Running for local, county, or federal offices is of utmost importance as it allows individuals to directly impact the policies and decisions that shape their communities, ensuring representation that aligns with the needs and values of the people. By running for these offices, you have the opportunity to address pressing local issues, advocate for change at a larger scale, and contribute to the overall betterment of society, making a tangible difference in the lives of constituents and shaping the future of their respective jurisdictions.
A good political campaign logo is vital as it serves as a visual representation of the candidate’s identity, values, and messaging, instantly capturing attention and leaving a lasting impression on voters.
An impactful campaign logo helps establish brand recognition, fosters a sense of trust and familiarity, and sets the tone for the entire campaign, playing a crucial role in shaping public perception and effectively differentiating the candidate from their competitors.
The logo should promptly feature the candidates name, and the office they are seeking. We recommend including a website URL or QR code to help with discoverability and engagement.
Political yard signs are important as they serve as highly visible symbols of support for a candidate, helping to increase name recognition, create a sense of momentum, and generate buzz within the community.
Yard signs also contribute to the overall visibility and presence of a campaign, demonstrating widespread support and encouraging others to consider the candidate, making them a valuable tool for grassroots marketing and voter engagement.
- We recommend purchasing signs from a union print shop
- Ideal sign size should be 3 feet wide, 2 feet tall with content printed on both sides of the sign.
- While not required, having the union ‘bug’ added to your yard sign is a good way to show your support for worker rights.
- If you are running for a county-wide office, we recommend purchasing at least 200 signs.
Having a website for a political campaign is essential as it serves as a centralized hub for sharing information, engaging with supporters, and presenting the candidate’s platform, enabling voters to access reliable information, stay informed, and actively participate in the campaign process.
A well-designed and informative campaign website enhances transparency, credibility, and accessibility, allowing candidates to reach a wider audience, showcase their qualifications, and effectively communicate their vision, ultimately building trust and garnering support from potential voters.
The website should include the candidate name, office they are running for, a biography, ways to donate to the campaign, options to volunteer and contact information
The website URL should be clear and as short as possible. We recommend a mixture of name and office. If there are no domains available, consider adding words like ‘Elect’ or ‘Vote’. Using year of election can be helpful but when you run again, you will need to consider a new URL.
To purchase URLS, we recommend Domains.Google.com, NameCheap.com, HostGator.com
For website development, do it yourself options that include web hosting include SquareSpace.com, Godaddy.com, Wix.com, Webflow.com. More advanced developers can use programs like Elementor or WPBakery or BeaverBuilder. These programs require the developer sourcing a web host.
Having an online platform for political campaign donations is crucial as it provides a convenient and accessible way for supporters to contribute financially, empowering grassroots fundraising efforts and expanding the candidate’s reach.
An online donation platform enables campaigns to efficiently process contributions, track donor information, and engage with supporters, ensuring transparency, maximizing fundraising potential, and fueling the resources needed to run a successful campaign.
We highly recommend you have a way to take donations online. Our preferred platform is Actblue.com. They are a democrat only platform for online donations. If you are running for a nonpartisan office, numero.ai or DemocracyEngine.com.
Financial Reporting: Read the Illinois Board of Elections Campaign Disclosure FAQ to learn more about when you are required to report donations. (Do note, some donations must be reported to board of elections immediately)
Door-to-door canvassing remains crucial in political races as it allows candidates and volunteers to have direct, face-to-face interactions with voters, building personal connections, addressing concerns, and persuading undecided voters, leading to higher engagement and potentially influencing the outcome of the election.
By engaging in door-to-door canvassing, political candidates can gather valuable feedback, identify key issues, and mobilize supporters, creating a strong grassroots network that amplifies their message and drives voter turnout, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness of their campaign.
We highly recommend tracking your door to door activities. Who you talked to, what issues mattered to them, what level of support you believe you have from them come election day are all datapoints that are crucial to track as you work to collect potentially tens of thousands of votes.
If you were endorsed by the Coles County Democratic Party or Illinois Democratic Party, we recommend taking training either here at CCDP offices or by the State party in Vote Builder. This platform is the gold standard for organizing campaign activities. Votebuilder access authorized by the party will allow you to gain access to decades of valuable voter data that will help you zero in on who your best supporters are and who you need to work hard to turn into a supporter along with organizing tools to help your volunteers in the field collect and report interactions.
Having good pass card literature to hand out during a political campaign is essential as it provides concise and compelling information about the candidate’s platform, achievements, and key messages, serving as a tangible reminder that voters can refer to when making their decision.
Well-designed pass card literature helps create a positive and professional image, increases visibility, and serves as a valuable tool for volunteers and supporters to engage with potential voters, effectively conveying the candidate’s qualifications and building a strong presence in the community.
Your literature should include your name, the office your running for, your campaign logo, your campaign contact information as a minimum.
Other pieces of information you should considering including on your literature
- Days and Hours for Early Voting and Election day
- Brief bio
- Endorsements
- Quotes from supporters
Phone banking is a vital component of political campaigns as it enables direct communication with voters, allowing campaigns to disseminate important information, persuade undecided voters, and mobilize supporters, all while gathering crucial data for targeting and strategizing.
Through phone banking, political campaigns can efficiently reach a large number of individuals, convey personalized messages, and engage in real-time conversations, making it an effective tool for voter outreach, message dissemination, and voter engagement efforts.
If you were endorsed by the Coles County Democratic Party or Illinois Democratic Party, we recommend using the party preferred platform, OpenVPB. This is the phone banking software will display the voter file of the person you are calling.
On most platforms, you will be required to use your personal phone and phone number to make these calls unless you paid for the ‘autodialer’ feature which allows you to use your personal phone to make the calls but their phone number. Anonymizing the callers personal contact information. The work around to not paying for this feature but still allowing you and your volunteers personal phone numbers to be anonymous would be setting up temporary free Google Voice numbers. Click here to learn more about Google Voice.
Regarding phone bank content. You want to write a simple script for you and your volunteers to memorize. It should be short and direct.
- Candidate Name
- What office are they running for
- Why they should support your run for office
- If you have endorsements, list them.
- Tell people when they can start voting
- Ask if you have earned their support
- Give them the website address or campaign contact information if they have any more questions.
If its early in the campaign, don’t leave voice mails. You should be shooting for direct engagement with the voters.
Make sure all your marketing materials have the proper paid for legal disclaimers. This should be on your website, paid advertising and literature. The disclaimer should resemble something similar to what is featured below.
“Paid for and authorized by ________ . A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website (www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.”
Do note this isn’t definitive information and you should review the Illinois Board of Election rules.
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