Effective election engagement starts with good organization. The best way to keep track of a growing candidate field and important deadlines is with a simple spreadsheet. This central document will become your team's go-to resource throughout the election cycle, ensuring you have the right information when you need it.
Why Bother Tracking This?
A well-maintained tracking sheet is more than just a list of names. It is a tool that:
- Ensures Fair Outreach: It helps you guarantee that you are inviting every candidate to your events and questionnaires.
- Streamlines Communication: No more hunting for a campaign manager's email address. All contact info is in one place.
- Tracks Engagement: Keep notes on who has attended a ride, responded to a questionnaire, or participated in a forum.
- Creates Institutional Memory: When the next election comes around in two or four years, you won't be starting from scratch.
What to Track About the Candidates
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What to Track About the Candidates
Expanded details for this section
What to Track About the Candidates
Your spreadsheet should be your "source of truth" for all candidate information. At a minimum, create columns for the following fields. You can always add more as needed.
- Full Name: First and Last
- Office: The specific position they are running for (e.g., "City Council," "Mayor").
- Website: The official campaign website.
- Email: The best contact email for the campaign (often
info@orcampaign@). - Phone Number: A campaign phone number, if available.
- Contact Form URL: Some campaigns prefer you use a form on their website.
- Social Media: Links to their official campaign accounts (Twitter, Facebook, etc.).
- Status: A column to track their status (e.g., "Declared," "Rumored," "Dropped Out").
- Notes: A general-purpose column for miscellaneous information, like the name of their campaign manager or key policy interests.
Here is a simple example of what this might look like:
| First | Last | Position | Website | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikki | Amberg | Councilmember | ambergfortempe.com |
info@ambergfortempe.com |
555.555.5555 |
| David | Lucier | Councilmember | councilmemberlucier@gmail.com |
555.555.5555 |
How to Find Candidate Information
Start with your local government's official elections website (usually run by the City Clerk or County Recorder). They will have a definitive list of who has officially filed to run for office. From there, you can visit individual campaign websites to find contact details and more information.
Don't Forget Key Election Dates!
In the same document, or a separate one, keep a list of the official, immovable election deadlines. These dates are critical for your voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts.
- Voter Registration Deadline
- Mail-In Ballot Request Deadline
- Early Voting Period (Start and End)
- Election Day
Always source these dates directly from your state or county election officials to ensure they are accurate.