It has taken several years before campaigns and political organizations fully embraced the Internet as part of the standard media mix. Prior to this, having a web savvy elections effort merely meant having a nice website and a catchy web address. However, the 2004 elections have seen the Internet play a new role in fundraising and building a grassroots support.
Online efforts still don’t surpass television and direct mail, but it is quickly developing a solid niche as a key retention and mobilizing weapon. In terms of influencing public opinion and reaching undecided voters, online campaigns have a long way to go; but in terms of organizing existing supporters it has become an indispensable tool. In fact, according to a recent Online Publishers Association survey, 68 percent of voters use the Internet to research candidates.
During the 2004 election cycle, there are several sites that the public can access and monitor political movements online. Among the best places to start are state and local political party sites. Such sites often have links to candidate resources not available anywhwhere else. While the national party sites provide in-depth information on national issues and highly visible campaigns, the state and local site provide the best resources elections closer to home.
DEMOCRATS
Democratic National Committee
www.democrats.org
Mostly covering grassroots activites at the national level, this website is very basic and does not include much issue-related information beyond the party platform.
Washington Democrats
www.wa-democrats.org
This site covers all the basics needed for party activists and people interested in getting more involved in politics.
Senate Democratic Campaign Committee
www.wa-senatedemocrats.org
Under construction, this website will likely have helpful information relating to State Senate campaigns closer to election day.
Washington State House Democratic Campaign Committee
www.hdcc.org
Much more thorough than its Senate counterpart, the House Democratic Campaign Committee shares helpful insights regarding announced and potential candidates: www.hdcc.org/running.htm.
Washington House Democrats Caucus
hdc.leg.wa.gov
Offers standard information on incumbent Democrats in the State House. Downloadable photos and media archives provide strong starting points for researchers.
Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus
www.sdc.wa.gov
A repository for press releases and news stories by Senate Democrats. Basic biographical information and downloadable photos are also available.
REPUBLICANS
Republican National Committee
www.rnc.org
Much more interactive an engaging than its Democrat counterpart, the Republican National website provides comprehensive issue information and responses to Democratic accusations.
Washington State Republican Party
www.wsrp.org
Another typical state party site, the State Republicans are on par with the State Democrats. Again, the most insightful pieces of information can be found on the candidate tracking page: http://www.wsrp.org/candidates.htm.
State Senate Republican Caucus
www.src.wa.gov
Similar in structure and content with the Senate Democratic Caucus, SRC is the place to go to find out about the activities of the Senate GOP.
State House Republican Caucus
hrc.leg.wa.gov
This site stands out by providing a little more information than any of the other caucus websites from either party. Issue priorities for the 2004 session provide a helpful preview of potential hot topics for the rest of the year.
State House Republican Campaigns
www.hrocmajority.org
HROC is an excellent place to pick up tidbits of information relating to House campaigns. The site also provides a handy calendar and candidate tracking: www.hrocmajority.org/candidates.htm.
OTHER SITES
To pick up more general information regarding state and local elections, there are a number of government and non-profits sites that can be of great help.
League of Women Voters -Washington Chapter
www.lwvwa.org
Another great place find non-partisan elections information for political races in Washington state.
Washington Secretary of State
www.secstate.wa.gov/elections
Register to vote, keep track of important election dates and learn about past election results.
Federal Election Commission
www.fec.gov
Keep track of the most recent candidate filings for Congress.
Public Disclosure Commission
www.pdc.wa.gov
The only source for campaign finance and candidate filings for statewide and legislative races.
