| Thousands of people every year in the United | | | | complete with home addresses and phone |
| States get involved in local campaigning for office | | | | numbers, is an extremely effective local |
| without much of an idea how to run a local | | | | campaigning tactic. Your list of likely voters is |
| election effort. While having a desire to serve | | | | going to allow you to send out very targeted |
| your community is a great attribute and will make | | | | direct mail pieces, which will ensure that you don't |
| you a terrific public servant, you first need to | | | | waste any postage on residents who aren't likely |
| know how to run a local election effort in order | | | | to show up to vote. And if your likely voter list |
| to earn the job. | | | | also includes phone numbers, you'll be able to |
| Local campaigning doesn't have to be as | | | | increase your name identification by calling voters |
| complicated as you might think. Elections on a | | | | at their home in the weeks before the election. |
| statewide or national level can get very in-depth | | | | Perhaps the most important element of any local |
| and difficult, but local campaigns are something | | | | campaigning effort is hard work. If you work |
| that a new candidate can usually handle without | | | | hard, you can make up for a lack of political |
| much experience. There are two vital elements of | | | | campaign experience. Knowing how to use |
| a local election: good planning and hard work. | | | | campaign tactics and strategies is a definite |
| Far too many candidates in local campaigning fail | | | | benefit, but without hard work even the best |
| to put together a thorough campaign plan before | | | | plans won't help you win a local election. |
| election season hits, and it ends up hurting them | | | | Remember: the harder it is, the better it will work |
| at the polls. Your political campaign plan doesn't | | | | in a local political campaign. |
| necessarily have to include every minute detail, | | | | Even if you don't end up winning your race on |
| but it does need to cover some essential | | | | election day, keep in mind that many candidates |
| elements that will make campaigning easier. | | | | need to run a few times before they eventually |
| First, make sure that you do research and | | | | get elected to office. Tenacity is a very valuable |
| planning for your neighborhood canvassing, or | | | | political attribute, and you shouldn't let a loss stop |
| door-to-door efforts. Take a look at the results | | | | you from running again. Each time you run for |
| of previous elections and see what precincts or | | | | office, you build up your name recognition in the |
| wards had a higher voter turnout, and plan on | | | | community. Although you don't want to be the |
| visiting these neighborhoods frequently during your | | | | candidate who runs every year and always loses, |
| local campaigning effort. While there is no harm in | | | | you can turn a loss into a benefit by learning from |
| visiting homes located in areas that have low | | | | your mistakes, keeping good records of your |
| turnout, don't spend too much time campaigning | | | | supporters and contacts, and building name |
| there. | | | | recognition gradually. |
| Additionally, putting together a likely voter list, | | | | |