TAKING 2012
WVRLC Regional Candidate Training Session
Money
Mission
Message
WELCOME
MONEYFUNDRAISING TO WIN
Budget out your overall campaign plan
Research amount previous candidates spent thorough the Secretary of State’s Website
Plan expenditures and work your way forward
Anticipate negative attacks
Include a prospectus of likely donors
PREPARING A FINANCE PLAN
Your Finance Chairman
Your Treasurer
Your Finance Committee Members
ESTABLISHING A FINANCE ORGANIZATION
A carefully planned, managed, and executed fundraising program:
Targets potential donors Determines and groups these prospects by their probable level of
donation
Develops persuasive reasons for prospects to give
Selects the appropriate method for soliciting each group of prospects
Assures cash flow from planned fundraising programs meets the predetermined needs of the overall campaign plan
FUNDRAISING
Reasons people give:
Think you will win
Donating has become a habit Frustrated with their present representation Wish to become involved in public service
FUNDRAISING (continued)
Reasons people do not give:
Individuals are not convinced you can win
Individuals do not know how much to give
Individuals have never given before Your appeal is too vague Their contribution may subject them to retaliation or disfavor
with others
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED
FUNDRAISING (continued)
Methods of Fundraising:
Hold special events
Direct mail fundraising
One-on-one or face-to-face solicitation
Peer/Issue-oriented/Industry fundraising
FUNDRAISING (continued)
Fundraising Tips:
Ask for a specific amount
Be prepared to discuss how funds will be used
Follow up with telephone/mail solicitiation
FUNDRAISING (continued)
Most PACs will wait until mid-October to endorse
Most PACS view persistence as an asset
PACs are impressed by financial support of others, endorsements from other PACs, and a credible presentation
PACs tend to support incumbents, not challengers
SOLICITING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES
MISSIONWHAT DO YOU NEED TO WIN?
County Clerk
General Election precinct turnout
Lowest GOP total/Highest GOP total by precinct
Swing precincts +/- 5% or flip flop
Compare top to down ballot
Vote Goals
Precinct 1—Leans Republican
Democrat Republican
President 20 80
US Senate 40 60
Congress 40 60
WV HoD 40 60
Precinct 2—Leans Democrat
Democrat Republican
President 30 70
US Senate 60 40
Congress 60 40
WV HoD 60 40
Precinct 3—Swing
Democrat Republican
President 40 60
US Senate 52 48
Congress 45 55
WV HoD 55 45
Terminology
PV Status—Perfect Voter Status out of the past 4 elections. 4 of 4 = Perfect; 0 of 4 = no votes
Phone Reliability Code— From a scale of 1 to 9, the likelihood of having a correct #. 9 highest; 1 lowest. 0 is no information available.
Affiliations— A Voter Vault user addition to a person’s voting likelihood or issue stance.
VOTER VAULT
Access and login
To get a username and password: Chad Holland, Executive Director WVGOP at (304)768-0493
Password page – Case sensitive
User agreement – Click agree if you love freedom and liberty. All others click disagree.
VOTER VAULT (continued)
Search
Individual lookup – Last name & comma & first name
County dropdown
Affiliations
VOTER VAULT (continued)
Walk and Call Lists
Walk list vs. call list
Precinct #
List Filters
Print (attached example)
VOTER VAULT (continued)
Exports for Direct Mail/Robo-call/Phone Banks
Select District
Filters
Affiliations/Phone Reliability
Export
VOTER VAULT (continued)
Historical Voters
The Secretary of State’s office, your county clerk's office, and Voter Vault have records that reflect in which elections each voter has voted.
These records should be used to help you determine the "most likely" voters, also called "historical voters."
During the early months of your campaign, identify the historical voters to be contacted in your direct mail, door-to-door and/or phone bank efforts.
Eliminating unlikely voters from your door-to-door lists, phone call lists, and direct mail lists can save you time, resources, postage, and money.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING
Direct Mail
Direct mail is one of the most narrowly targeted and effective methods of getting your message to historical, high-frequency voters.
Delete duplicates at the same address and make sure you send only one mail piece to a particular address, regardless of the number of voters who reside there.
If your campaign budget allows, it is best to send a direct mail piece from one to three times during your campaign.
If you are unable to send more than one direct mailing, it may be best to break your mailing into two portions: one directed at early voters and one sent just before the election.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING (continued)
Phone Banks
If possible, a "phone bank" system during the Early Voting period leading up to Election Day is helpful to encourage your voters to get out the vote.
Such effort may include groups of volunteers making calls, local GOP groups making calls, or candidate automated “robo calls.”
Phone calls should be brief and friendly, and should be placed from 6:30-9:00 in the evenings.
If the caller receives voice mail or an answering machine, they can still leave this same message for the voter.
You should ask your volunteer callers to be careful not to answer questions on your behalf or commit you to certain positions if they are not ones you have already stated.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING (continued)
Door-to-Door
You may wish to start by obtaining the 2008 and 2010 election returns, precinct by precinct, from your local county clerk's office.
Carefully prioritize the door-to-door campaigning done by you and by volunteers.
It is best to only visit the homes of the historical voters in this area. It is important that you target your efforts where you can be most successful.
Less targeted precincts should be visited early in the summer months. It is best to visit the targeted precincts in the six weeks prior to the General Election.
Door-to-door is best conducted on Saturdays or after 5:30 P.M. and until dusk on weekdays. Have a supply of your palm cards with you to leave with voters.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING (continued)
Community Events
School sports events, car shows, holiday events, fundraising dinners and auctions, parades, fairs and festivals, and community picnics
Ask volunteers to inform you of any events of which they are aware and, if possible, accompany you to events for groups in which they are involved.
Check local newspapers, the internet, Facebook “event” calendars, and Twitter for events to attend.
If you cannot attend, try to ask a supporter to stand in for you and distribute your campaign materials.
Campaign pens, emery boards, balloons, etc., are expensive. You should be careful to not devote too much of your campaign resources to such items.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING (continued)
Yard Signs
Yard signs are an effective means of getting your name out into your district, particularly if you are a new candidate.
Do not put too much information on your signs. Your name should be the most prominent and should be as large as possible.
Signs should be placed on property only with the owner’s permission.
Make sure to periodically check your signs or have a volunteer check your signs throughout the campaign.
It is best to obtain sign locations where your sign is the only one, or one of only a few, along with other GOP candidates at the location.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING (continued)
Waving at Busy Intersections
Holding campaign signs at busy intersections is an inexpensive way to get your name out to voters without interrupting them with a visit or a phone call.
Arrive prior to the start of morning or evening rush hour. Make sure you are in a safe, well-lit area that does not obstruct traffic or place you or others in danger.
Make sure the sign has your name in large letters that are easy to read by passing motorists. If yard signs are not large enough, have larger signs made.
Locations near shopping centers or school, sports, or community events are usually good sites to stand and wave to voters.
Dress well while holding signs so voters know you as the candidate, not simply a volunteer on your behalf.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING (continued)
“Gimme Five” or “Contact Five” Drives
Supporters may be willing to contact five close friends or relatives in your district and urge them to vote for you.
A good approach is to have at least 1,000 of these cards printed early and give them out to family, friends, and supporters.
Ask each of them to: A) fill out the card with 5 names, then B) call these people during the Early Voting period or the night before the Election.
The success of the “Gimme Five” depends upon your active involvement.
If only 100-200 of your most dedicated supporters would each be responsible for getting just five of their friends to the polls to vote for you, such effort could very well make the difference in your race.
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING (continued)
Prepare a Response Immediately
Stick to the Issues
Respond with Facts
Endorsements Speak for Themselves
Remain Calm
RESPONDING TO A NEGATIVE ATTACK
MESSAGETHE GOP AGENDA
The WVRLC believes there will be 5 central issues in the 2012 election. These issues can be compiled under a single theme:
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
The Top 5 Issues
Tax Cuts and Tax Reform Infrastructure Improvements Legal and Regulatory Reform Educational Reform Election and Ethics Reform
The Top 5 Issues (continued)
Tax Cuts and Tax Reform:
Eliminate any tax that requires exceptions to attract business
Eliminate inventory tax
Increase Homestead Exemption
Reduce property taxes
The Top 5 Issues (continued)
Infrastructure Improvements:
Modern infrastructure is necessary for businesses to invest, build, and expand.
Modern, well-maintained roads and bridges are needed to get goods to market and for employees to get to work safely.
Reliable water and sewage systems are important to the health and sustainability of the West Virginia workforce.
Broadband coverage is needed to attract individuals to both work and prosper within the state while promoting the connectivity and modernization of businesses in rural areas
The Top 5 Issues (continued)
Legal and Regulatory Reform:
Provide a more fair and level playing field in our court system.
Reducing the amount of red-tape, inviting businesses who wish to employ our citizens, particularly small businesses.
Repeal state-level “cap and trade” and implementation of Obamacare.
Make clear the personal impact that these programs will have on each and every West Virginian. Cap and trade is quite simply an energy tax passed on through utility. Obamacare will result in higher insurance premiums paid by our people, not insurance companies.
The Top 5 Issues (continued)
Educational Reform:
Ensure that all of our students have the benefit of at least 180 days of quality education each year.
Greater focus on math and science curricula, and energy-related fields
Reforms and incentives for enhancing educational excellence along with revised personnel policies will ensure that the most qualified individuals are teaching our children.
Provide families more choices in the education of their children.
Reforms allowing students to move from failing schools to high performing schools along with a more open environment for charter schools and educational alternatives
The Top 5 Issues (continued)
Election and Ethics Reform:
Voter identification
Preventing felons from running for office
Addressing absentee voter fraud
Strengthening ethics requirements
The Top 5 Issues (continued)
Go to http://www.legis.state.wv.us/
Select “Bill Status” and search for bills
Scroll to the “ACTIONS” table
Open roll calls
Using the Legislative Webiste
Cap and Trade—HB 103 (2009)
Health Care Exchange—SB 408 (2011)
Redistricting—HBs 106 and 201 (2011)
DMV Fee Increase—SB 608 (2011)
Marriage Amendment—HJR 5 (2010)
Casino Modernization—SB 550 (2011)
ROLL CALLS
For additional resources, check out the WVRLC’s website.
Under “Resources,” the “For Candidate” sub-tab has information available just for you
Password is Taking2012
Questions?