Starting a Local Grassroots Political Campaign
Starting a local grassroots campaign is challenging. But with commitment and the right strategy, you can make a meaningful impact in your community. This guide will walk you through the steps to successfully launch your local grassroots campaign, from planning to execution. We’ll discuss building diverse support, storytelling, and the role of technology in modern campaigning.
The first and most necessary step to launch a grassroots campaign is to decide what type of campaign you want to run. Do you want to run for public office? Are you going to become an activist? Do you want to be a voice for your community? Your campaign’s purpose will shape the strategy, outreach methods, and resources you’ll need.
Mobilizing people in your community around your political cause or goal can be done by registering people to vote, assisting with absentee ballots, or simply talking with them about what’s important to you and why they should care. Many successful campaigns start with neighborhood voter drives, building trust one conversation at a time. The people who will join your campaign will share the same interests and values as you do.
If you are planning to run for office, you will need to register as a candidate with the appropriate election commission in your state, county, or municipality. If you are not part of a political party, you will need to do much of the work yourself just to get on the ballot.
However, to organize broader support to win an election, you will need to get your name out there and start building your movement.
Free Tool: Are You Ready to Run for Office? Take a Self-Assessment Survey.
What is a grassroots political campaign?
Traditional political campaigns focus on gathering large sums of money and using this money to influence voters and persuade them to either vote for a specific candidate or get large numbers of individuals to contact policymakers to take action on a particular issue or cause.
In contrast, a grassroots campaign is usually initiated by an individual or small group that aims to persuade others about their cause for an issue, a political candidate, or other type of social change.
For local elections, grassroots efforts are more personal than traditional campaigning. They require more direct involvement with people in their community. This includes door-to-door canvassing, letter-writing campaigns, activist and volunteer activities, and voter mobilization. Real, one-on-one connections make grassroots efforts powerful tools for local change.
Steps to start a local grassroots campaign
The opportunity to change the fate of your local city, town, village, or state is not just reserved for well-funded politicians and wealthy backers. Anyone and everyone can launch grassroots and reform campaigns.
There are many reasons why one would want to start a grassroots campaign, from advocating for an issue to raising awareness about a candidate. Grassroots campaigns can provide enormous opportunities for policy change and have a big impact on public opinion.
A written strategy helps you figure out the steps you need to take to reach your advocacy goals. This makes it easier to focus on each task and avoids “analysis paralysis.”
A successful grassroots strategy follows these five fundamentals:
- Have a clear objective
- Identify your target audience
- Have an effective outreach plan for building community support
- Ongoing communication
Create a winning message to mobilize support
An effective grassroots message resonates with an audience and is something people can associate with. To do this, use storytelling techniques to create a emotional connection. Stories with real people and relatable characters are more compelling than just data and statistics.
It’s important to have a clear goal in mind when you start. What are you trying to achieve? For example, if you are running for local office, your goal is to win the election. For messaging from political grassroots groups to succeed, they need creative messages that people can connect with emotionally.
For example, if you want people to donate money to your campaign, you should have goals to reach that require a certain amount of money to be raised in a certain time frame. The more specific the goals, the easier it is to create an engaging message. Specific requests tend to resonate with voters or potential donors better than generic requests for help.
Without a unifying message, it’s hard to rally support for any cause. The best political messaging is interesting, memorable, and compelling. It must have a purpose and be focused on your supporters’ needs and desires. Successful advocacy groups use creative messages that people can connect with on an emotional level.
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Raising funds for your grassroots campaign
Raising money to support grassroots campaigns is always a challenge. Start by focusing your efforts on your inner circle—those already invested in your cause or most likely to contribute. This approach helps create a sense of ownership and helps ensure your early supporters will retain long-term commitment.
Besides the money angle, effective fundraising is about building relationships and sustaining momentum. Grassroots campaigners should think outside the box and explore creative strategies, such as hosting community events, leveraging crowdfunding platforms, or partnering with local businesses. Consider sources of funding you may have overlooked, like in-kind donations that can offset expenses.
Regularly engage with your donors to keep them connected to your campaign and the candidate’s progress. Paying attention to their feedback and interests will help you understand how they can contribute even more effectively in the future.
Recruiting volunteers and growing support
Volunteers are an important part of grassroots advocacy campaigns. Volunteers help sustain and lead your efforts, so it’s important to develop a clear strategy for recruitment and building a solid campaign team.
Create a volunteer persona to identify who your likely supporters are and what issues they are passionate about. Target these groups with personalized messaging. Empower your volunteers by grouping them based on their skills and interests, then training them to be effective advocates.
For example, if you’re campaigning against local overdevelopment, homeowners in affected neighborhoods may become your most passionate supporters. Try to find people with relevant expertise and skills who can help bring others into the fold.
Work to create an inclusive environment where there is strong communication and cooperation. This will help volunteers work on projects where they can best contribute their talents and resources.
Local community building and organizing
Grassroots success starts with strong local connections. Leverage your local media, neighborhood associations, and any relationships or partnerships with community leaders to amplify the reach of your message. Town hall meetings, grassroots petitions, and events at community hubs like libraries or parks are great ways to gather support.
To help outreach, do the following:
- Create a website for your primary messaging and online organizing.
- Use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X / Twitter to spread your message and engage with supporters.
- Get the candidate and volunteers involved in the ground game through local events and door-to-door canvassing.
- Start an email and texting program to keep everyone in touch.
- Use software to organize volunteers, track spending and track voter trends.
Real, boots-on-the-ground field work is how you’ll make a difference. Campaign that are involved regular canvassing see voter turnout increase in their district. Combine digital outreach with in-person efforts to maximize your impact.
Grassroots advertising budgets are generally less than those of well-funded political campaigns. This may limit expensive advertising mediums like TV ads or billboards to get their message across.
Run an effective social media campaign to reach voters
Producing content for social media is one of the most important aspects in running a successful campaign. Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to organize efforts, fundraise and get the word out about your cause.
For example, if you wanted to promote an upcoming campaign event, you could create a Facebook even for people who are interested and send them notifications. You may need to pay to promote posts to ensure your messages reach your followers, but that is inexpensive and very targeted advertising.
Social media campaigns have become a major part of digital politics. Today, all political parties and most candidates use social media platforms to reach voters and supporters. The importance of digital campaigning makes it imperative for organizations to have a well-thought plan in place.
Conclusion:
Starting a local grassroots campaign gives new candidates and advocates the opportunity to build a meaningful presence in their communities. By focusing on strategic planning, local outreach, and community-driven fundraising, you can inspire change and make a lasting impact on Election Day.
Related:
So You Want To Run for County Government? Here’s How To Get Started
A county government is the local governing body that administers a particular geographic area that encompasses a county. It’s responsibilities include law enforcement, public health and safety, and infrastructure. County government serves as an intermediary between local municipal and state governments.
There are just over three thousand counties in the United States, each with its own unique governmental structure. Louisiana and Alaska have equivalent county governments. In Louisiana, it is called a parish and in Alaska, the borough. County governments are typically organized in a hierarchical manner with the county executive at the top. The county executive is responsible for implementing policies formulated by the county legislature, which is made up of elected officials from each district within the county.
How to run a campaign for county office:
What position do you want to run for?
In the United States, counties are governed by either a board of supervisors or a county commission. Its structure is typically governed by general state law, while some have local charters that outline their structure and powers. We’ve compiled a list of the major elected positions in county government and their functions.
There are 3,007 counties in the United States.
County Executive
The county executive is the chief elected officer and head of a county government. The county executive is, in most cases, the highest ranking official in the county. As an executive, they are in charge of running day-to-day operations in their jurisdiction and enforcing the laws passed by the county legislature or board.
A county executive typically holds significant power to make decisions that effect the entire county, but still must answer to voters who can vote them out of office.
County Legislator
A county legislator is a person who represents the people of a district within a county. County legislators are responsible for voting on policies, managing the budget, and overseeing other aspects of local government. They are also responsible for overseeing county law enforcement, setting taxation rates, and approving the county’s budget.
County Sheriff
A county sheriff is the highest law enforcement officer in a county. They are responsible for upholding the law and protecting the people of their jurisdiction. County sheriffs maintains peace and order through patrols, investigations, and other means. In some cases, a sheriff will enforce state laws as well as local ones.
The office may also perform other duties, such as providing protection to judges as they travel between courtrooms and provide security at certain public events.
Every jurisdiction has its own requirements for candidates to become a sheriff. Most jurisdictions require candidates to have at some experience in law enforcement, perhaps as a police officer, or experience in the field of criminal justice.
County Coroner/Medical Examiner
Often another elected position, the county coroner is a medical professional who investigates unexplained deaths to determine their cause. The coroner analyzes the body and other evidence from the scene. They interview witnesses and speak to medical personnel who may have been involved in treating the deceased. Toxicology tests may also be ordered by the coroner’s office to determine whether the deceased had any substances in their system.
A coroner often has some level of law enforcement or legal training so they can testify in court. They may also serve as the county’s medical examiner.
County Clerk
The duties of a County Clerk vary by jurisdiction. The county clerk is also the keeper of the records for a given county. County Clerks are responsible for ensuring that all records related to county business are properly filed, alphabetized, and preserved.
The county clerk’s office may also be in charge of:
- Registering voters
- Issuing marriage licenses
- Recording deeds and mortgages
- Filing liens
- Issuing licenses and permits
They also ensure that all debts owed to the county are collected and that taxes owed by residents are collected.
Depending on state law, county clerks can either be elected or appointed.
District Attorney/Prosecuting Attorney
District Attorneys (or state attorneys) are the chief law enforcement officers in their jurisdiction. They also serve as the prosecuting attorney in county-level or local courts. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting crimes , conducting investigations, offering plea bargains and litigating appeals. They are responsible for sentencing recommendations, seeking evidence, and presenting cases against suspected lawbreakers and defendants.
County Treasurer
The County Treasurer is the person who manages the financial affairs of a county or other local government. This includes collecting, safeguarding, auditing and investing the county’s cash held in trust. A county treasurer ensures that taxes are collected properly and funds are distributed in an equitable manner. The treasurer is also responsible for issuing bank checks to pay county expenses.
County Assessor
A county assessor is responsible for assessing the value of properties in the taxing area. They are responsible for ensuring that real properties are assessed correctly to produce fair and equitable tax rates. In making an assessment of value, an assessor takes into account the property’s size, location, age and quality. Assessors also assist the public, conduct property searches, and they are responsible for maintaining all property records within their jurisdiction.
County Board of Commissioners
A county board of commissioners acts as a governing body for a county. The board sets policy, sets taxes, approves expenditures, and hires staff. Unlike most other forms of local governance, an elected board of commissioners both enact local ordinances and administer them. In other words, the board of commissioners acts as both the executive and legislative body.
If you want to get some firsthand experience without the rigors of an election, consider applying to join a county board or commission.
Here is a general road map to help you navigate the county election process:
Why should you run for county legislature?
County officials have the unique opportunity to address issues that affect residents across multiple towns and cities, such as regional planning, infrastructure development, and public health initiatives.
Are you driven by a specific issue facing your county, such as the need for better public transportation or more effective emergency services? Do you believe that current leadership is lacking, and you have the vision and skills to provide better governance?
Take some time to consider why you’d like to serve. Your goals should be in line with the responsibilities of the role and the needs of your community. A strong vision will act as the foundation of your campaign. A candidate’s goals often influence how they run for office, including such elements as their slogan and logo.
“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
Check your eligibility:
The eligibility requirements for county offices vary depending on the jurisdiction. However, you should be aware of the following typical requirements:
- Typically, you must be a citizen of the United States and satisfy the age and residency criteria imposed by your state or county.
- Certain county positions may require specific credentials or experience. For instance, a county treasurer may demand knowledge of finances, while a sheriff may need experience in law enforcement.
- It is important to meet all filing dates and petition signing requirements. Contact your local election board to get the specifics for your jurisdiction.
“Whether it’s leaders from my own town of Braddock or leaders across the state in Bucks County or Adams County, I’m committed to always working with and listening to local elected leaders.” – John Fetterman
Assess your financial needs:
The cost of running a county political campaign can be substantial. You’ll need money for things like staffing, advertising, and campaign supplies. The size, population, and degree of competition in your county will all affect how much funding you’ll require to finance your campaign.
Take into account all expenses, such as printing, polling, venue charges, office space rentals, and employee pay. The price of advertising on TV, radio, and online should also be considered. Your fundraising efforts and ongoing donor support will play a critical role in financing your campaign.
Create your campaign committee:
A well-organized campaign committee is essential for managing and running a successful campaign. This committee should consist of individuals with diverse skills and roles:
- Appoint a treasurer who will handle campaign finances, ensuring compliance with election finance regulations.
- Open a dedicated campaign bank account to manage campaign funds separately from personal finances.
- Develop a detailed campaign budget with your committee, outlining expected expenses and sources of income.
- Assemble a team that includes a field director, communications director, and campaign manager.
Depending on their experience and skills, each team member should concentrate on a specific area of your campaign. This includes fundraising, communication, and voter outreach.
Ensure your campaign committee and staff are well-versed in local election laws and regulations to maintain legal compliance.
Secure endorsements:
Your campaign’s credibility can be increased by receiving endorsements from important organizations, other elected officials, and community leaders. Reach out to specific individuals and groups who may share your goals. However, keep in mind that there can be conflicts of interest when considering endorsements as they shouldn’t jeopardize your campaign’s principles.
“What generally happens in this county is that our politicians don’t serve us well because they don’t tell the truth, and they don’t keep their promises.” – Peter Garrett
Announce your candidacy:
Once you formally announce your candidacy, it’s time to execute your campaign plan. Through events, online platforms, mailings, and signage, promote your candidacy. During this stage, effective contact with voters and the media is essential because it helps raise campaign awareness and support.
Through an elected county position, you’ll be able to help shape regional policies. Running an organized campaign with passion can make all the difference.
Best of luck!
FAQs
What are the requirements to run for county office?
It is important to understand all the requirements and qualifications for any position you seek. To run for county office, one must be at least 18 years of age, must be a United States citizen, and must not have been convicted of certain crimes. There may be additional qualifications, depending on the state or specific county election laws.
How much does it cost to run a campaign?
Running for county office is expensive. The cost of running for county office can vary depending on the type of position, the size of the jurisdiction, and the size of the budget. In large counties, like Los Angeles, the average cost can easily top $500 thousand dollars.
How long does it take to run for county office?
Running for county office can take up a large amount of time and expense. It can take up to a year and a half to prepare and run for county office.
Your jurisdiction will determine the rules you need to follow, the time frame you have, and what kind of campaign you are running. You will need to file election paperwork with the appropriate agency.
Conclusion
The are many benefits to holding local and county office. Perhaps the greatest is that you can make a difference by creating programs that help people, by advocating for them, and by solving problems they face.
Sign up below for our campaigning email tips. When you are ready to start you digital campaign, look to Online Candidate for a great campaign website and marketing services.
Reach Early Voters Online: Mail-In and Absentee
Reaching early voters is more important than ever, particularly for primaries and local elections, where voter turnout can make all the difference in winning.
Two methods for casting a ballot during an early voting period:
- Registered voters that can vote in person at designated early-voting sites in their county.
- Absentee voting that allows for voting by mail.
Political candidates and campaigns can help supporters by providing education and information about the process. This includes when absentee ballots are sent or available, how and where the ballots can be cast, what requirements are needed to make a ballot valid.
The rules governing absentee and early voting vary depending on state. For example, some states require an excuse for voting by mail. Check your state or local voting regulations for the latest changes.
Inform and reach early voters in a campaign
Keep your campaign website up to date on the latest news throughout the election season. Encourage visitors to follow your campaign through the other channels. The more ways you can reach a voter, the better. This is even more effective if you can get people to specifically opt in for contact, such as through email.
Target voters who support you, particularly those who have a history of casting early ballots.
Digital is now firmly a part of any politician’s media plan. Online advertising extends and complements the reach of television and radio. Here are several popular ways to reach voters and constituents.
Social media advertising to reach supporters
Social Media marketing works well because you can target your specific voting audience. For example, Facebook’s targeting options include age, region, educational background and more. You can even reach voters based on their connections. Tailoring your ads to specific audiences works best.
Note that Facebook and Twitter now have verification processes for political and issue-based advertising. This can take some time to complete, so you will want to start this process long before you plan to run any ads.
Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising to target candidate searches
PPC ads are text ads that appear on Google, Bing and other search engines. You bid on specific search keywords or phrases and your ad appears at the top of the search engine results. You only charged when people click on the ad. PPC advertising is also the easiest to track. Google Adwords and Bing Ads are the two largest PPC services.
Display ads on sites your voters visit
These are visual ads (banners ads) that appear on third party websites. Most display advertising is bought either on a flat rate or through a Cost Per Thousand (CPM) model. For example, 100,000 ad impressions at a $10 CPM costs $1,000. To calculate the amount paid per impression, divide the CPM by 1,000. For example, a $10 CPM equals $.01 per impression.
Website ads: Local newspaper websites are a good place to run display ads. Their visitors are already engaged in news and likely more interested in political advertising.
IP Targeting: IP Targeting uses individual IP addresses to reach specific voter households. It matches IP addresses to street addresses and then displays your ads on websites they visit across the internet.
Related: 9 Tips For More Effective Political Banner Ads
Retargeting/remarketing to reach out a second time
Retargeting is as way to display advertisements to people who show an interest in your campaign.
When a user goes to your website, a tracking pixel is set in the user’s browser. After that, the user will see display banners about your campaign on other websites as they surf the web. Retargeting will remind them about your campaign.
You can set this up yourself through Facebook Remarketing and Google Remarketing. You may find it easier to set up remarketing campaigns through a third-party platform such as SharpSpring.
Related: How Does Retargeting Grow Your Political Campaign?
IP Targeting to voter’s physical addresses
More campaigns are starting to use IP targeting method to directly segment and reach voters. Physical mailing addresses can be translated to IP addresses, allowing ads to be targeted to computers and mobile devices a household basis.
You can reach members of your party, households matching a certain demographic or even specific geographic locations. IP-backed banner ad campaigns have been shown to be more effective than other online ad methods, like traditional banner advertising.
Learn more about political campaign IP Targeting.
Online video marketing
Most political candidates who use video have a presence on YouTube. A wide variety of video ad options are available. You can target specific audiences by interests and keywords. You can also measure results such as views, click through rates, and amount of video time watched.
One popular ad options is the bumper video. This is a video ad is 6 seconds or shorter that plays before, during, or after another video. Viewers do not have the option to skip the ad. The cost is based on the number of ad impressions shown.
Campaign videos can also be posted and promoted through your social media accounts.
Related: 5 Political Campaign Video Ideas
Email marketing
We’ve saved one of the most powerful tools for last. For email marketing, you first need to build a list of email addresses. Start collecting addresses early through your campaign website or even from offline events. Always ask or get permission before adding any email addresses. Political spam is just as annoying as the regular kind.
Don’t run your email campaign through a personal email account. Use an email marketing service to send emails. These services include email templates, autoresponders and the ability to automatically add and remove subscribers. They also provide better deliverability for mass mailings.
How do you reach voters online? Political candidates can cut through the online clutter and directly reach anyone. The catch is, you need to pay for that access.
Related:
Offline voter outreach
- Early Canvassing: If you are going to be walking door-to-door, you should concentrate on the precincts and areas where a large turn out is needed to win. The candidate might want to work these areas in person to reach voters.
- Mailers: Early voting mailers should be targeted to specific households and provide information about the dates and process for voting ahead of Election Day. You can also include websites or links for additional online resources.
- Phone calls: You can have volunteers or use phone calling services with scripts to help inform and provide early voting information to those who may need it.
Pay attention to early voting dates and requirements. With the large number of early voters, start planning ahead of time to find and reach out to them. For those genuinely undecided voters, getting to them first could mean getting their support. Every early ballot cast is one less ballot you need to worry about on Election Day.
Already have your early voter list? By matching physical addresses to specific online IP addresses, IP Targeting lets you send banner ads to key voter households with unprecedented precision. Learn how you can reach voters through IP Targeting.
Political Design: Creating an Effective Campaign Presence
Political design is a form of marketing to influence voter’s opinions or behaviors. It is used in election campaigns, advocacy websites, and organizations. The goal is to persuade their audience in a way that benefits the organization or candidate.
The best political graphic design makes a candidate or organization stand out through a custom color palette, brand message, and imagery.
Main Highlights
- Clean, clutter-free designs with appropriate color schemes and typography choices can effectively convey political messages and resonate with target audiences.
- The “hero image” is central to first impressions, requiring high-quality, candidate-focused visuals that establish professionalism and identity.
- Beyond design, clear presentation of the candidate’s stance on issues, background, endorsements, and voter resources are essential for an effective political website.
- Persuasive design combined with current trends, like simplified homepage designs, video usage, catchy imagery, and responsive layouts, ensures optimal viewer engagement and accessibility.
Read on to learn more about the aspects of good website design and how Online Candidate can help you achieve this.
- Clean, professional design = Powerful message
- Choose the best colors for your political website
- Fonts can impact a website’s aesthetic
- Pay attention to your images and graphics
- Including the right content matters
- Features and functionality
- What are the latest trends in political web design?
- Conclusion
Clean, professional design = Powerful message
Local political campaigns, such as for city council and mayor, are usually less costly and smaller in scale than national or state-wide races. They are often used as stepping stones for candidates who want to run for higher positions in the future. Congressional races can also be seen as local, but they typically have more funding and publicity due to their size.
Design is one of the most important aspects of any political website. It is what makes the site visually appealing, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to navigate. Elements such as color, fonts, and even layout can help convey political messaging.
Your look should be clean, clear, and concise – all attributes that are valuable to any candidate running for office. A cluttered design will cause visitors to bounce off the site and go elsewhere.
How to choose the best colors for your campaign
Choosing a color scheme design is a crucial element when you start your campaign. Colors evoke emotions and greatly reflect a candidate’s personal brand or organization’s identity.
Color psychology plays a significant role in determining how voters perceive you. The color you choose for your design may depend on your political affiliation. For example, Republican-leaning websites are often more likely to use reds while Democratic-leaning sites are more likely to use blues and greens.
Some of our clients find picking the right colors to be tricky, but here are four good design guidelines to follow:
- Choose colors that match your campaign brand identity.
- Avoid clashing colors. This may draw attention, but for all the wrong reasons.
- Choose complimentary colors for accents. This will not only make it easier on the eyes, but it will also help you stand out from other sites with similar color schemes.
- Make your call-to-actions clear by using contrasting colors and fonts.
Political website colors often go beyond the traditional red, white and blue.
Fonts can impact your overall aesthetic
Typography is an important part of branding. It can give a logo and website personality and make it more attractive to the eye. Fonts are often overlooked in the design process, but they can have a substantial impact on a website’s overall aesthetic. They can help convey values and emotions to your readers.
Serif fonts have small lines at the end of letters, which make them easier to read in print and on screens. Sans-serif fonts are much cleaner and simpler than their serif counterparts. You may notice that most political logos use a sans-serif font because it is easy to read and works well on campaign signage. Script fonts are much harder to read at a distance. Many designers will choose one typeface family as their primary font style and then use secondary fonts to complement it.
To target more conservative audiences, consider using more blocky sans serif fonts like Arial or Verdana. When targeting more liberal audiences, consider using serif fonts like Times New Roman or Georgia. These are broad generalizations, of course. Modern typefaces and fonts such as Open Sans, Oswald, Roboto and Alfa Slab One are very popular today.
For example:
- The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez website splash page uses Roboto Slab for the headers, and Metropolis for the body font.
- Joe Biden’s site uses MercuryMedium for the headers, and DecimalBook, sans-serif for the body font.
- Donald Trump’s siteuses Montserrat for both the header and body text.
One way that we figure out which font to use on a client’s site is by finding out what font the candidate uses in their campaign print materials. If they use a unique typeface, then we try to incorporate that specific font into their website.
With Online Candidate, you can choose one font for headers and a separate font for the body. We typically use two fonts for custom designs, as well.
Sample wide hero image on a political website home page.
Pay attention to your images and graphics
In digital marketing, you can’t go wrong with images. They are an important part of your content and they should be used in a way that is eye-catching and grabs the attention of your audience.
The hero image is the first thing that people see when they visit a website. If you are looking to use a head shot of the candidate to use as your hero image, here are design tips:
- Create a well-designed logo. It must be unique and stand out visually to establish a candidate to a wide audience. (Our custom design packages includes a campaign logo design.)
- Make sure your images are clear and in focus. High-resolution images are best for web designers to work with.
- Avoid a group shot. It is not as good as an individual image, because it takes away focus from the candidate. Save group shots for interior pages.
- Don’t just use any photo. Make sure your candidate hero images present you in a professional way.
- Photoshop is your friend. Use graphic design software to color correct, sharpen and improve your images. A little touching up can go a long way.
Invest in some good campaign photography for high-quality, high-resolution imagery. Images need to be professionally taken and have a good resolution. However, many of our clients have had success using their own pictures that taken from a smartphone.
Online Candidate provides a library of open-source images for you to use. We also provide access to free graphics and Canva templates to save time and make creating the visual aspect of your site and print materials easier.
Including the right content matters
Clever design is not enough for a political website. No one ever voted for a candidate because of a flashy logo or color scheme. What the candidate stands for is equally important. That means the design of the site also requires content that fleshes out who the candidate is, how they stand on the issues, and how their policies will benefit the voter.
Political candidate sites should have the following sections:
- A home page that acts as the hub of the website
- A bio or about page of the candidate
- The stances on various issues, usually over multiple pages. The information in this section should be easily accessible and easy to understand for voters.
- A list of endorsements and supporters
- A volunteer page for those who want to help
- A donation page for those who want to contribute
- A voter page that provides links and resources for early voting and information on upcoming elections.
- An online press kit for reporters and the media.
All of the content on a political web should be easy to find and read. Many of the pages listed above come pre-built with our system. If you are looking for additional website content for inspiration, we have copy samples for politicians, judicial, sheriff and school board campaigns.
The layout of your homepage matters, too!
A visitor’s first impression of a site is made almost immediately, so the homepage design is critical to how users will perceive your campaign. The homepage should include a photo of the candidate. This can be in the site header, or in a hero image below the site navigation. Most home pages include personal information, such as the values the candidate represents, what matters most to them, and what they stand for politically.
Some campaigns use a simple home page layout, focusing on the calls to action. However, if you save information about the candidate for the bio page, you may have that page rank higher in the search engines than your home page.
Pro tip: Include relevant calls to action throughout your site, which could be something like “Register to vote”, “Donate”, or “Get updates”.
How to achieve politically persuasive design
Persuasion is a powerful tool in both web design and politics. It can be used to influence the audience and convince them to take an action. The goal of political web design is to shape public opinion through persuasive design. This can be done by using persuasion techniques to promote a specific message or ideology.
Persuasive web design incorporates the following key elements:
- A clear message that promotes a candidate and his or her positions on the issues
- Clear, concise copy with headlines and subheaders that makes the message readable
- A clear call-to-action that informs visitors what they are supposed to do (Ex. Vote for me, Subscribe, Follow Us on Social Media)
A good website design begins with a creative logo.
The latest trends in political web design
There is no formula that will help you create the perfect political website design, but there are trends that most campaign websites today seem to follow.
- Home pages often have a ‘hero shot’ which may be a large image with the candidate just under the navigation bar.
- There has been a trend toward simplification of images and text. Sliders are out, as is unnecessary clutter, too many animations or flashy graphics which can distract the visitor from the message.
- Many campaigns are using video in their home page to attract viewers to their site and get across their message.
- Another trend that has caught on over the last election cycle is using simple and catchy images to represent a particular party.
- In 2021, we started seeing the return of QR codes!
The layout of the website applies not only to where images are placed or text flow, it also on a technical level. In a responsive layout, a webpage adjusts to fit different screen sizes without having to change the webpage’s code. This ensures that your website is viewable with all devices and all browsers.
Conclusion and final thoughts
A good website is an important tool in any political campaign for candidates running for local, state, or federal public office.. The way that a website is designed can make or break the outcome of the election. Campaign websites should be designed to be politically savvy and provide voters information about the candidate’s stance on different issues.
At Online Candidate, we’ve been doing political websites since 2004. What package is best for you?
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Why Your About Page Ranks Higher Than Your Home Page
From time to time, clients ask us why their campaign website isn’t ranking on Google for the candidate’s name.
There are several reasons why a website may not rank. It usually has to do with the amount of time a website has been live. Just because a site is created does not mean that Google will know that it exists. Search engines need to crawl web pages and index them in order for them to show in search results.
How do search engines find websites? Links are important in both quality and quantity. Most new political websites will get their first links from social media accounts, news articles and online press releases.
Another major (and common) reason for a failure to rank is due to the home page lacking important text. This includes information such as the candidate’s name, location and position being sought. Pages written in first person are especially problematic.
After all, how can a search engine be expected to know who “me” and “I” are referring to on a web page?
The home page is considered the most ‘important’ page of a website. It is typically the page that appears in common searches related to the site’s theme (such as the candidate’s name). Sometimes, though, a candidate’s “About” page appears in the search results ahead of or in place of a website’s home page.
Many of these items are political SEO factors that are used to determine a web page’s ranking in search.
So why would an About Page get top billing?
There is not enough Home Page text: We see this a lot. The home page is dominated by a large photo (or a splash page) that has very little text in it. Search engines reply primarily on text content to figure out what a web page is about. If there is little text or information for the search engine to read, then there may not be enough ‘meat’ on the page for it to rank properly.
Plenty of text on the About Page: Conversely, if your About Page (or any other page) has a large amount of text and detailed information about the candidate, that will likely be the page that the search engine favors.
Incoming links: This can happen on rare occasions but having too many links from outside sources point to a particular page can cause that page to be ‘over-weighted’. Generally, most links to a website point to the site’s home page. However, if an interior page attracts a lot of links, it may end up ranking for candidate name searches.
How to fix the ranking problem
If you have a problem with the wrong page ranking for general searches, try improving your home page content and/or removing any splash pages you may have in place. Getting a few links to point to your site’s home page can help as well.
Sometimes the ‘About’ page just has better content than the Home Page. If that happens, why not move some or all of that content to the home page? After all, if it’s that good, why bury it in the site?
There are a number of factors that go into search rankings. Though you want your website to rank well, create your content first with readers in mind. One tip is to create the site copy as if it is for someone who does not know the candidate or the issues on which they are running.
Related: SEO Strategies for Political Campaigns
Launch your political campaign website today! We also offer additional service packages, including our Site Launch Package, Social Media Setup, Campaign Intro Video and our Email Setup Service.
School Board Campaign Logo Design
School board campaign logos are primarily used to represent a specific candidate and to establish a connection with parents and voters.
Candidates for local school boards need a logo design that will help them rise above the noise and show off what they really stand for: Education, Community, Excellence.
Want a free logo design for your campaign?
Hiring a professional designer is expensive. Web graphics are created in low resolution. High quality graphic files are needed for campaign brochures, prints, and signs. Online logo makers charge money download a decent quality graphic file – and you after you’ve done all the work!
Our custom political website packages include a free professional logo design. We provide clients with those high-resolution logo files for free so your branding is consistent.
Local candidates tend to fall under local rules or restrictions for signage. There may be regulations on using certain imagery or text. Be sure to know any existing rules so you don’t run into problems later. If we suspect an potential problem while we are creating your graphics, we’ll let you know.
Sample school board candidate logos
Find more examples of logos for school board candidates.
School board logo creation tips
- Keep it simple. Candidates for board of education or superintendent positions may use either serif and sans-serif fonts. Script lettering on logos (to resemble chalk) is usually not recommended as it is harder to read and it may not translate well to print materials and yard signage.
- Use additional Elements. If you want to add a graphic element, try a mortar board or apple. When we use graphics like this, we try to integrate with the text.
- Limit the number of colors. School board campaigns incorporate most any colors, from black (as in blackboards) and white to green and red to blue and white and everything in between. Crazy colors may get attention and let the viewer know that you are running for a non-traditional office. However, an odd look also distracts from your message.
- Stay consistent. If you choose to invest in a logo design, we recommend not changing the look later in your campaign. Solid graphic design is a crucial aspect of campaigning and a lot of it can be tied back to your logo. If you change it, the look and feel may be completely different which creates a whole new voter brand identity.
School board campaign logo templates are also available
Don’t need a website? We carry school board candidate logo templates for both Adobe Photoshop and Canva. Either a free Canva account or Adobe graphic software is required, depending on the template purchased. We also offer print design services for our clients.
Our Custom School Board Website Packages includes a free custom logo design and header. We’ll also provide high-res versions for your print material. Why pay hundreds of dollars to have a designer make you just a logo? We’ll create one for you – and it’s included with your website.
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