THE CAMPAIGN SURVIVAL GUIDE

By Selina Seesunkur

Whether you are campaigning during an election or fighting for an ongoing cause, canvassing is generally a must-do. Here are some essential tips to help you whether you are knocking on doors or standing in your local town square.

Image: Classically Printed

Stay hydrated

Speaking to people for a few hours can be thirsty work. It is important that you stay hydrated.

In the interest of being environmental, we recommend using a reusable water bottle

Take Notes

You will be asked to record key information, pen and paper is always handy!

Image: Engin Akyurt

Image: StockSnap

Pucker up

Dry lips can be uncomfortable, carry lip balm on you, especially on those cold winter days, after all, you need your mouth for talking!

Image: Pexels

Weather-Ready

You never know whether it is going to rain or shine, you have a couple of options here

• Carry an umbrella

• Wear a cap

• Wear a rain poncho with hood.

Image: Simis1

 Minty Fresh Breath

There is nothing worse than talking to a person with bad breath. Don’t let that person be you.

Hours of talking, lack of hydration or you might have simply eaten lunch, can all lead to bad breath, drink plenty and carry mints on you, just in case.

Be Bacteria Free

With the spread of flu in the winter months, hand sanitisers help to deter the spread of germs and illness-causing bacteria

A tissue is also a good idea in case you do get a cold while you are out.

Image: Xavier Vandeputte

Image: Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke

Stay Charged

There are a number of reasons for keeping your phone charged. The first is for your safety,  if you are using a location tracker your teammates can find you if you get separated from them. But you may also find that there are Apps in the market that help you record the information you collect from your canvassing session. Finally, photos are a great way of showing how active you are and raising awareness for your cause. We encourage you to carry a small USB battery pack or power bank. 

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Mind your back

Worn across your upper body to ensure you do not get backache, this bag is ideal for carrying campaign leaflets.  You can also hang your water bottle from the strap.

Image: Tero Vesalainen

Let them know who you are

When approaching the public it is a good idea to let them know who you are and what group or cause you are campaigning for. Either carry business cards, a badge which identifies the group you are with or literature which outlines the nature of the organisation that you represent

DON'T JUST VOTE, RUN!

By Pranav Bhanot

Whether you love it, hate it or love to hate it, one thing is clear, politicians and elections are not going anywhere, anytime soon, even if political and electoral fatigue looms across global democracies.

Whilst many sectors and industries such as banking, law and engineering are being disrupted through technological advancements, the process of electing a politician and the traditional methods of campaigning associated with it remain largely unchanged. Many politicians will confirm that even in the age of social media, there is no substitute for pounding the streets and knocking on doors when trying to convince someone to vote for you. Similarly, voters will be all too familiar with lining up in long queues to then be given a blunt pencil used to mark a box on a ballot paper to communicate their preference of next leader.

Many people appear fed up of our politicians and democratic processes, however, I continue to be a huge advocate of the power of liberal democracy to provide effective governance. Consequently, I am keen to see more people take a proactive interest in public service representation, in particular, groups of individuals who may not be as well represented in their legislature or decision-making body such as young people, ethnic minority groups and women.

Over the past two years, I have felt the bitterness of losing an election and the sweet victory having won an election which led me to write a book called “Get Me Elected. Tips, Tactics and Strategies for Election Success.” The aim of the book is to encourage more people to take an interest in public leadership through campaigning and winning elections. Many argue that the quality of our politicians and leaders is starting the deteriorate. To those who argue such a viewpoint, I challenge you to do something about this and consider throwing your hat in the ring next time your school, university, workplace, local council or Parliament are looking for candidates.

But before you do, ask yourself the following questions:

Why are you running for election? It is amazing, how many people want to run in elections without having a satisfactory answer to why they wish to run in the election in the first instance. It is important to remember that running for office is not an end in itself but a means to an end. The end should be the change or difference you wish to make and the role of elected office is the vehicle to achieve that end. The question originally posed will require a succinct and simple response and no one will be able to answer this question better and with more conviction than you.

What issues matter to your voters? To be successful you should identify the important issues that actually matter to your voters and instead of assuming that your views are the same as the group you want to serve. it is important that candidates understand the needs and demands of voters which should, in turn, shape your manifesto.

How will you stand out? Whether you look at President Trump in the United States, Prime Minister Modi in India or Prime Minister Johnson in the United Kingdom, each of these leaders have spent significant time analysing and refining how they will communicate their messages in a way which is different and can resonate with the maximum number of voters. It is your job to capture their attention effectively, communicate the message efficiently and eventually engage your voter to support you. Therefore, it is worth giving some serious thought about how you can uniquely position yourself from your competition.

Do you have good quality data? It is important that you identify exactly who your potential voters are, as soon as possible in your campaign. This will allow you to identify how you will reach the maximum number of voters in minimum time and as often as possible prior to the election. This process of finding out how the potential voter will vote is known as ascertaining the “Voting Intention”. Once you have got a Voting Intention, you should carefully record this data. As polling day draws closer, you should focus your efforts on communicating and consolidating support from those who have indicated an interest in voting for you or on those who are undecided. Generally speaking, it would not be effective use time for you to try and persuade someone who has pledged their support for your competitor. Your efforts could be better spent on converting someone who is undecided to vote for you instead.

Will they vote for you as promised? Good campaigning before the polling day does not guarantee election success. After all, a supporter saying they will vote for you is nothing more than a theoretical nicety until this actually translates into a reality. Try and empower a team of volunteers to assist you on polling day to contact your supporters to ensure that they have voted. Once you have reminded your supporters to go out to vote, if time permits, you could focus some energy on a final persuasive push to encourage those who have not decided their ideal candidate to consider you. It has been said that elections have been won and lost in the final few hours of a polling day, therefore, this final stretch requires a great deal of effort and energy to try and secure the maximum number of votes.

I hope the above provides some guidance when navigating the murky waters of standing in an election. Being an elected representative who can make a positive difference to a society is one of the most satisfying achievements. I recommend that everyone attempts standing in an election once in their life. More tips, tactics or strategies for election success can be found in my book available on Amazon called: Get Me Elected. Tips, Tactics and Strategies for Election Success.