Okay, so you’ve decided to run for office. Good for you. You obviously will work hard, raise money, and put together an effective voter contact program – in mailboxes, through digital ads, and knocking on doors.
But it should be your aspirational goal for your candidacy to excite others out there who may want to help your candidacy. Outside people or groups can make what are called independent expenditures. These efforts can raise and spend as much money towards helping you as they want – with no contribution limits. With one caveat – and an important one – they cannot have any communications with you or your campaign!
So, how does an independent expenditure get their hands on all of the things they would need to help you out? That’s something you can do, and it’s perfectly legal. It’s called making good use of your campaign website, and your social media channels.
When your own campaign is designing voter contact, what do they need? Photos of you? Your family? Quotes from you. Maybe some positions you have on issues, and things you would do if elected? Your list of endorsers, and maybe putting something nice that they say about you in your literature. An IE is no different.
So, if you want to help an outside group to help YOU – here is a list of things I would suggest you put ideally on your website:
1) Hi Res photo gallery. Get lots of photos. A portrait of you, of course. But you and your family, You, chatting with other people. Mix that up. Talking to different groups. You in front of a police cruiser. And in front of a fire engine. The more photos in the gallery, the more an IE can make you look great to the voters. You would open up a Flickr account and upload all of the hi res images (not small images, they don’t work on mail!), and then you link to your photo gallery on your page.
2) Issues: Think about all of the issues that are important to the voters in your election. You should have some bullet points on your website on what you would do if elected, a few per issue. Also, for every issue you should have about a twenty-word first person statement. “Nothing is more important than being safe in our own community. That is why my number one priority is to focus on public safety.” For each issue!
3) Biography – write one out and put in more not less. So an IE can pick things out of it that will appeal most to the group of voters they are contacting. If you want write a simple one for the website, but have a button to get to “more info” and then go all in.
4) Endorsements. Make sure you list out all of your prominent endorsements. And this is important, if you get an endorsement from a group, thank them and then draft a quote for them (15-20 words) to approve, and put that on your website. So, if you are endorsed by Sheriff Jones. Then reach back and say, can you approve this quote: “(your name) is 100% dedicated to public safety, and that is why I was proud to endorse (him/her) for city council.” Then post the quotes on your website.
5) Finally, if you are an incumbent, or were in office and are running again, these things all apply. Except now you are being judged by your record. Instead of listing all things you would do, list your accomplishments. Again, by area of policy (e.g… city budget, public safety, parks and recreation, etc.). And, of course, make sure your hi res photos include images of you – doing your elected job. Photo at city hall (if you are running for Council). Photo at the dais in a meeting. Speaking to groups. Active phots to allow the ability to convey a public official diligently doing their job.
This may seem like a lot of work, but it’s really not. And if you do this, you may attract some outside help you don’t expect. Because you have taken the time to help them to help you. And all legally. And remember, it’s likely that the person trying to help doesn’t know you, doesn’t know what you have done, and if you are an incumbent, what you have accomplished!
Finally, don’t wait. The sooner you do this the better. You can always keep updating your website as you get more photos, more endorsements, more quotes.
If you make yourself pretty for the dance, maybe someone will dance with you!
