Political WordPress Templates by Online Candidate
Online Candidate is pleased to announce WordPress Campaign Website Services. These services are designed for political candidates and organizations who want a WordPress-based website configured with the design, content and tools that campaign organizations require.
Custom Campaign WordPress Design Services
Done for you – a custom template design and full site content setup. Save valuable time as we design and set up your initial website content. After that, it’s all in your control. Addon options are also available to help you build your online presence faster.
Our political WordPress design service includes:
- A Powerful Platform – Your site is powered by WordPress, the most popular content management system available.
- Save Time And Money – Get your site built faster and with less expense than with a traditional web developer.
- Built-In Tools – Campaign tools and features are included for a powerful online presence.
- Pre-Configured To Win – Your website comes configured with the pages, forms and plugins to give you a head start.
Learn more about our WordPress Campaign Websites.
Political WordPress Templates for Different Offices
Looking to build your own political WordPress campaign website? Save development time and money with our Divi Child Themes and templates. Clean design and fully responsive, these Divi child themes are designed for political campaigns and organizations. All content of the site demo is included. Little to no extra page development is needed. Swap out demo material and configure settings to your liking. [Template sales have been discontinued as of 2024.]
Learn more about our political WordPress templates and design services based on our Sheriff WordPress template, judicial template and School Board website template.
Questions about starting with WordPress? Contact us today!
Winning Tips For Your Local Political Campaign
Running for office can be arduous, exhausting and frustrating…if you don’t know how to run a local political campaign. And we know that running for office, particularly if it’s your first time, can be overwhelming. But, it doesn’t have to be. Below are important steps you can take to have an advantage over your opponent.
First, let’s talk metrics.
How many voters do you need to win an election? Almost every office has a minimum requirement of votes needed to win an election. That’s one number you would need. You can get that information from your electoral office. This voter file is of extreme importance, it tells you every registered voter and their party affiliation in your district.
The other number you would need is how many votes have been cast for the winner in previous elections so you have an idea of not just the minimum number of votes needed but how many votes it took to win in previous elections. You can find that information out at Ballotpedia.
Now, that you have this number you can create your game plan on how to reach out to your voters and engage with them. Where do you spend your time canvassing, calling and mailing to your voters? It’s not enough to just reach out to family and friends, though that is effective as a beginning campaign strategy. Activating voters in your district is essential to winning an election.
Tracking your potential voters is just as important as registering as a candidate. If you know who is or isn’t going to vote for you then you will know who to spend your time and money on to reach. It is also important to know what voters are either on the fence or don’t know about your candidacy. They become targets for persuasion as you approach Election Day.
Track your voters when they have been contacted. Follow-up is important so you can stay top of mind.
Contact points to track include:
- Call data – When you called, did you leave a message, did you speak with the voter?
- Email – When did you send an email, which email did you send, did it bounce back to you?
- Text – Did you send a text? Did the voter unsubscribe?
- Canvassing – Did you visit their home? Were you able to talk with them? What information did you leave behind?
- Follow-up – What is the next point of contact with your voter and what kind – voice, email, text, visit?
Starting Your Local Political Campaign The Right Way
Unless the candidate is extremely wealthy and well-known, local political candidates usually don’t have a lot of resources to start. On top of that, many candidates often lack name identification with voters. This can be a big problem if they are running against a popular opponent or an entrenched incumbent.
There are two things small campaigns should first focus on: Raising initial contributions and putting together a strong organization.
Initial donations often comes from the candidate’s friends and family. You can start with your family members, colleagues, friends and other supporters you know. Let your prospects know why you are running, why you think you can win – and how their support can make a difference.
Use this money to hold a a kick-off campaign fundraising event. Now you can broaden your reach to raise more money and to start spreading the word about your campaign. Try to make your event interesting and at a location that is affordable. You don’t want to spend the bulk of your donations just to hold more fundraisers!
Organize the structure of your campaign. At the very least, you will need a campaign manager, treasurer and volunteers.
Most candidates write out a political campaign plan before they run for office. Your plan will lay out your election strategies, and will depend several factors. These include the size of the electorate, the major local issues, and the timeline of the election season. To run a successful political campaign, you will need to tweak your plan throughout the election season.
[bctt tweet=”Most candidates write out their strategy before they start a run for elected office. And that strategy may change over the course of the election.” username=”onlinecandidate”]
Related Article: Running for Office – Frequently Asked Questions
Create Your Political Message
Now that you have a plan of action and your voter file, what is the message you are going to deliver?
You have to tell your own story…WHY are you running, what value will people voting for you get when you’re elected. Your message has to be clear and concise so it is easy for your constituents to understand quickly.
There are three primary points to hammer home to voters. Tell them about yourself, about your life and why you believe what you do. Voters don’t care about your resume. They want to relate to you on their own level – story points, family, hobbies, military service, etc.
Remember, it’s not about you and your achievements, it’s about what you can do for the voter. They want to know what is in it for them.
Spending Time and Money
You have your message and you know who your voters are and now it’s time to engage them. When you talk with your constituents, remember to ask them for their vote and see get their agreement. This way you will be able to record if they are or aren’t going to vote for you, and you’ll know your follow-up path.
Advertising Your Campaign Online
It goes without saying that having a presence on the web is instrumental. Most local campaigns start with a political website and a presence on social media. We are in the digital age now and need to be where are constituents are – and they are, for the most part, on social media.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin are all relevant social sites. If you have to choose which sites to be on, choose Facebook and Instagram. Run ads to targeted audiences in your district and have a call to action to donate, learn more or click Like to show their support of your campaign.
Post about relevant issues you are addressing, your message and your story. Remember to drive home the value your constituents will receive if they vote for you. Make your message easy and simple to understand.
In order for your message to reach people online, you will need to budget for online advertising. Plan to devote a chunk of your budget toward online ads. This includes advertising on Facebook, where you can target people based on their demographics, interests and location. Google may be more restrictive, but you can still run pay per click and display ads to reach your desired audience. IP target advertising can allow you to reach voters at a household level. There are even less obvious methods like running banner ads on your local newspaper website.
With three weeks before the election you have plenty of time to make an impact on your voters. Put together a ‘get out the vote’ (GOTV) strategy and the steps you need to complete it. Canvass, call, email and text coupled with an informative website and active social campaigns will help reach as many voters as you can.
Becky Creighton is Director of Partnerships for Handraiser, a political campaign software that helps candidates track voters, provide communication channels between the candidate and voter and manages volunteers and canvassing efforts.
When Is The Best Time To Order Campaign Signage?
Campaign yard signs are a valuable part of any election strategy. Even if you are not a fan of yard signs, they are a must-have if you are a political candidate. Your opponents will be using them, so you don’t want to be left out.
There are different opinions as to to when is the best time to put up your signs. Generally, you should put up your campaign signs between four to eight weeks before the primary or general election. This allows for enough time to build name recognition with voters. If you put your signs up too early, they may lose impact as voters become ‘blind’ to them. If you put campaign signs up too late, they may not get the exposure you desire.
Of course, before you can display your signs, you need to order them.
Key Takeaways
- Start the ordering process for your campaign yard signs about two months before you need them.
- Professionals recommend that you put up campaign signs four to eight weeks ahead of a primary or general election.
- Plastic or Play-bag Signs are affordable, cheap and easy to ship. Corrugated plastic signs hold up well against the elements.
- Putting a ‘rush’ on a sign printing job will just add stress and cost to the project.
When is the best time to order yard signs?
Ideally, you should start the ordering process about two months before you need them. Having your yard signs ready to go early will help avoid a lot of logistical problems. Normal sign production is about 5 days and shipping time can be anywhere between 1 to 4 days. To be safe you should give yourself a minimum of at least two weeks. That way you will have enough time to put them out.
Order your campaign signage at least two months before you need it. Don’t wait until two weeks before Election Day to order.
Whatever you do, don’t put off ordering until the last minute. Putting a ‘rush’ on a printing job will just add stress and cost to the project. It may also lead to unintended errors. It’s better to get your signs designed and ordered early. Then you will have the signs ready to put out when you need them.
You may want to place a few orders throughout the season or as you can afford them. Start with some standard 18×24 inch yard signs. Most printers allow for batches as small as 50. As people request your signs, you’ll get an idea of how many more you need. As the campaign goes on, you may want to buy more and larger signs, like 4×8 foot road signs or billboards.
[bctt tweet=”Yard signs are part of your #political campaign’s branding. Make the most of them. http://ow.ly/wYTS30gBlRy”]
What type of yard signs should you order?
Candidates and organizations often struggle with the type of sign to purchase. There are basically three types of yard signs for political campaigns: plastic bag, corrugated plastic, and double-sided cardboard.
Here are the pros and cons each type of sign:
- Plastic or Play-bag Signs are affordable, cheap and easy to ship. They are basically plastic sleeves that can be slipped over U-shaped wires. The down side is that they tend to sag over time on their frames. And they do not work well as wall signs.
- Corrugated Plastic (poly coated) Signs holds up well against the elements and are easy to handle. They are most cost effective if a candidate runs often and is committed to the same message and look. They generally slide right over their metal frame. However, a light colored sign might not be entirely opaque. They tend to be a bit more expensive than other types of signs. They are also the most easily stolen.
- Double-Sided Cardboard Signs come in all shapes and sizes. They are double-sided and are stapled or glued to their frames. They easily double as wall signs. However, they don’t hold up as well in rough weather as plastic signs.
Your choice should be determined by your priorities such as price, quantity and re-usability.
Tips for designing effective political signs
Over time, a single campaign sign can be seen by hundreds or even thousands of people. Multiply that effect by the total number of yard signs promoting a campaign, and you have a powerful way to build candidate name recognition. Since all advertising is an extension of your brand, you’ll want your signs to look professional.
Here are some design tips to keep in mind:
- Consider creating a campaign logo early. Stick with a single logo. You may want to go with a block-style font, as script is harder to read. Use your campaign logo in your brochures and mailers to build a consistent ‘brand’.
- Generally, the candidate’s last name should be the largest element. The office running for should also be included, but can be somewhat smaller.
- Do not put too much information on the sign. They are generally read by motorists passing by. At best, you have only a few seconds to relay your message. Phrases ‘Re-Elect’ and ‘Vote For’ are basically redundant.
- Consider using at least two colors. This will increase the impact of the sign. Red, white and blue are traditional favorites. Other combos of color such as black and red or blue and yellow can work well, too.
- Don’t make your yard signs too small. A typical yard sign is 12” x 24”, but going for 18” x 24” or larger signs can produce more impact.
What is the visual impact?
You will only have a few seconds of a viewer’s attention, so the key to a good political sign content is for it to stand out. It should contain a short, memorable phrase with the candidate’s name and office like “Vote for Smith” or “Smith for Judge”.
Your signs should be readable and have high contrast of dark and light. Most political logos are readable in this way. Your sign design should match your other campaign materials such as your brochures and campaign website. Yard signs are part of your campaign’s branding, so it’s not a place to get overly creative.
When should you put up your campaign signs?
Many professionals recommend that you put up your campaign signs four to eight weeks ahead of the primaries or general election. If you display your campaign signs too early, they may lose their effectiveness and not have as much impact. If you put them up too late in the season, you will miss out on potential exposure and not have as much of an effect on your election chances.
You can coordinate putting out signs with your other advertising to help maximize voter impact.
When putting out your signage, follow the rules
Before you put up any yard signs, check your local election rules on where and when you can put out campaign signs. There may be restrictions on sizes, as well. You should also know when your signs must be taken down. (It’s usually within a week of Election Day.)
Check with your election board about sign placement near polling locations on Election Day. Some districts allow for signs, while others don’t. If your district allows signs, there will be specific regulations as to the size and distance from the polling place. You will also want to have enough signs available to place on Election Day.
Whether you are campaigning for mayor, sheriff, judge, school board member or even a state senator, a smart campaign sign strategy will boost your chances of victory.
How to dispose of old campaign signs
Once the election is over, the campaign signs remain. Here are ways to get rid of your old signage.
- Recycle your cardboard signs. Wire frames can be recycled or used for other purposes.
- Plastic signs can be painted and reused for other purposes.
- If your signs are not date-specific, they can saved for the next election.
- See more ideas on what to do with old political signs.
While we’re on the subject of recycling, be sure to recycle all of your campaign’s print material, except for the material that you might want to keep in a swipe file.
Related posts:
The Importance of Using Checklists in Campaigns
Checklists are powerful tools in campaigns. Checklists turn completely green volunteers into competent workers. Checklists ensure quality and help staff manage themselves instead of using precious resources managing employees. The opportunities to use checklists in campaigns are nearly endless!
Campaigns lend themselves to checklists because there is a series of logical steps towards the end of goal of victory. Smart candidates and staff can systematize these steps and develop checklists to keep the process moving. The difference between well run and poorly run campaign is the difference between a campaign that has a plan and a system and one that doesn’t.
The difference between a good campaign and a great campaign is the difference between how well the campaigns execute on their system.
Feel free to take this Field Event Checklist template and make it your own:
Location
_ Secure location one week before the date of the event or as soon as a date is decided by the candidate or a third party
_ Make sure an outside location has an alternative rain location
Crowd building
_ Determine the size of the room.
_ Make sure you are able to fill the room
_ Have an estimated hard count before hand
_ Call local officials at least two days before the event
Visuals
_ Signs
_ Banners
_ Stickers
_ Constituent group specific packets or handouts
_ Sign in sheet
_ Microphone
_ Podium
Price
_ Get budget approval of the final price five days prior to the event
_ Save invoices for all purchases
_ Events including food should not exceed $5.00 per person unless approved beforehand
Press
_ Press risers if necessary
_ Press advisory day before event
_ Take pictures
_ Email pictures to campaign press contact
_ Press release no later than 24 hours following the event
Follow up checklist
_ Follow up with phone calls and emails within two days of the event
_ Make copies of the sign in sheet
_ Enter sign in sheet data into database program
_ Send a copy of the sign in sheet to campaign contact to send out thank you notes
A staffer or a volunteer using a checklist like this one fill find it simple to organize a successful field event. Integrate checklists into your campaign like you have likely already integrated scripts for fundraising asks and scripts for the field. Scripts are to words as checklists are to processes. Winning campaigns rely on them just as much.
- Related: Checks To Make When Launching Your Campaign Website
- Political-Campaign-Checklist-For-Candidate [PDF]
For more checklists, tips, tricks and useful strategies, check out Running For Office as an Online Candidate. Our exclusive book provides a blueprint for candidates to use the web as part of an overall campaign strategy.
When a State Flag or Local Emblem Causes Trouble
Are you planning to spruce up your campaign website with a dash of local flavor, like your state flag or a municipal emblem? Well, hold on, because you might be stepping on a legal landmine without even knowing it.
It’s possible that the state flag or local municipal emblem you want to include in your campaign website might become a problem with the election board. Using state or local graphics may violate local election laws.
Laws vary on rules regarding the use of official symbols on political websites and campaign material. Many candidates opt for landmark or scenic images in their website headers. Other candidates who choose to include a background image of their state flag or municipal emblem.
Campaigns that want to design their sites with flag or emblem images should double-check for any state or local regulations on how those emblems can be used in campaign materials. (We often use these emblems as subtle background watermarks.) Laws and regulations vary, and it’s better to do things right the first time than to get called out later for an infraction.
The same issue can apply to official county seals or seals of local government. For example, candidates may be prohibited from using a sheriff’s department insignia or badge. If you’re a candidate with a military background, there are restrictions on when you can strut your stuff in uniform for political purposes. Judges tend to have the heaviest restrictions on what insignias and imagery they can use.
As an aside, we encountered a reverse situation a few years back. During a local election, an incumbent actually put his head shot into the website header of the town website, essentially branding the municipal website for his own purposes. After some public outcry, the head shot was removed.
What’s at stake? If you ignore local election laws, you’re asking for trouble and could even face legal repercussions. Fines, penalties, and possibly the loss of credibility. It’s not a game you want to play lightly.
Before you go wild with those state flags and emblems, make sure you understand your local election laws inside and out. We can’t stress this enough. Avoid being the candidate that lands in hot water for a graphic blunder.
In a nutshell, keep your campaign materials compliant, your designs captivating, and your reputation intact. It’s not hard, but it’s a critical part of having a clean and successful campaign!
For more campaign tips and ideas, check out OnlineCandidateResources.com. Access is free for Online Candidate campaign website clients.
Designing a Winning Political Logo – Tips and Ideas
A great logo design is central to a political candidate’s branding. It must be unique and stand out enough to establish a candidate to a wide audience. A well-designed political logo is a major element in projecting a professional brand in the minds of voters. Your branding can be a crucial component to fundraising and building a following.
Campaign logos provide a visual identity. They can be used on yard signs, candidate brochures, direct mailings, palm cards, video ads and all other forms of political advertising. An amateur-looking design reflects poorly on your candidacy and will keep voters from taking you seriously.
Table of Contents
- Political Logo Design Tips
- Current Design Trends
- Making Your Own Political Logo
- Sheriff Campaigns
- Judicial Campaigns
- School Board Campaigns
- Who Will Make Your Logo?
Our custom political website packages include professional logo creation – AND we’ll provide a FREE high-res version for your print materials.
House of Representatives logo example with graphic in the design.
Tips for creating a winning campaign logo
One of the first steps to establishing your campaign branding is to invest time in your logo design. Employing visual elements such as color and fonts help voters understand your message and helps project a clear and consistent message.
Here are some tips to achieve the best look and layout when making a campaign logo.
Incorporating typography and text
Sans-serif fonts tend to dominate political communication. That’s no surprise, as sans-serif fonts tend to appear more conventional and project stability. Serif fonts, on the other hand, tend to appear more happy and casual. Script lettering is much harder to read and may not translate as well to print.
Here the first letter of the logo has been changed to a checkbox.
Choosing the right campaign colors
Choose your logo colors carefully. Many of our clients pick a red/white/blue flag color scheme. State or local candidates often match their state flag colors. Black and white or yellow are the most common colors for judges, sheriff, and law enforcement candidates. Odd colors like purple or pink may get attention but may also distract from the overall messaging.
Campaign logo for city council in yellow and green colors sets it apart from the traditional political red and blue.
In the United States, it is traditional for political logos to have a red, white and blue color scheme. Blue is more popular for Democratic candidates, whereas red is significantly preferred by Republicans. To stand out, third party candidates often use other colors like green or orange.
The psychology behind branding
There is a psychology behind brand design. For example, the way a brand is designed with color can have a big effect on how voters see a candidate. For example, blue is often associated with trust, loyalty, and professionalism. In contrast, red is often associated with excitement, passion, and urgency.
Even the choice of font can influence how voters think of a candidate. Serif fonts, for example, are often associated with tradition. Using a traditional serif font in your logo may make you appear more reliable, established, and trustworthy.
Sans-serif fonts are often associated with modernity and simplicity. Sans-serif fonts are often used in websites and apps and are considered more legible in smaller sizes. Using sans-serif fonts in your logo can communicate a sense of innovation and progressiveness for your campaign.
These are just a few examples of the psychology behind brand design. By understanding how your voters might perceive these different design elements, your campaign can create a brand identity that will identify with your target voting block and help your stand.
Use symbols for better logo branding
Know the rules. Political campaign design often incorporates patriotic symbols or icons, such as an eagle, stars, political party symbols or state flags. You might not be able to include political party logos, either. There may be local rules or laws that prohibit what can appear on signage or campaign websites. Learn the restrictions on what you can and cannot include in your branding, so you don’t run into problems later.
Keep consistency in your design
Once you have your logo designed, don’t change it halfway through the race. A good part of voter branding is in your logo, and if you change it at some point, you’ll lose much of that connection.
NOTE: Your existing campaign logo design may not translate well to web. If you already have your print material created, it will probably need to be tweaked a bit to make it work online. For example, your design may have a border on it. That may look great on a sign, but it may look blocky when used in a website header. Sometimes we will remove borders or tweak the layout to flow better with a candidate’s head shot or background image.
The goal of great political design is for the average voter to immediately recognize your brand no matter where they see it.
Designing your own political logo
We strongly advise having someone with graphic design experience create your politician logo. Some people think they can save money and make a logo themselves, but often the results are amateurish. There may be spacing issues, or graphics not integrated well with the text, or layout is just too long or too tall. Sometimes the graphic element goes too far and makes the image look too complicated.
The best political campaign logos are simple enough to stand out, without being complicated with unnecessary elements.
Free campaign logo design tools
Free logo makers can sometimes do the job. They often include basic templates. But the image editor in a logo maker is only as good as the person using the tool. Also watch out – free logo generators only provides a low-res graphic for you. This can work fine for web purposes, but will look blurry in print. You’ll need to pay for a higher-resolution version that will scale for your printed materials, such as signs or brochures.
For inspiration, check out our own political logo examples.
The “Hope” image, designed by artist Shepard Fairey, became an iconic image during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Current political graphic trends
The Center for American Politics and Design (CAPD) collects branding designs for US House, Senate, Presidential and Gubernatorial races. The archive is a tool that allows users to filter and examine different graphic elements. It has been updated to 2020.
There has been more use of script and signature logos in recent years. They can be eye-catching, but should be used carefully so they remain legible.
Image and graphic elements are also added for visual interest. Incorporating a flag, state or federal building or even a state graphic is something we’ve done for years. Visual elements such as heartbeats for doctor candidates and bells and shields for ex-military candidates have become more common. We’ve seen an expansion in these types of elements in recent years.
Boxes are still popular, and they’ve increased in popularity with Republicans – especially the stars along the top border. These work well for sign use, but sometimes it’s better to remove the outer box for online use, especially in the site header. Sometimes, the box is slanted at an angle, which gives the design a sense of movement and energy. This look started gaining popularity with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2018 House of Representatives campaign. It’s been imitated by other progressive candidates, including a number of our own clients.
Some politicians perform a brand refresh between election campaigns. Here are a few examples:
Sheriff Logos – Stars and Badges
Campaign logos for sheriffs tend to be ‘blocky’ with large lettering. Black, gold and white tend to be popular colors for law enforcement candidates. Sheriff logos often incorporate a six-point badge of some type (but not an official government badge). Sheriff candidates are often not allowed to even appear in promotional material wearing official law enforcement uniforms or insignias. Any badges that are used are often generic, or with identifying text removed.
Related: Sheriff Campaign Logo Design
Judicial Logos – Gavels and Scales
Logos for judges tend to be clean. They may have a gavel integrated into the logo, or there might be scales of justice worked in. Judicial logos tend to be dark and serious. Block lettering is standard. As they are nonpolitical, a judge logo is typically not the usual red, white and blue in traditional US politics. The overall look of the print materials and website tend to carry the look of a law firm – lots of blacks and whites with the occasional accent of color.
Related: Judicial Campaign Logo Design
School Board Logos – Mortar Boards and Apples
Simple images within a campaign logo can help tell a story. For example, an apple in a logo suggests a candidate for school board.
Logos for school board candidates can vary widely. They may often incorporate books, mortar boards or apples into them. School board logo colors often match the local high school or primary educational facility. If you have a particularly large school or high school that dominates the district, you may want to incorporate those particular colors into your branding.
Related: School Board Campaign Logo Design
Who Will Make Your Logo?
Many smaller campaigns have their logo created by a print shop when they produce their first mailing. Others may have a volunteer make a design, or hire a professional graphic designer to do the job.
No matter who creates the design, you will want to have a high-resolution version to use for other purposes. This means the image is saved at 300 dpi in a jpg, tif, png, or eps format. High resolution makes it better for print pieces, such as mailers and signs.
Some of our clients already have their design assets when start their website. If client does not have one, or wants a better one, we will create a logo for them.
For graphic artists, we also provide customizable design templates. We offer downloadable Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop logo templates and a variety of Canva political logos.
Our Regular and Enhanced Political Website Packages includes free custom logo design and header. We’ll also provide high-res version for your print material. Why pay hundreds to have a designer do this? We’ll make one for you – and it’s included with your website.
