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Top 10 Tips to Winning an Election
for Yourself or Your Candidateby Wellstone Action
$22.95 paper
ISBN: 978-0-8166-5333-1
- Be an authentic candidate. Communicate authenticity to voters by standing up for what you believe in and sharing with voters what it is that calls you to public service.
- Election Day is a turnout game, so make sure that you have a robust effort to get your supporters to the polls. Get-Out-the-Vote planning should begin on day one of your campaign.
- Work with reporters to earn media coverage to help communicate the message of your campaign to a broader audience.
- Even on a grassroots campaign, don’t underestimate the importance of raising money. Start by generating a list of personal contacts and send a letter asking for their support.
- You won’t get what you don’t ask for. Ask directly for people’s money, time, and, of course, their vote.
- Convert undecided voters into supporters, and supporters into active volunteers and leaders. Ignore the people you’ll never convince!
- Generate repeated, direct, personal contacts with voters. The more personal the conversation, the more effective it is at persuading voters to support you.
- Repeat that message over and over and over again. When you are completely tired of repeating your message, voters are just beginning to hear it.
- Develop a compelling message that connects with voters and conveys the central argument of your campaign—why you are running, and why voters should choose you.
- Lay out your path to victory in a campaign plan that you refer to often. Your plan is not a plan unless it’s written down!