Alachua Voter Guide

I plan on using more of these to promote Alachua Voter Guide. I have used YouTUbe to show candidate forums in High Springs before. I hope some candidates or their helpers will do the same…

Although your intrepid webmaster has been absent due to other projects, this site continues to get a steady flow of visitors. In the month of May, so far, we are averaging 150 visitors per day. That is not bad for a relatively esoteric subject such as local candidates for office. In a county where most people can name all eight of Santa’s Reindeer and all seven of Snow White’s Dwarves, few people can name 3 of their 5 county commissioners. Go ahead. Ask around. I’ve done it.

As I have been updating the site, I have been trying to track down the web sites that local candidates have made for this coming election. When Googling their names, I never get their websites, if they have them. I get THIS site on the first page of results, however, almost every time. So, if you are going to bother making a campaign website, it had better get listed here, or precious few people will find it.

I am also granting all candidates blogging privileges. That means that I give each one a username and password, and that they (or more likely a member of their campaign) can communicate directly with the people who come to this site. And they should start early. After all, 150 visitors a day adds up. And this is a slow month. February and April were both over 160, and people are not even really looking yet. In the closing days of the campaigns, we get 300-700 per day.

And best of all, this is free, and equally so. This site accomplishes, on the local level, what Campaign Finance Reform does not. It’s a level playing field. But you’ve got to  come to play…

Later,

Don Marsh

I have initiated a new spam catcher to see how it works. You may comment on the articles, but your first comment will be held for moderation. Once I know you are not a spammer I will approve you for future unmoderated comments.

Now that the January 29 election is over, I have deleted the user accounts of the candidates, except for Bonnie Mott and Lauren Poe. They still have about 3 weeks to go before their runoff. I have also changed the polls on the poll page. One is for District 2 voters to weigh in with their preference in the runoff. The other is to give a response to the Transgender Ordinance.

I am also turning off comments. People don’t use it, and all I get is drug and porn spam posted there every day. If you want to give me feedback on any of the articles, send me an email at dmarsh@donaldmarsh.com.

From now on, there will be a link to the poll at the top of the site. It’s just a free javascript poll that I have used for years on local elections sites. They are seldom a reflection of reality, but they are a good way to encourage your fellow citizens to participate in local elections.

Now keep it clean,
Don Marsh, your intrepid webmaster