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From Kehrli to Higby RE: plans for obtaining voter turnout information on election day. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 10/12/1972
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WHSF: Contested, 15-15
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WHSF: Contested, 15-15
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From Kehrli to Higby RE: plans for obtaining voter turnout information on election day. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 10/12/1972
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
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15
15
10/12/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Kehrli to Higby RE: plans for
obtaining voter turnout information on
election day. 2 pgs.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Page 1 of 1
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 12, 1972
ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL
MEMORANDUM FOR:
LARRY HIGBY
FROM:
BRUCE KEHRLI
SUBJECT:
Election Eve at the White House
After a couple of preliminary planning meetings with the people
at 1701 on what they 'll be doing and what they'll be able to
provide for the Election Eve coverage, we came out with the
following:
1. For actual results of the Presidential
and other elections nobody is going to beat
the networks. This is also true as far as
projections which they will be doing using
polling data gathered over the weekend prior
to the Election, turn-out data in key districts,
and early results.
2. Herb Klein and Bob Finch have some type
of a phone call program that they did in 1968
and 1970. They call various polis around the
country to come up with readings on how things
are going in that particular area.
3. Most of the emphasis at 1701 is to watch
the networks closely and try to get someone
inside to get the information before they
broadcast it.
Based on the fact that the President will be travelling cross-
country, Gordon and I came up with the following proposed* schedule
of information in the order that it will be available.
1. Turn-Out -- From key cities or counties in
areas where the turn-out can be used as a pre-
diction of the results. The research people at
1701 will give us recommendations on this.
2. Straw Polls Outside of Polling Booth in Key
Areas -- The general reaction to this at 1701
was negative, we would need too many people in
order to make it worthwhile. Supplementing this
we could make calls to key polis in a given number
of areas, getting their readings.
-2-
3. Actual Results -- Here again the networks
have the best and quickest information, although
we have ordered a UPI wire which will come out
with an accurate update of the Presidential and
key Congressional races every 45 minutes.
The Committee is going to have their control center at the
hotel rather than at 1701 and we'll need to resolve whether
communication should come from them or directly here. Some of
the information will obviously have to be analyzed and Chapin's
suggestion -- I agree -- is to have Teetor either over there
or here and at least one of his people here to take a look at
the information after it's analyzed. The raw data will go to
him for analysis and then be sent over.
I think the best way to handle the communcations is to set
up a system similar to that which we have on speech follow-up.
That is to have some girls here with direct lines either out
in the country or through the control center at the hotel.
Have three people monitoring the networks (one each) and
have one person monitoring the wire machine.
Another question is whether we want to generate phone calls
from his friends and get reactions from people he respects
out in the field? I think this should be included.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you have on this before we make
a final proposal. We're waiting for some information from
1701 on just exactly how many key cities or districts will
provide relevant information. There's obviously going to
be a hell of a lot of information floating around and we're
going to have to distill it quite a bit. Since you "were
there" in 1968 do you have any thoughts?