In a modern political campaign, the campaign database is the single most important tool. The right database system will allow your campaign to run more efficiently and effectively. A good system will save time, increase the amount of funds raised, improve voter contact and may just make the difference between winning and losing.
There is no such thing as a natural born communicator. People in the public eye including executives, television hosts, and especially candidates for public office become “naturals” by practicing—and often with the help of a communication coach.
Since the early days of professional campaign management, political operatives have been interested in data management — tracking voters, donors and opinion leaders have been key to a successful campaign. Early data management technology generally consisted of an alphabetized set of index cards.
There was a time when political and issue campaigns could buy 1,000 gross rating points per week of television advertising and be done with it. But today’s political climate is different. With so many choices for news and information, reaching voters with your message is becoming more and more challenging.
Young adults are taking action on key issues in communities and on campuses all across the country. From the 5,000-person Power Shift summit on climate change in Maryland in 2007 to the 2,000-person march for voting rights in Prairie View, Texas in 2008, young adults aren’t sitting on the sidelines of the most important fights – they’re leading them.
For years, my firm has been a leading direct mail company for Democratic organizations and candidates. We have worked for the AFL-CIO, all three of the national Democratic committees and hundreds of candidates for office. We think we know what we are doing and how to reach voters with a piece of mail. But this past year, we learned some lessons and we learned them in a surprising place.
Think about how often you successfully communicate your ideas to loved ones, co-workers, or acquaintances. You make a simple point. You choose language that they understand and to which they can relate. You answer their objections satisfactorily.
Filing campaign statements with the State Elections Board (SEB) or any government agency can be a nerve racking and mentally exhausting experience. Having to itemize nearly every transaction, complete complicated forms and follow obscure rules make reporting a challenging job.
TO WIN ELECTIONS TODAY
Young voters are a huge group: More than one-fifth of the electorate is between 18-29 years of age, a total of 44 million potential voters.
Young = New: In a close race, new, young voters can make the winning difference.
The question of “how to talk to young voters” is not that different than how to talk to voters in general: talk to them about your plans to tackle the issues they care about, what you’ll do for them and their communities if elected, and ask for their votes.
