How Voter Questions Can Help Shape Your Campaign
Polls and surveys can give you an idea of how your electorate feels about various issues. But the problem with this method is that you are framing the discussion by asking specific questions.
What if you are completely missing the important issues or asking the wrong questions?
You’ll never know unless you ask the voters.
That’s right. Ask voters and constituents to ask you questions about what matters most to them. And then compile their questions and put together answers to share with everyone.
Engaging with voter questions is a way to:
- Address constituent concerns.
- Enrich your campaign content.
- Keep your messaging relevant and tied to your community’s needs and interests.
There are a few ways to set up direct lines of communication.
Accept questions through your campaign website and social media
This allows constituents to easily send in their queries through various channels. Complement this with a dedicated response or FAQ page on your website, where you regularly post answers. This keeps your website dynamic and encourages regular visits from voters seeking information or updates.
“With the recent changes in our local economy, how will you adapt your policies to help those most affected?”
Create videos to answer in person
One easy way to make a lot of rich media content is to simply record a series of videos with the candidate reading and answering selected questions. Distribute your answers across your digital platforms. This not only personalizes your responses but also improves your visibility and engagement.
“How will you address the rising costs of living in our area?”
Hold live Q&A sessions on Facebook or Instagram Live
Ready to go live? Offer a real-time interactive experience through a live event on Facebook, Instagram, or even YouTube. Announce these events ahead of time and gather questions in advance, but also take live inquiries during the broadcast. This format allows for spontaneous and direct interaction. It helps make the sessions more engaging and interesting. You can also use social media posts or additional video for more detailed responses to questions.
“What are your key policies, and how do you plan to implement them?”
Through email and newsletters
Email also offers a more personalized channel for engaging with voters. Include a brief Q&A section in your newsletters and invite questions in reply. If you have more personal questions or concerns, you can respond directly rather than in a public way. Then you can answer the questions using the methods described above.
Through these varied digital methods, your campaign can effectively create content to answer voter questions and build stronger connections.
A List of Our Best Election Slogans
A good slogan enhances visibility and resonance with your electorate. Below is a list of election slogans for political candidates and campaigns. These focus on the theme of electing or voting for a specific candidate. These can be used for local, state, and federal campaigns.
- Elect [Name] for Real Reform
- Change Starts Here: Elect [Name]
- With [Name], We Can Make a Difference
- Elect [Name], Champion for Change
- [Name]: Working Tirelessly for You
- Vote for [Name], Vision for Tomorrow
- Elect [Name]: Commitment You Can Trust
- Vote for [Name], a True Advocate
- Vote for Integrity and Dedication—Vote [Name]
- Elect [Name] for Proven Strength
- Action Speaks Louder: Elect [Name]
- Build a Better [town/city/village] with [Name]
- Your Voice Matters—Elect [Name]
- Vote for [Name], a Leader for [Smart Growth/Lower Taxes/Etc.]
- Time for Change? Vote [Name]
- Elect [Name] for Proven Solutions
- Revitalize Our City—Vote [Name]
- Clean Streets, Clear Future—Vote for [Name]
- Choose [Name]—A Fresh Start for [Location]
- Leadership You Can See—Vote [Name]
- Elect [Name] for Clear Choices
- Celebrate [Name]’s Achievements—Reelect [Name]
- Vote for [Name], Stand for Independence
- [Name]: Fighting for Our Families
- Elect [Name] for Effective Solutions
- [Name] Works Hard for [Location]—Vote [Name]
- Elect a Fresh, Energetic Voice—[Name]
- People’s Choice—[Name] for [Location]
- Integrity in Action—Vote [Name]
- Leading [Location] Into the Future—Vote [Name]
- Results, Responsibility, [Name]
- Dedication Without Compromise—Vote [Name]
- Vote for [Name], the Change We Urgently Need
- Trust [Name] for Experienced Governance
- Rebuild With Us—Elect [Name]
Here are more slogans specifically for candidates who are running for sheriff, judge, or school board positions:
- “Safety First, Safety Always: Elect [Name] for Sheriff”
- “Justice Served with Integrity: Vote [Name] for Judge”
- “Commitment to Community: [Name] for Sheriff”
- “Fair Decisions, Trusted Leadership: Elect [Name] for Judge”
- “Protecting Our Future: Vote [Name] for School Board”
- “Leadership in Law Enforcement: [Name] for Sheriff”
- “Balanced Education for a Brighter Tomorrow: Elect [Name] for School Board”
- “Your Voice in Justice: Vote [Name] for Judge”
- “Safety, Service, Security: [Name] for Sheriff”
- “Educational Excellence for Our Children: [Name] for School Board”
The tough part is picking one that best fits your personality and issues. By using a campaign slogan in promotional materials and advertisements, you can improve your visibility and drive greater voter turnout on Election Day.
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What To Know Before You Accept Political Donations Online
With the decrease in expenses and technical barriers, it’s possible today for almost any political candidate to raise money online. However, it takes a bit of planning to properly set up your donation infrastructure. And if you wait to begin the process, you may lose out on valuable fundraising time.
If you plan to do online political fundraising this election season, start early. Or as early as you can. There may be laws limiting when you can solicit political donations. It’s best to understand those rules before you begin campaigning activities.
How to accept online political donations:
- You need a bank account for your campaign
- You need a payment processor
- You need a campaign website
- It takes time for your account to be approved
- You may not receive your money immediately
- Costs are not the only factor
- Should you use a generic payment like PayPal or Stripe?
- Your campaign is responsible for following the law
- Plan your fundraising strategy
Get our Online Campaign Tips Guide.
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You need a bank account for your campaign
Setting up a campaign bank account is one of the first things a political organization must do. A stand-alone account allows you to collect donations and contributions from supporters in order to make campaign purchases. This is a critical step in setting up an online donation program. You’ll need that bank account in order to continue to the next important step…
You need a donor payment processor
A third-party processor lets you accept online donations without having a merchant account of your own. Instead, the processor let you use their merchant account under their own terms of service, usually with very little setup required. A variety of fundraising and payment processors exist, and a number of donation platforms are designed specifically for political purposes. They include Anedot, Raise the Money, ActBlue, and WinRed.
With online fundraising, there are no hassles of collecting checks and cash, making regular trips to the bank, or keeping accurate records. Fundraising services solve this problem. They both save you time while managing donations to your account and tracking the numbers for you. When your contributions clear, the funds are automatically deposited into your checking account. This makes your required state or FEC financial reporting and disclosures easier. Your treasurer will thank you!
Recommended Reading: Comparing Political Donation Platforms: Our Recommendations
You need a campaign website
Any non-profit or political campaign needs more than just a Facebook page or a link to a donation page. Considering the role of trust in political campaigns, it’s important to provide a central website for donations. A website builds trust. Providing potential donors with a single domain name to look up makes it easy for contributors to find you.
Online donation services provide ways to set up donations through a website. It can be something as simple as a link from the site to the service’s donation page or embedded donation forms that match the website’s look and feel. Some donation platforms (more on this below) provide tools to integrate the ability to donate through social media accounts.
A good political campaign website is one of the best tools in your fundraising efforts. The site’s design needs to look clean and inspire trust. SSL security is a must, and it should have a terms of use page. Your donation form itself should list any donation limits and disclaimers required for campaign compliance. Setting up a domain and website is not expensive and may be the best money you spend on your campaign.
For affordable and flexible website design and hosting options, check out our Candidate Website Packages.
It takes time for a fundraising account to be approved
It varies by processor, but it can typically take anywhere from 3 to 7 days to get your credentials verified by the vendor. You will need to supply specific organizational and, in some cases, personal documentation. Some services might allow you to begin taking donations before that time, but no money will be transferred to your campaign bank account until you are approved. This is another reason to get the process started early.
You may not receive your donations immediately
Online donations do not immediately appear in your bank account. There is typically a processing delay, as with any bank transaction.
Some processors will transfer your money automatically. But this is not always the case. With PayPal, for example, you’ll need to manually transfer money from PayPal to your bank account. Other services may transfer funds automatically, but there is typically a few days’ delay from the actual donation date.
Some vendors allow for recurring contributions. This allows you to have a donor automatically contribute on a regular basis throughout the election season. This can work well for smaller donors who might not be able to give a large amount all at once but can contribute a significant amount over time.
Costs are not the only factor in choosing a vendor to collect donations
Which payment vendor is better – a platform that charges a transaction cost of 3% or one that charges 6%? It’s easy to assume that the lower your transaction cost, the more money you will make. But fees don’t tell the whole story. More ‘expensive’ and politically-geared processing vendors tend to have more built-in tools. These include recurring payment options, custom contribution pages, social media widgets, and online viral tools.
Bringing in more from political fundraising websites can more than offset higher processing fees.
Additional contribution tools can lead to more and larger donations. Both of which will put more money into your campaign, even after accounting for higher transaction costs. Of course, those tools and resources will only work to your advantage if you actually use them…
Advantages of political donation platforms:
Political donation platforms provide transparency and accountability, which is a major advantage over traditional methods of donating. They also provide other features to make the donation process more effective, including the ability to:
- Create dedicated donation and event forms customized to match your campaign branding.
- Have one-time or recurring donation options to allow multiple donations throughout the campaign.
- Social media integration to share updates and spread the word.
- Text-to-give and email-to-donate tools.
- Set contribution limits and add custom disclaimers to your forms.
TIP: Use a processor that doesn’t charge any monthly fees or setup costs. See our campaign resources page.
Put a strategy in place to use the tools with different marketing channels through which you can raise money. That includes your website donation page, social media accounts, and online advertising. Donors should be able to save their information so they can return later to contribute again and again. A recurring-contribution option allows contributors to give regularly right up to Election Day. This helps increase overall donations and makes them easier to process as the contributions are made automatically throughout the election season.
Take advantage of recurring donations
According to a recent Classy report, recurring donors were worth 5.4 times more over their lifetime than one-time donors. If the donation platform for your campaign allows for recurring donations, make sure you take advantage of that feature.
A recurring donor is much more valuable than one-time donors. Those recurring funds will be especially valuable toward the end of your campaign as you ramp up your get out the vote efforts.
Tip: Make sure you have recurring contributions turned off by Election Day!
Should you use a generic payment service like PayPal or Stripe?
Some organizations try to use generic payment systems like PayPal, Square, Venmo, or Google Shopping Cart for political purposes.
Generic payment services do not make the best political donation platforms, and here’s why:
Generic payment processors are not the best way to collect donations. Those services do not easily comply with Federal Election Commission or state donor requirements. For example, they do not ask for a donor’s employer, occupation, or contact information.
For these reasons, we do NOT recommend setting up site like PayPal for political donations. Website contributions are more complicated due to additional information that political campaigns require. This donor information can be captured through PayPal with custom programming. But that’s not something a small campaign usually has the time or resources to implement.
Another problem with vendors like Square, Venmo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay is that you don’t receive your donations at the same time that the donor’s card is processed. You get the money from the aggregator based on their specific terms. That could be on a monthly schedule, every two weeks, or even based on having a specific amount in the account. When someone donates, your campaign will need the money ASAP. Delays in cash transfers to your bank account can prevent money from being spent on advertising and print materials when it’s needed most.
It’s a better idea to choose a service that caters to political organizations. They include ActBlue, Raise The Money, Anedot, FundHero, and more. They include built-in tools and social media integrations. All of these services listed are frequently used by our own clients. You’ll want to compare fees, features, and reviews when deciding which to choose. If you need a recommendation for setting up your website, contact us.
Your campaign is responsible for following the law
Again, local election laws vary from state to state, and from office to office. There are restrictions ranging from when you can start election fundraising, how much you can raise, from whom you can raise money to donor disclosure rules.
Some laws depend on the municipal office you are running for. For example, judges may not be allowed to participate in campaigning activities, including soliciting donations, during particular times they are in office.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) requires federal political campaigns to use their best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a given election cycle. PACs and political parties have additional disclosure and compliance requirements.
You are responsible for providing proper disclaimers and restrictions when taking donations online. Know the law and follow it to the letter. That will keep you out of trouble.
Plan your online political fundraising strategy
Now you know the basics of how to accept political donations online. It makes no difference whether you’re running for a state office, Congress, mayor, or even your local city council. Just as you may have offline fundraisers and events, you’ll need to supplement those activities online with a way to collect donations through the web. You’ll need to set up a clear plan for how you will accept and track those donations.
While you can solicit donations via email and social media, you’ll still want website as a central hub for your online fundraising efforts. Special landing pages can collect political online donations from various channels. Knowing where the money is coming from and what promotional efforts are the most successful will help guide your strategy.
If you are ready to start, get to it! Your donors are waiting…
Online Candidate campaign websites can tie in with any fundraising service you choose. With built-in tools and exclusive resources, we are the choice for hundreds of campaigns every election cycle.
Political Campaign Tip: Use A Consistent Ballot Name
What’s in a name? If you are running for office, it should be consistency.
For example, if you are appearing on the ballot as “John Quincy Smith,” don’t promote yourself as “John Smith” or “John Q. Smith.” Your political campaign website, signage, and all your promotional materials should match. A consistent ballot name helps build name brand identification and reduces voter confusion.
In the case of write-in ballots, voters must use the correct version of your name. Write-in elections are tough to win, even in the best of circumstances. Proper spelling is important to withstand legal ballot challenges. To make things simple for write-ins, you might want to avoid using your middle name or initials in the campaign. Not every municipality allows for a “sticker campaign,” where a candidate provides voters with stickers with the candidate’s name as registered to attach to ballots as a write-in.
A few years ago, in a local race, a candidate first announced that she was running in a press release using her first and last name. But when the first mailing went out, a middle name was added. By the end of the campaign, the name had morphed to first, middle, and a hyphenated last name. Most voters probably didn’t notice, but for those following the election, the constant name changes may have seemed odd.
Avoid nicknames and middle initials unless they are important to your branding. If the name or nickname is not often used consistently, it can be confusing to both voters and search engines. This can potentially cause your website to rank lower than it should for candidate name searches. On the other hand, sometimes a nickname can help boost voter recognition.
Some candidates have gone the route of completely changing their names to improve their chances of winning. One congressional candidate went so far as to change his ballot name to his website address. Another thought was that his name sounded too feminine, so he had it changed in time for the primary. And then there was the candidate who legally changed his name to ‘Pro-Life’. (The change apparently did not help, as he ran and lost in several elections.)
Finally, make sure that your ballot name is properly spelled out on all election materials, including absentee ballots. Whatever you do, don’t be that candidate who misspells their own name in their advertising!
Checklist Download: Campaign Branding and Marketing Checklist [PDF]
Do Write-in Candidates Ever Win?
A write-in campaign is a type of election in which people who are not on the ballot can nevertheless make themselves eligible to win by receiving enough valid write-in votes. Write-in campaigns are usually low-budget, grassroots efforts that take place in cases where the original candidate has either died, dropped out of the race, or ran unopposed.
It’s not impossible to win an election as a write-in candidate, but the odds are long. They tend to be more successful on a local or state level. There have only been a handful of congressional elections where a outsider candidate won a general election. It takes money and organization—the same things a regular campaign requires—only you don’t have party backing. The tactic is more likely to succeed in down-ballot elections, where a non-ballot candidate can secure a local primary win before succeeding in a general election.
State rules around this process aren’t uniform. Some places ask write-in candidates to officially declare their intention to run and often submit paperwork to either the state or local election office. Other states are more lenient. They let voters write in the name of virtually anyone, without formal requirements.
The role of write-ins in the election process
Write-in candidates have been part of the U.S. political landscape for a long time. Their impact grew significantly in the early 2000s. In recent times, these types of votes have become a popular way for the electorate to express their dissatisfaction with their choices on the ballot.
Some argue that voting for a write-in candidate is a waste of time or shows a lack of understanding of the process. But in some situations, it proves useful. For example, there could be a scenario where a preferred candidate is left out by the parties. With non-ballot submissions, voters can support their top outside choice, potentially swinging the outcome.
While it’s true that they rarely win, write-in candidates play a crucial role. They often bring attention to key issues that matter to voters. Even if they don’t win, their stance on the issues can shape the dialogue of the other candidates.
Even a presidential candidate can win as a write-in. In March of 2024, President Joe Biden won the New Hampshire Democratic primary after the state was stripped of its delegates by the Democratic National Committee. Voters who wrote in Biden’s name allowed him to beat the other primary candidates.
Winning as a outsider is not easy
To win as a outsider, you need to stand out in the crowd and convince the voters that you’re their best choice. A few things that can help with this:
- Be authentic: Show your true colors and be yourself. This will help people connect with you and know what they can expect from you in the future.
- Be genuine: If you’re not being genuine, it will show through your speech and body language. People will see right through it and not take what you say seriously.
- Be passionate: When it comes to winning as a outsider, passion is key! You need to be 100% invested in what you are doing if you want people to believe in your cause or campaign.
- Be a good speaker
- Have a strong social media presence
- Provide detailed plans and ideas on how to solve problems
The challenges of running a write-in campaign include:
- Fundraising difficulties and building a network of viable donors.
- Lack of promotion and advertising by the candidate.
- Securing volunteers to distribute yard signs, bumper stickers, and other promotional materials to supporters.
- Finding volunteers to help with the GOTV effort.
- Limited coverage by traditional news outlets, which often focus only on major party candidates.
- The candidate’s name, where it may be tricky to pronounce, leading to misspelled votes.
You can grow support by door-to-door canvassing, putting up signs, and running a digital campaign using a campaign website, and online advertising.
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The process of a write-in campaign involves drafting your letter of intent and submitting it to your local election office. Then, gather signatures from qualified voters in your precinct. Make sure those signing have read and understood the petition.
Write-in votes may be cast improperly for a variety of reasons.
Provide detailed instructions to voters
Now comes the hard part of the process: Making sure that every vote cast for you is properly cast.
The most important part of write-in campaigns is letting the public how to cast a vote for you. Because voting for a candidate not listed on the ballot is different than a typical vote, you must carefully inform voters exactly what they must do so their votes are considered valid. Many states will not count a vote if the candidate’s name is not spelled correctly. Even where the name is written or the sticker is placed on the ballot is critical to casting a proper vote.
With more states voting by mail, these types of unofficial campaigns are becoming more prevalent. This is why it’s important to know the laws and rules – and to convey them properly to your supporters.
So, can you win as a write-in candidate?
Sometimes, a person can win an election without receiving the most votes. In a hotly contested election, there may be three or more candidates, and one who receives the most votes wins.
Sometimes a write-in candidate can even defeat an unopposed incumbent candidate. This is more likely to happen if the incumbent is unpopular.
Local elections can often be won by unlisted candidates because so few people turn out to vote in them. (Though this trend may be reversing.)
But generally, it takes as much effort, if not more, to get enough voters to choose a candidate who is not on the ballot. It may not be easy, but never underestimate determination and planning.
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Spring Cleaning For Your Campaign’s Social Media
Spring is finally here! Days are getting longer, and for many, it’s time for cleaning. If you are running for office, now is a great time to review your campaign social media accounts.
These tips apply to both campaign and personal accounts.
Update your campaign profile account information
When was the last time you updated your social media profiles? Bios and profiles are often filled in when an account is created and then forgotten. Is all the information up-to-date? Are all the relevant fields completely filled in, including a link to your political campaign website?
You may be surprised at the amount of information that is incomplete or out-of-date.
Related: Will Your Social Media Past Hurt Your Political Future?
Check your profile images
Others get their first impression of you through your profile (or avatar) image. Make sure that it is up-to-date and professional. If you are using a head shot for person profiles, make sure the image looks professional. Use proper lighting and positioning. (You don’t want it to look like a mug shot.)
Don’t crop your picture from a group photo or use a low-res, grainy image.
Your profile images should be consistent across platforms for branding purposes. While a mobile phone can take great pictures, consider hiring a professional photographer.
Photos and videos make the best content
Campaign photos and videos get attention. You can increase the visibility and engagement of your Facebook and Twitter posts by including photos. You’re more likely to have a post shared if it includes an image. While it may take a little work to add images, it’s worth the effort.
Unscripted, engaging content can get followers attention, such as giving a glimpse of what really goes on behind-the-scenes. Other ideas include supporter testimonial videos or educational content about the issues you are running on. Look at the posts that get the most views and shares. Consider using that material for a paid promotion.
Just make sure that you own or have properly licensed any images or videos that you use!
As an aside, never, ever use your personal Facebook profile for political campaigning activities. We see this all too often and tell clients to create a campaign Facebook page. You can certainly recommend your campaign page to your existing friends and followers, but keep your personal and political activities separate. If you don’t, you could find your account shut down completely.
Use a scheduling tool for your social media posts
While manually posting to social media provides the most control, consider using a scheduling tool. Services such as Buffer or Hootsuite let you share posts across multiple platforms at once. You can also schedule posts for specific times. This makes it convenient to post a series of event reminders and get out the vote notices ahead of time.
Ditch the dead weight from your accounts
It’s better to never start a social media account than to start one and let it become neglected. If you have an account that you have not updated in a while, either use it or shut the account down.
The problem with abandoned profiles is that people who come across them may assume the campaign is over. Or they may follow the dead account and never get follow-ups.
If you shut down your social media accounts, leave a final post explaining that you are finished. You may want to suggest other ways followers can keep in touch. Then remove any links to those shuttered accounts from your website.
Shut down your social accounts gracefully rather than just pulling the plug.
Stay Positive!
You need thick skin to be online. Candidates encounter online comments disparaging them and their campaign all the time.
The most natural instinct is to strike back with a nasty or sarcastic reply. In the end, though, it’s better to take the high road and actively protect your reputation.
Have a plan in place for dealing with negative material. If there is negative material that happens to be true, prepare to address it directly. Fight back against false rumors and information with the truth. Then return focus to the issues that are important to your voters.
How you respond to both large and small crises will define you and your leadership skills for voters.
Use some simple SEO on your social profiles to boost your online presence. Your bios should include the candidate’s name as it appears on the ballot, the year, and the full position that you are running for. Social profiles are also a great place to include your campaign website link. And check your privacy settings.
Talk with your followers; don’t broadcast to them. Reply to comments, even negative ones. Host live Q&A sessions, such as Facebook Live. Watch the social trends for content ideas, and use relevant hashtags when you post.
For more tips and ideas for digital campaigning, subscribe to our email list below and check out our book Running for Office as an Online Candidate.
Image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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