LPM OnlineOctober 13, 1998 |
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The Top Ten Things to do in the Last Ten Days of Your Campaign. Election Day and the few days before it are the most important of the entire campaign. Whether you have invested ten or a thousand hours in your campaign so far, your efforts in the last ten days can as much as double your votes, and in a close race can mean the difference in victory or defeat. While you as a candidate have been thinking heavily about the election for months, many voters are just now beginning to pay attention to their electoral choices. Strange as it may seem to someone who is interested in politics enough to become a candidate, ten percent or more of the electorate makes up their mind on whom to vote for for President on Election Day. As you go down th e ballot, the percentage increases dramatically. In a city council or similar race that has received little publicity, the percent that make their decision on Election Day can be as much as 50% or more. Your job as a candidate is to swing as many of those last minute deciders as possible into the Libertarian camp. Campaigns with differing levels of activity will have different end game strategies. But the following final stretch campaign activities can be do ne on even the tiniest of shoestring budgets, and should be done by all Libertarian Party candidates. Letters to the Editor Encourage your supporters to write one last letter to their local papers, mentioning you and the Libertarian Party by name, along with some good reasons to vote Libertarian. Letter Kits Letter kits are the ideal thing to hand to someone you meet who says, "Is there something I can do to help your campaign?" A letter kit consist of 20 small, personal correspondence style envelopes, stationary to go with them, 20 of your brochures, three sample letters encouraging votes for you, and an instruction sheet. Tell your letter kit volunteers to draft a one page letter to their friends who live in the district, using the sample letters as a guide, or simply copying the letters if they desire. If they want to do more, or if they say they do not have 20 friends in the district, ask them to write to 20 people on their street. Tell your volunteers that they may stamp the envelopes themselves, or let the campaign stamp them - but they should not mail them. You want to pick up the letters from your volunteers to time the mailing for best effectivene ss - as well as to insure that the letters actually get written.
The power of this tactic is that very few people get personal letters anymore. Getting a personally addressed and apparently personally written letter from a friend or neighbor makes a strong impact. Raise last minute money for last minute ads. Call all of the previous donors to your campaign and thank them for their support of your campaign - and mention those last minute ads you'd like to run with their help. Your previous donors are most likely to give you an additional donation right before the election. They already have an interest in seeing your campaign do well. Work the Phones! Make get out the vote phone calls to your key supporters reminding them t o go vote for you on election day. Call all the Libertarian Party members in your district. Even they need reminding to go vote. Then call all the past members and LP inquiries in your district as well. Plus all of your personal friends and family. Increase your effectiveness by asking all of your core supporters to call 20 of their neighbors, and have a quick script ready to fax or email to those who agree to do so. Walk your district. Doorbelling is time consuming, but highly effective. Increase your effectiveness as a candidate by having three volunteers accompany you on your walks, and "leapfrog" each other from house to house. Having a volunteer distribute your lit door-to-door while also walking their kids in strollers can be a good touch. Issue a final press release (or two, or three). If you have campaign activities to report on, make sure you let the press know. Inform them of what precincts you'll be walking prior to E-day. Your last release before the election should let the media know where and when you will be voting. Do it early and make a show of it. Vote with a local minister that supports you, or with your family. You could show up on the noon news with a reminder for your supporters to go vote. Shake Hands! Go by the local senior centers for lunch or breakfast in the days preceding the election. There is near 100% voter "turnout" in group homes. Stop by the local factory at shift change and greet voters on the way in and out. Do an election eve literature drop. Doorhangers or flyers distributed door to door in the early morning hours before the polls open can be very effective. Make sure that as many voters as possible see your literature the first thing when they leave for work on the morning of the election. Hint: You may want to skip the neighborhoods with lots of automatic garage doors - you won't be able to get your flyer where it will be noticed Work The Polls Assuming that your state's election law lets you get close enough to the polls for effective campaigning, this is the most important Election Day activity for you and your volunteers. Have signs to wave and literature t o give to the voters on their way in to the polls. The candidate should sha ke every possible hand all day from the opening of the polls till they close. Even if the law requires you to be a good distance from the polls for campaigning, you may find precincts where voters must park away from the polling entrance, and be able to greet them there. Thank your supporters with an election night party. Make sure they feel appreciated, and that their efforts were valuable. Besides, you still nee d their help to take down all those signs after Election Day.
One Issue and One Message for Every Campaign: "There is only one issue in every campaign - who can do the best job." Jerry Russell, president Campaign Consultants.
Voters are looking for the candidate who can be most effective once in office. They look for someone who has a track record of accomplishment. They look for someone who is "like them." Your job as a candidate is to position yourself as that someone. You use your stand on issues as part of your positioning, but remember that issues and principles are what you win for. Organization, money and manpower are what you win with.
"There is only one message in every campaign, "Me smart -- make you money" Doc Sweitzer, President, The Campaign Group. Voters are looking for a candidate they perceive as competent enough to make their personal lives easier. Some may want a candidate who makes their lives easier by passing out government favors. Others are looking for a candidate who will make things better by getting government out of their personal lives. The message you want to present to the voters is, "I'm smart enough that if you elect me you will be better off."
Mike Brinkman, Libertarian candidate for State Representative in Michigan's 70th District will be participating in a live debate and call-in show on Thursday, October 15, 1998. He will be on the program with opponents Democrat Laura Baird and Republican Virginia White. Their program will be televised live on Meridian Township's HOM TV at 8:30. You are encouraged to call in with questions for the candidates! More details will be made available soon! |
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