Summer is undoubtedly the height of the campaign season. When most people are lounging by the pool, doing yard work, and cutting up watermelons, you’re walking neighborhoods and meeting with voters. In order to make the most out of every blisteringly hot day, you need to prepare.
While every campaign and community is different, there are a few basics that make up the foundation no matter what office you’re seeking to fill.
Volunteers
Your most powerful tool throughout your campaign will be the friends, neighbors, and involved citizens who make up your volunteer team. It is up to you to make sure they are informed of every opportunity to serve and scheduled accordingly. Volunteers usually only have a little time they can offer you each week, so you need to be diligent about reaching out and following up. A few ways to do this effectively; make a private facebook group, get them on an email list, and then follow up one on one with texts and phone calls.
Literature
Make sure you have high quality and quantity literature to pass out about your campaign. Palm cards, brochures, or door hangers should concisely recap your main issues, a short biography, and direct people to your website or facebook page to connect and learn more. Lay them out on tables during party meetings or events and plan to have enough for knocking doors.
Sign Locations
As the election gets closer, you need to know where your signs are going. Collect sign locations used by previous candidates and ask friends and family if they would be willing to host a sign on their personal or business property. This list is important for two reasons; it is very likely that most of your signs will be put up by volunteers, so they need addresses and contact information to do it right, but after the election, you need to know where all those signs are exactly so you can pick them up and save them for next year.
Knocking Doors
Having a door-to-door campaign is the backbone of any effective candidate. This is the opportunity to meet with and convince real voters. A candidate who neglects doors is one who leaves their campaign up to chance. Source your list from a reliable company and sort it by street or neighborhood to plan a ground game for you and your volunteers. During summer, make sure to provide sunscreen, water, and snacks for volunteers walking with you. It can also help if everyone wears matching t-shirts with your campaign logo on it so neighbors understand at a glance what you’re up to.
Events
Never let an event pass you by during campaign season! If there is a fair, a parade, a neighborhood meeting, a central committee meeting, or a new business opening, show up and get to talking! By attending community events, you’re showing that you care about the people in your future district, aware of the goings on, and accessible for conversation.
If you’re gearing up for your summer campaign season and need a helping hand to get organized, the team at Victory Enterprises offers the full-service consulting and services you need to get started. From printing the literature to helping you build an online presence, we make everything about a campaign accessible and simple for you. At the end of the day, your main job is talking to voters. Let us help you make that your only priority.