friends and colleagues and others outside the political class are many times the most powerful.
From a voter point of view how is it best to decipher this onslaught of information?
Fact check the information on mailers, texts, and social media.
Beware of candidates who promise the moon instead of focusing on your district’s needs.
Something to remember when you get negative mail: “Lies make it halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”
And finally, be your own endorser. GO VOTE!