How to Engage in Tactical Voting
Choose a political party., Evaluate each candidate., Research the popularity of candidates and parties., Create a network of like-minded voters.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a political party.
The party you choose will likely have overarching values that you agree with.
So if your sincere preference is to vote for candidate X but X is clearly not going to win, you might be better off voting for another candidate in your party who does have a likelihood of winning.
By choosing a political party, at least your general views will likely be represented in office if a candidate from your party wins.
In some cases, party preference will actually determine what candidates you can vote for in the primaries.
For example, in a California closed presidential primary, only voters who have indicated their party preference can vote for their party’s presidential nominee.You can choose a political party by filling out a new voter registration form.
You can fill out this form either online or in person. -
Step 2: Evaluate each candidate.
Do your due diligence by learning about the candidates and the issues they are passionate about.
Read articles or op-eds written about or by the candidates online or in newspapers.
Look for an official voter information guide.
Listen to radio podcasts about the election or watch televised candidate speeches and debates.
Look through each candidate’s website.
The information will be biased, but you can still use it as a guide to determine what issues the candidates are most passionate about.
You could also attend a debate or a forum in person.
Consult your local party for information on how to obtain tickets. , You can most easily do this by keeping track of favorability, opinion, or exit polls, all of which can be found online.
You can also gauge general consensus about the favorability of different parties and candidates by regularly listening to the news or reading about political developments.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters from reliable sites like the New York Times, Politico, or the Wall Street Journal to stay updated about breaking news or political developments. , You don’t necessarily have to undertake a tactical voting strategy on your own.
Voting is in great part a numbers game, so the more people who adopt your desired strategy, the more likely it is that your election goals will be met.
You can advocate for your views and create a network by recruiting others to vote, hosting discussions so you can learn about different views and talk to others about your own, and even driving people to polls. -
Step 3: Research the popularity of candidates and parties.
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Step 4: Create a network of like-minded voters.
Detailed Guide
The party you choose will likely have overarching values that you agree with.
So if your sincere preference is to vote for candidate X but X is clearly not going to win, you might be better off voting for another candidate in your party who does have a likelihood of winning.
By choosing a political party, at least your general views will likely be represented in office if a candidate from your party wins.
In some cases, party preference will actually determine what candidates you can vote for in the primaries.
For example, in a California closed presidential primary, only voters who have indicated their party preference can vote for their party’s presidential nominee.You can choose a political party by filling out a new voter registration form.
You can fill out this form either online or in person.
Do your due diligence by learning about the candidates and the issues they are passionate about.
Read articles or op-eds written about or by the candidates online or in newspapers.
Look for an official voter information guide.
Listen to radio podcasts about the election or watch televised candidate speeches and debates.
Look through each candidate’s website.
The information will be biased, but you can still use it as a guide to determine what issues the candidates are most passionate about.
You could also attend a debate or a forum in person.
Consult your local party for information on how to obtain tickets. , You can most easily do this by keeping track of favorability, opinion, or exit polls, all of which can be found online.
You can also gauge general consensus about the favorability of different parties and candidates by regularly listening to the news or reading about political developments.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters from reliable sites like the New York Times, Politico, or the Wall Street Journal to stay updated about breaking news or political developments. , You don’t necessarily have to undertake a tactical voting strategy on your own.
Voting is in great part a numbers game, so the more people who adopt your desired strategy, the more likely it is that your election goals will be met.
You can advocate for your views and create a network by recruiting others to vote, hosting discussions so you can learn about different views and talk to others about your own, and even driving people to polls.
About the Author
Jean Moore
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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