The Campaign Manager: Running and Winning Local Elections Book

Preface xi

How to Use This Handbook xiii

The Framework xiii

The Layout xiv

Know the Law xvi

The Ten Commandments of Campaigning xviii

The Cardinal Sins of Campaigning xviii

1 Precinct Analysis: The Sinners, the Saints, and the Savables 1

Context of Neighborhood 5

Independents 8

The Undervote 14

Finding Swing Voters 18

2 The Campaign Team 21

The Campaign Committee 21

Campaign Committee Packets 23

The Treasurer 25

The Campaign Manager 28

Ten Tips for Campaign Managers 30

The Campaign Chair or Co-Chairs 30

Finding Volunteers 31

Potential Volunteer Sources 33

Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet 34

3 The Campaign Brochure 37

Campaign Theme and Message Development 38

Polling 41

Brochure Development 51

Campaign Slogans 56

Logo 60

Layout 61

Voters' Pamphlet 67

4 The Volunteer Organization 75

Methodology 75

Phone Banks 81

Phone Bank Locations 84

Clerical Workers 86

Time Allotments for Volunteer Tasks 88

5 Fund-Ratsing 91

Early Endorsements=Early Money=Early Media Buys 92

Campaign Budget 93

Direct Mail for Money 100

Special Events 105

Candidate Calls to Raise Money 114

Calling for Money for Ballot Measures 115

Raising Money on the Web 115

The Campaign Finance Committee 117

Campaign Finance Committee Packets 119

Tips for Successful Fund-Raising 134

Fund-Raising Ideas That Take Less Than One Month of Preparation 135

"Hey, Big Spender" 137

The World's Smallest Brochure: Direct Mail That Works 140

Keeping Track of Donations 144

6 Lawn Signs 145

To Be or Not To Be 145

Logo and General Information 147

Location, Location, Location 152

Preparing for the First Day 155

Field Signs 159

Maintenance ofSigns 161

Lawn Sign Removal 162

Bumper Stickers and Buttons 163

7 Targeting Voters 165

Finding the Likely Voter 165

Partisan Gaps 172

Canvassing 183

Direct Mail 194

Tracking Polls 208

8 Media 211

Print Media: Paid and Unpaid 212

Fielding Questions from the Press 220

Radio and Television 236

Choosing Your Media Specialist or Team 241

Web Page and YouTube 257

9 The Candidate 261

The Lay of the Land 262

Packaging the Candidate 265

Stay on Your Message 272

Outsider Campaign Versus Incumbent Campaign 277

Debates 280

Fielding Negative Questions 283

Developing Your Public Speaking Skills 287

Write-In, Third-Party, and Nonpartisan Candidates 294

Media and the Candidate 301

Negative Campaigning 301

Ten Dos and Don'ts of Attacks 304

Thank-You Notes 306

10 The Issue-Based Campaign 309

Initiative and Referendum 309

Local Preemption 314

Polling and the Issue-Based Campaign 315

Speakers' Bureau 317

Recall 318

A Petition Is Pulled 319

Saving Our Libraries 321

Investing in Education 325

Packaging the Issue-Based Campaign 326

Flies in the Ointment: The Double Majority, Independents and the Super Majority 329

The State Initiative and Referendum Process 335

11 Getting Out the Vote (GOTV) 341

The Essentials 342

Identifying Your Voters 345

Last-Minute Efforts to Persuade Voters 348

Poll Watching 352

Phoning 356

The Absentee Ballot and Early Vote 357

Vote by Mail 361

Organizing the GOTV Phone Banks 370

12 The Campaign Flowchart 373

Settin Up a Preliminary Flowchart 374

Finalizing the Flowchart 377

The Campaign Calendar 388

13 After the Ball 381

Facing Election Night 381

Retiring a Campaign Debt 383

Afterword 385

Notes 387

Appendix 391

Conducting a Precinct Analysis 391

Assigning the Undervote 402

Predicting Voter Turnout 404

Alternatives for Finding Swing Voters 407

Votes Needed to Win (VNW) 408

About the Author 411

Index 413