The Romney campaign has stepped up to make a monumental change in the way campaigns are run. Project Orca is the Election Day Task force using the best-of-the-best reliable volunteers to monitor polling places. If successfully executed, will be the standard for all future campaigns. And no, Orca is not an acronym. It stands for the killer whale, the king of the sea. Even the name screams, “We are not your typical beltway show.” The purpose of Project Orca is to efficiently allocate resources on Election Day using the information on the ground from 20,000 volunteers placed strategically in polling places across the nation. Using 20 years of voter information and micro-targeting data, the Romney Campaign has a 93% chance of knowing who each voter is casting their ballot for. Project Orca will allow the Romney Campaign to instantaneously know who has walked into vote at every polling place across the country in which they have strategically placed their volunteers.
Volunteers of Project Orca will be credentialed poll watchers who will record who votes at their polling place through a smart phone app, preloaded with the registered voters specific to that polling place. The app will already have the early and absentee voters recorded on it to allow the Romney legal team to contest votes from those early and often voters. The information will be relayed directly to Gov. Romney at the war room in Boston, which he will use to make tactical decisions based on the data that is sent back. If there is a low turnout in an area where Romney should be winning, they will start the robo calls in that area and other get-out-the-vote tactics. Project Orca data will be linked in with the Romney phone-from-home program and victory centers. Election Day volunteers will be able to use the Project Orca data to focus on calling the pro-Romney voters who haven’t voted yet, which means no more wasting time and resources on people that have already voted. Too often, political campaigns have a lack of information on polling day to know how to most effectively spend time and resources to getting out the vote. Project Orca will be feeding from on the ground poll watchers to accurately know who has voted and allow the Romney campaign to maximize turnout on all fronts.
The reason why Project Orca is so important is because there are 7 or 8 states that could go in any direction. If the Romney Campaign does not have a spot on ground game it could sacrifice the election. Project Orca is the most novel state-of-the-art electioneering that has ever been used in such magnitude and the Obama Campaign has nothing comparable to the intricate and well thought out Romney Election Day plan. And if we have learned anything from campaigns, it all comes down to getting out the vote. Project Orca is a turning point in the history of electioneering, and the strategy will be repeated years to come.
I think this is a very excellent idea
My husband is a credentialed Orca volunteer and in NC, he has just been kicked out of the polls. They are allowing a Democratic poll watcher to stay.
Now, this is dirty politics.
Great idea,
Well good, maybe the UN watchdogs ordered by Obama can go home then.
This is why we need the UN more. Why don’t you wan the UN there? If there is fraud wound’t it be good to have them there to stop it? Or are you worried they will stop YOUR voter fraud?
Are you kidding? Because the UN is run by banana-repoublic thugs
you must be kidding- why would the United States of America be subject to rule of the UN? Have you ever even read the Constitution?
Because UN observers, historically speaking, are pedophiles, rapists, and murderers who come from thugish dictatorships who have no clue how democracy works. You must be from either California or New York.
Well you got your breaking news Stockton, are you happy now?
I am a volunteer working this program and the process is going to be a game changer!
So how can I become a volunteer, I’d like to help out too.
Hi Danta, I received an email from the Romney campaign asking for volunteers. Dan Centinello is the contact person for project Orca: centinello@mittromney.com. Good-luck and let’s get out the vote!
The project will also rely on people manning the phones to help remind people to vote – basically half the purpose of the project is to help make sure people manning the phones call the people who haven’t voted yet, instead of wasting calls on people who have already voted.
So you are going to harass people who like like liberals to stop them from voting? NICE.
We don’t care what the liberals do. All we want is for our people to vote
It is my belief that the authority (GAB) regulating my polling place (Dane County, Wisconsin) will permit very little of what ORCA hopes that a volunteer will accomplish.
Are you aware of Wisconsin being more rigid and strict, thus not allowing all of the ORCA mission to be accomplished?
Laura Burno
Stoughton WI 53589 (voting in Town of Rutland, County of Dane)
They should kick anything ORCA in the a&! and call the police because ORCA is a crime scene awaiting to happen!! To jail will all ORCA affiliates!! All ORCA volunteers are crooks that are on government assistance :<)
abby-
“They should kick anything ORCA in the a&! and call the police because ORCA is a crime scene awaiting to happen!! To jail will all ORCA affiliates!! All ORCA volunteers are crooks that are on government assistance :<)"
1-It is completely legal, so no crime scene….unless you plan to do like several other democrats and try to vote illegally.
2-Why jail individuals whoare there to ensure the election proces is fair…you got a problem with someone watcing you, protecting your right to vote? If so, why?
2- We have all been trained what to watch for, where to watch from, and what our job is. No one is there to stop ayone from voting, but we shall surely challenge any voter without proper ID, possibly voting more than once, and to ensure that ALL voters have and EQUAL opportunity to be FAIRLY treated.
Sorry chick – no welfare free loaders here.
Obviously you have no idea what you’re talking about. I am a volunteer and we intend to get out the vote…..and that’s all!
Laura,
Please be advised that this can be done in any state as it is protect under the Federal Election Commission rules.
Edward Drum
Timothy, I too am a volunteer for my polling location in Florida. I think this is an absolutely remarkable idea, and I am looking forward to volunteering at the polls and getting Romney in office!!!
I would like to help, but I am in a very rural area of South Carolina. I have a smart phone and a daughter who clued me in on this. She is doing it and I’d like to help, also.
I don’t believe there is any legal reason we can’t do this. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the left organizes something hostile (and illegal) against us in some areas. Hope it doesn’t get ugly!
IT’S ALREADY UGLY! Thanks to the republicans and all their dirty tricks
Agree 1000%
Actually stopping people who are registered to vote IS illegal. And we will stop you. You will not steal this election.
right like this ?
Black Panther Uses Night Stick as Intimidation – YouTube
Are you stupid or what? Why would we want to prevent our base from voting. You should know what you’re talking about before you speak!
Orca volunteers are instructed not to speak to the voters at all. They are only watching to make sure there are no antics like the Dems pulled in 2008.
For those who asked how to volunteer for Project ORCA – check out website
http://www.mittromney.com/forms/apply-election-day-task-force-0
I am in Raleigh,N.C. And would like to know who to contact for whatever training course,etc. that is required. I have an iPhone and iPad.
I, too, am an Orca volunteer in The Villages, FL. Initially, my county refused permission to allow electronic devices inside the polling place. After contacting Orca director, Dan Centinello, & my Supervisor of Elections, permission was granted. Please do not wait until election day if you perceive a problem. Contact both Dan Centinello & your county supervisor.
Roberta .. how are you getting around the Florida Law that says NO Cameras in a voting place .. and that includes cameras on cell phones, tablets, etc?
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Ummm .. dah, you don’t need a photo I.D. in Iowa.
Welcome to MSNBC. They are having a “field day” with this one!
This entire program is nothing but crap. Another desperate caper put into play by a losing candidacy. I began the footwork for one of the many lawsuits about to be filed this afternoon. Thanks for playing.
“…to allow the Romney legal team to contest votes from those early and often voters?!!” So, you’re suggesting that those who vote with absentee ballots, or in early voting commit fraud by voting more than once?! Impossible, since, by your own further statements in this piece, those voters have already voted and cannot vote again, so won’t be targeted by Romney’s get out the vote effort. Apparently what you mean is to allow the Romney legal team to contest any votes for presidential candidates other than Romney. Or perhaps ORCA’s app & cyber communication will allow these “poll watchers” to intimidate those not voting for Romney and suppress the vote, since it is well known that elections with high voter turn-out favor Democratic candidates. Doesn’t that tell you something about our United States of America? When more people vote, we elect more Democrats! Which leaves your side with the anti-American tactic of trying to get fewer people to vote. Why not go all the way and support a Republican fascist dictatorship? Then you won’t have to worry about these pesky American voters making the choices they want, which, when most people vote isn’t a Republican! Maybe Rawmoney could be your first choice for American dictator!
Project Orca volunteers won’t be able to see the actual votes.
If they happen to see filling out multiple ballots and feeding them through, they might notify someone who might mention something to the poll supervisor.
PS It will be interesting to see if the moderator of this site supports free speech and posts my comment. Probably not, since the suppression of free speech generally accompanies the suppression of votes…
I am volunteering and have been trained. Since the app only has registered Republican’s there is no way to suppress or even monitor duplicate votes so all you Dem’s crying foul is 100% incorrect.
Sorry NH GOP, you’re incorrect.
Im an ORCA volunteer serving here in rural Ohio. The app contains names of ALL registered voters in the precinct in which you are serving in, regardless of party. All of this information is available from the local voter rolls. If we see anything that could be illegal such as someone who is obviously trying to vote twice, broken voting machines, incorrect voting list, fraud, or any illegal activity, then we let the legal team know and they will address it.
I hope some Republican mook comes knocking on my door on election day.
I am so excited and proud to be a Orca volunteer, Other than the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, this is the most important election for a generation of Americans! Mitt Romney is the right leader with the right solutions at the right time, and after tuesday it “Will be morning again in America”
God bless
This data compilation effort is just plain forward thinking. Something Obama has no knowledge of. It will simply help Romney over the finish line in first place.
It’s amusing that you think the Obama campaign had no “data compilation effort.” His campaign was leaps and bounds ahead of the curve on data gathering, analysis, and response. By all reports, the president’s ground game ran circles around Romney’s campaign on election day, with an unprecedented GOTV effort that enabled them to win every swing state besides NC – and NC was surprisingly close.
It helps that the GOP continued alienating moderate voters in both parties throughout the primary and general campaigns. Your politics of exclusion, suppression, fear- and hate-mongering are more ineffective than ever. I hope the GOP recalibrates itself and divests the hateful fringe elements and returns to being a responsible, rational, ethical party that stands for core conservative values and wants to help ALL Americans, not just the elderly white ones.
So, how did that work out for ya, Mitt? lol
Well, that certainly didn’t work out like you thought it would, did it?
Electronic devices can be used for very nefarious things when it comes to our rather too easy to hack elections devices (owned and run by R-leaning bizmen). This Project Orca sounds like a stinking pile of election fraud to me. Explains why Dick Morris was so sure…and Karl Rove was so furious. Foiled again, a$$hats.
As a democrat, I found this thread to be highly entertaining! Thank you all for that laugh.
Orca got harpooned!
Thanks for the laugh. What makes the laugh even heartier is the abject arrogance and snarkiness of the Romney folks in their certainty of the brilliance of Project Orca.
Nice job guys. You really brought it home . . .
A Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha….killer whale! A Ha Ha Ha. Dorks!
What IS Project Orca?
project who?
say what?
Hm-mm, great news….didn’t work as promised!
Wow, this was truly an entertaining read in light of the Orca truth now emerging from frustrated volunteers attempting to utilize this “new technology.” I’m not going to gloat or argue politics here, only observe that the Romney Camp was sold a steaming pile with this one. It is not misguided to observe that the “small government” side of the political equation became mired in a meltdown of a top-down, hands-off large-scale solution while the “big government” operatives relied on good old fashioned shoe leather and eyeball-to-eyeball, personal contact in their respective get out the vote efforts. Lessons learned, water under the bridge … one assumes the R’s will approach 2016 with a greater amount of wisdom and common sense.
Actually, project Orca worked quite well, considering it was a major software projects in its first day of deployment. There were a couple of brief crashes, but it provided the information the campaign wanted.
Obviously, it couldn’t compensate for the fact that as the incumbent, Obama could spend all his primary donations towards the general election, giving him effectively double the general election financing of Romney, and could do things like delay the record high food stamp usage report until after the election. The incumbency advantages that won the election for Obama didn’t have anything to do with project Orca, though.
It appears that the Orca approach came top-down from Romney. Romney was a successful capitalist in the sense of buying companies and selling the pieces and offshoring jobs and increasing the bottomline, but not a successful leader or CEO.
And that is why a “community organizer” was able to beat him.
Bottom line is that Romney would not have been good for America. He did not have the skills.
As a highly successful community organizer I am happy to see people starting to respect the skill sets it takes to make change. The republicans will never be successful in this arena. They don’t want to interact or communicate with voters. The average citizen in this country is not as educated about the political process so it takes a very intense “one on one” interaction. Republicans hate Americans while professing to love America. You can’t have it both ways and expect to win. I hope you continue to be short-sighted and blinded by your own greatness. If you get too close to the sun you’ll burn, but hubris is not something you see until it burns you to a crispy critter.
This was a great comical read.
The Democrats’ great success in being in touch with voters must explain why Obama got 7 million fewer votes than in 2008, eh?
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