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HOW TO RUN FOR OFFICE
You can do it!
The League of Women Voters
of Lebanon County
 | You care about our community. You know that you could do a good job. You
have good ideas. You know the problems. You may not know how to go about the
task of getting elected, but as a responsible citizen you want to participate. |
| League member and attorney Roberta Warshaw put together the following
guide to help you through the process of running for office:
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ORGANIZE YOUR THINKING ABOUT THE ISSUES OF YOUR CAMPAIGN
FIRST STEP: Outline the issues you feel are important and outline
your ideas related to them. You may wish to appoint a research person to aid you in
compiling facts on key issues.
SECOND STEP: Set up and maintain a resource file on key issues and
on specific concerns raised by constituents in the area. Keep this file available
for ready reference.
THIRD STEP: Formulate a workable and politically realistic position
on all major issues. You do not have to settle on a firm position on every issue at
the beginning of the campaign. More information may become available and other
issues may emerge as the campaign proceeds.
FOURTH STEP: If you have an opponent, know his or her positions on
the key issue you are addressing. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these
positions.
If you have a concern for a particular issue, do not be afraid to emphasize it in the
campaign. It does not hurt a candidate to be associated in the public mind with one
key issue. But remember to be responsive to your potential constituents.
LISTEN! Learn what their concerns are, yet realize that you will never be in total
agreement with every one.
PREPARE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU SEEK PUBLIC OFFICE
You may not have stepped into the political limelight before, but undoubtedly you have
been concerned about and active in the community in some way. Persons who run for
public office usually have gained valuable knowledge and experience through a variety of
ways, such as:
| Participating in community organizations (e.g. neighborhood associations, service clubs,
League of Women Voters, or other volunteer organizations). Such involvement helps
you become familiar with the community leaders in your area, shows that you care about
your community or district, and provides you with the knowledge and experience you'll need
to develop positions and platforms. |
| Working for a political party and/or for an individual candidate. These
experiences help you learn what's involved in putting together a campaign, give you a
chance to get some "hands-on" experience in specific campaign tasks (e.g.,
designing a brochure, fund-raising), and provide opportunities to meet other party and
campaign workers who may later be interested in working on your campaign. |
| Attending government meetings, seeking appointed positions, and lobbying for causes in
which you believe. These experiences assist you as you develop a working knowledge
of government, particularly the level of government that includes the office you are
seeking. |
| Informing yourself about the office you seek. |
If the office is a partisan one, let party officials know of your intention to seek the
position and ask their advice.
Review your family relationships and confirm that you have their support--not only for
the campaign, but also for after you are elected. By being in public office you are
increasing your responsibilities and commitments and as a result you may have to delegate
some of your home responsibilities to others.
SET A CAMPAIGN TIMETABLE
Here is a suggested schedule to follow during your campaign. Be realistic about
what can be done and set priorities so that you'll complete at least the most important
tasks. Also, whenever appropriate and possible, delegate campaign responsibilities
to your supporters.
| Determine the deadlines for your campaign by reviewing the election and campaign finance
laws. |
| Invite potential supporters to a meeting to discuss issues and campaign strategy. |
| Obtain the support of community leaders and organized groups. For partisan
elections, seek the support of your party. |
| Form a campaign committee (informal) and plan the campaign. Determine with these
individuals the methods and techniques you wish to use, assess the costs involved, and
decide how you will raise the necessary money, and make arrangements for an accurate
reporting of all money collected and spent. It is essential that you meet these
reporting deadlines, so assign someone to keep track of them. |
| Assign specific campaign functions to committee members, such as fundraising, issue
development, publicity. In larger campaigns, these individuals will need to recruit
and manage several other volunteers and to delegate specific tasks (e.g., literature
distribution) to others. |
| Prepare a realistic campaign schedule and remember to schedule some time for rest and
relaxation. |
| Go to the Bureau of Elections, County/City Municipal Building, and pick up a nominating
packet which includes, petitions, instructions/calendar and a Statement of Financial
Interests along with Campaign Expense Information and related forms if it is a county-wide
or city-wide office. If you have formed a formal campaign committee with a
Treasurer, make sure the Treasurer is well-informed about his duties by the Bureau of
Elections staff. |
| Send the media a news release announcing your candidacy, and include your campaign
picture. For larger campaigns, announce your candidacy at a press conference. |
| Circulate nomination petitions. |
| File nomination petitions and the yellow copy of the Statement of Financial Interest
with the Bureau of Elections. File the white copy with the secretary of the
political body to which you are seeking office. Keep a copy of the names and
addresses of everyone who signs your nomination petitions. |
| File campaign expenditures and income reports on the dates specified by law. |
| Conduct your campaign. |
| Street Lists (all electors in a district by street) are available on hard
or electronic copy free of charge to candidates or political parties. An
affirmation must be signed before street lists are released. |
| Thank your workers and contributors. |
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