For anyone who thinks Saturday in Athens is just about the game on the field, you’re missing out. The real competition this fall is at the voting booth.

Each gameday, the prospect of 90,000 voters gathered in the same place is an opportunity too good to resist for many politicians.

In Georgia this November, a U.S. senator, all 13 U.S. congressmen from Georgia, the governor and many other state-wide positions will be decided.

On Saturday, participants joined Johnny Isakson and Nathan Deal in a Republican tailgate. Candidates use gamedays to meet voters. Photo by KATHRYN INGALL

Candidates trying to convince voters reach out through stickers, conversations, handshakes and even the occasional flyover message.

“I’m here to meet people and answer their questions. I’m supposed to be listening, not talking,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson.

Republicans Isakson and governor-hopeful Nathan Deal attended a Republican tailgate at the Wray-Nicholson alumni house last Saturday. The event attracted around 100 people who could meet candidates while enjoying hotdogs and hamburgers.

“To me it’s really important to make sure you meet who you’re voting for because he’s representing you in Congress or the governor’s mansion,” said Jared Peden, a member of the College Republicans’ executive board.

Political tailgates are opportunities for politicians to meet their supporters and hear from their constituents.

“Jobs and the economy is by far the No. 1 issue on people’s minds  — and obviously for young people on a college campus who want to have jobs when they graduate,” Deal said.

Democratic candidates also see tailgating as a powerful campaign opportunity.

On Saturday, the Young Democrats plan to hold a tailgate on Myers Quad.

“The most important thing as a political organization is you can’t not do it,” said Alex Foster, president of the Young Democrats. “But it is a lot of fun and you can get together with other people who are interested in politics.”

Foster said campaigning on gameday isn’t overly competitive, but “when you see a Republican handing out stickers, your first instinct is to hand out stickers right next to them.”

There is a strategy behind campaigning on a gameday, said John Wallace, who was handing out stickers for attorney general candidate Sam Olens on Saturday.

He hands out stickers at the tailgate for voters already likely to vote Republican, but switches to push cards — or information brochures — at the gates of the stadium for those who may not be familiar with the candidate.

Either way, the goal is to engage voters.

“We’re trying to get people to stay in there and go all the way down the ticket and not be aware of the line behind them,” Wallace said, speaking of the tendency of some voters to only vote on high-profile races.

For campaigners trying to spread the word about lesser-known candidates, name recognition is the biggest battle.

Justice David Nahmias, a candidate for the state Supreme Court, was at the tailgate. He has attended political events across the state — both Republican and Democratic — and says running a nonpartisan race can have its challenges.

“People who come to this know a lot of people, and the hardest thing is to get the word out,” he said. “If they come to something like this, they’re probably interested in politics.”

Matt Wilson, running against Nahmias for the Supreme Court seat, also had his supporters working hard on Saturday. His daughter Elizabeth Wilson, a junior magazines major, was passing out handouts and stickers to people on their way to the game.

She and Claire Miller, an alumna and family friend, said their strategy was to make a personal connection with people.

“It’s out of my comfort zone, but it’s been really fun,” Wilson said.

The combination of politics and football is not new. Isakson remembers going to his first political tailgate in 1964 for Barry Goldwater, who was running for president against Lyndon B. Johnson.

“Anytime a lot of people are together, it’s a good time to shake hands,” Isakson said. “Plus I’m a Dawg myself.”