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Floyd-Mayo, a 16-year-old junior, and Simms, a 17-year-old senior, were "vote mobbing" -- a newfangled term for the old-fashioned campaign tactic of approaching people during public events such as ballgames or concerts -- as though their college admissions depended on it.
Just as Young Voter Project field coordinators taught them, they would first ask people if they were registered. Then, they'd ask them if they would sign a pledge to vote so that their names could be checked against voter rolls. Then, for polling purposes, they would ask them which candidate they were backing. Finally, if the people were still with them, they would ask if they were willing to volunteer to get out the vote.
But as in all 17 swing states, the ground game in Oregon this year is extensive and unprecedented. Groups working to defeat or reelect Bush have been hitting the streets for months. About two dozen organizations independent of both the Democratic Party and the Kerry-Edwards campaign are working collaboratively, including America Coming Together (ACT), the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the League of Conservation Voters. They've committed millions of dollars and thousands of foot soldiers to defeat Bush.
The Bush-Cheney campaign, not to be outdone, says it is fielding a ground army of more than 22,000 volunteers in Oregon, recruited since May 2003. The effort dwarfs the organizing the campaign did in 2000, when the Republicans had county chairs in all 36 counties in Oregon. This time, the campaign has precinct chairs in almost every precinct throughout the state, said Molly Bordonaro, the chairwoman of the campaign's northwest region. "Ours is a tremendous volunteer effort of individuals who feel passionate about reelecting Bush," she said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13145-2004Oct6.html?sub=AR
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