Getting out the Vote

Mr. Sunshine is just going to have to deal with his disappointment. You know, he lives up in Saratoga Springs, and the food is better there. Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t care less about the FUSSYlittleBALLOT.

But he’s not alone. Getting people to vote for this thing is harder than it seems. And each subsequent year I do this, I attempt to get over an additional hurdle that tripped me up the year before. For example, this year there are no protest votes for businesses we would like to see in the Capital Region. Also this year there was reader participation from the very beginning, and we spent many weeks mulling over establishments that should get included on the ballot.

Still, people have their reservations.

A big thing I hear is that people think it’s just wrong. Somehow a group of people voting together to try and swing the results of an election is just undemocratic. Which is crazy, since that is how campaigns work. Political parties (who represent blocks of voters) try to figure out which candidates will best fulfill their goals (in something called primaries), and then encourage their members to vote for the candidates in the general election.

You know what’s wrong? Buying a stack of newspapers with printed ballots in them, and filling them out on behalf of your customers. It’s clever. And for a thousand bucks or so, you’ve got a pretty good chance of coming out on top of the poll. That is of course, unless you are found out, and a dedicated bunch of citizens counters with a plan of their own.

The above scenario is not hypothetical. Read on.

Today, I am not naming names. But I have heard the same story from two separate sources. One is a trusted friend of mine. The other was some concerned citizen who sent me an email to vent about these shenanigans.

Here is a blurb from the email:

A local establishment purchased “thousands” of copies of [the issue] that contained the annual “Best of…” survey. They are giving it to their customers along with a free “treat” to vote for them.

Now I don’t have anything free to give away. But even still, I’m thinking that if I were armed with a couple thousand paper ballots, it would be fairly easy to find people to ascribe their names and contact information to the sheet. I could even make sure it was conveniently filled out before they did so.

If only I had an extra few thousand dollars and some interns.

I’ll be honest. For a moment I thought about getting in touch with this business owner to ask if they would consider filling in the rest of their ballots with our slate of local places. But then I thought better of it.

I want to encourage people to vote and tell their friends. I want the region to improve because there are others among us who want it to be better. This has never been about me inserting my will into the process. It’s about making the poll reflective of the positive changes that have been happening to Albany’s food culture over the last several years.

Places like Taiwan Noodle don’t just accidentally appear. Restaurant owners look around, and see that other places offering authentic Chinese dishes are being praised by critics and supported by local diners. It’s just that the people who love and support these foods aren’t well represented in the Times Union poll.

Getting restaurants like Kinnaree in the Times Union’s top spot is going to get new people in the door, and it’s going to expand the already growing market for better food.

But I digress.

The question for you now is, are you going to let those who would buy a victory in this poll get away with it? Because the answer isn’t to try and ignore their shenanigans and the results of this survey. The paper is too big, and the impact is too profound.

No. You fight fire with fire. You’ve got the power to thwart those efforts.

You join up with your fellow readers, and you vote for the full slate of the FUSSYlittleBALLOT. You tell this tale to your friends, family and coworkers and ask for their help too. You spread the word to anyone who will listen. And if need be, you hold their hand while they fill out the ballot online. We’ve got about a week left. It’s plenty of time to bring this effort to a critical mass. But we have to step up the effort now, if it’s going to happen.

When you see your friends this weekend, talk to them about it. If you go to temple or church, discuss the moral implications with your fellow congregants. Engage strangers in casual chitchat. Instead of talking about the weather, or how all the tulips will be dead come Tulip Fest, talk about the Times Union poll. 

It’s a lot to ask. I know. And I’m sure you are tired hearing about the TU poll. But I’m not buying votes, and I’m not making deals with those who do. So I need your help. If you’re struggling with ideas on what else you can do, email me, and I’ll give you some personalized suggestions. I’m serious.

Now let’s do it.