Facing sagging enthusiasm, Democrats are utilizing various novel tactics to get voters to show up to the polls in November.
Two of the main targets are young voters, who, though still supporting President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump, have expressed a wane in enthusiasm, as well as elderly people, who historically side with Republicans. Democrats are increasingly catering specifically to these two demographics’ interests, to the extent that the Trump campaign has denounced it as bribery.
In different events across the country, sponsored or thrown directly by the Democratic Party, campaign operatives are offering free beer, free contraceptives, music concerts, free food, manicures, rent check sweepstakes, boot shines, comedy shows, and dance parties, among other incentives. These are all specifically geared toward boosting enthusiasm from young voters.
In a statement, top Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita dismissed the efforts as amounting to a cynical ploy.
“The only way a weak, failed, and corrupt leader’s allies can entice a populace to continue four more years of disastrous policies is to get them liquored up,” he told the Washington Post. “Biden should stop treating young voters, Black and Hispanic voters like they are stupid. His liberal financiers will stop paying rent bills and throwing block parties the second the election is over — and go back to ignoring their interests as they always have.”
Kevin Mack, the lead strategist for The Voter Project, which has been throwing events in Pennsylvania, told the outlet that he believes such incentives may prove critical in November.
“Turning people out to cultural events is not a hard thing to do,” he said. “The key thing is to make it fun and keep out the doom and gloom. They will take actions automatically. It is not a big push.”
Ashley Spillane, founder of the Civic Responsibility Project, said she agrees, and she has tried to increase voter turnout by enlisting musical talent.
“I think because of the pandemic and the general heaviness that is in the air right now, the loneliness epidemic, there is some really strong evidence that having these in-person gatherings and having them meet face to face is both beneficial to them and beneficial to the cause,” she told the outlet.
The Biden campaign is also launching Seniors for Biden-Harris to streamline its efforts to win over elderly voters. One of the initiatives offered is organizing pickleball tournaments, NBC News reported.
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Donald Green, a political scientist at Columbia University, reportedly said the new civic efforts are reminiscent of the early United States.
“It is very 19th century in a way,” he said. “Before the so-called progressive era reforms of 1880s, you would have a marching band, you would have entertainment, you would have free whiskey for a male-only electorate.”