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Sep 19 2022
Money and Politics

As I have mentioned before one of the most important facets in your campaign will be the money you raise. Depending on the race you’re in once you reach a certain dollar amount the rest of the money you do spend will be subject to the rule of diminishing returns. That doesn’t mean you don’t spend it, but there are factors to take into account. Is the money raised from contributors or the candidates personal money? How much money has your opponent raised and spent thus far?

If the money in the campaign that you are considering spending belongs to the candidate there are things you should ask yourself and the candidate. If you spend that money how much do the candidates chances of victory potentially increase? If the money is spent will the candidates personal finances be greatly affected? If the money is raised from contributors then you must use it judiciously in a way that best raises your candidates chances of victory.

You need to evaluate where the money will be most effectively spend, Historic Media? TV, radio and cable. Social Media and Digital? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,  Google and/or CTV? Text? Canvassing? or phone banking? Each campaign is different and a lot will depend on the expected number of voter turnout, amount of money left to be used, the age range of the voters expected to turnout or that you wish to target.

Though being outspent never should be considered a good thing in campaign’s, if you spend wisely it shouldn’t totally eliminate your chances for success.

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Mar 17 2022
Beware Regulatory Pitfalls in Your Political Campaign

We strongly suggest if your budget permits, that you retain an attorney or at least consult with one regarding your campaign. I am not an attorney, nor do I give legal advice but with many years of campaign experience I can point out some common mistakes that campaigns make, and how to avoid them.

  • Make sure you check residency requirements for the office you are seeking. These requirements vary for example for some state offices you do not have to live in the district until you are sworn in, but they vary from 6 months to a year prior to qualifying for other county or municipal offices. Check with your county elections supervisor or city clerk for exact requirements before filing.
  • When considering a treasurer there are some accounting firms that provide this service, if you have the budget, you should contact one of these. If you do not have an ample budget then you might consider a friend or family member that has a grasp of math and finance, is detail oriented and reliable. The reports themselves are not overly complicated, but you will need some understanding of rules/laws and be familiar with required reporting dates.
  • Disclaimers are required on everything that you print (except for wearables) .There are different disclaimers depending on whether its coming directly from your campaign, political committee, or electioneering communication Organization. Wording for different disclaimers are available on handbooks made available by the Florida Division of Elections (see links below)

Federal election rules are different and harder to navigate than state rules, for example while coordination between PACs and campaigns are permitted with very few exceptions in local and state races, it is strictly prohibited and enforced in federal campaigns.

These are the basics and there are obviously more rules/laws that you should be familiar with so as we have suggested you should consult an attorney familiar with election laws or if that’s not feasible you can consult handbooks (Below) provided by the Florida Division of Elections and Federal Elections Commission

 

Candidate Handbook

Political Committee Handbook

Electioneering Communication Organization Handbook

FEC Candidates and Committees 

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Feb 22 2022
High Tech Vs Low Tech Campaigns

For some time now many consultants have talked about the advantages of social media, tech, and data. But are those advantages real or measurable? Do they work in all circumstances? Do social media and/or digital really outperform some lower tech methods of communications?

On many occasions I have been contacted by clients who are concerned about some activity on social media that’s targeted against them. Though everyone prefers not to have any negative opinions against them expressed anywhere if it’s going to happen (and more than likely it is) social media is the least damaging place electorally that it can take place. Social Media is most useful on the extremes when it comes to the size of the electorate meaning in very large electorates or very small electorates, everywhere in-between the effects of social media are small. This doesn’t mean it should be ignored or never used, but just given its proper place and use.

Digital and CCTV Advertising does have some advantages over television/cable especially in races that have a geographic footprint much smaller than the area covered by television channels or cable providers. Digital/CCTV especially with the advent of geo fencing allows you narrowly focus on your geographic target making sure a much greater proportion of your ads actually reach their intended target audience.

Still today the lower tech forms of communication like direct mail, phone banking, email and door to door canvassing are the most effective ways to deliver your message. That doesn’t mean this will not change it more than likely will with further technological advances and as Gen Xers and Millennial’s continue to age.

Whether using high- or low-tech methods it is very important to track and store data as it relates to contacts or interactions. This is the best way to monitor and measure the effectiveness of you message and the method used to deliver it.

 

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Feb 9 2022
PETITION GATHERING AND DOOR TO DOOR CANVASSING

Door to door whether by the candidate, volunteer or paid personnel is one of the most effective ways to reach voters and obtain feedback. If you want to qualify by petition, sign up voters for a vote by mail ballot or just want to ID voters or GOTV going door to door there are a few things you need to know.

  • You should get an APP that records your results to an easily accessible platform and provides GPS tracking.
  • If you or your consultant is going to hire canvassers make sure that they are tracked and that you have access to the tracking and data.
  • Instruct anyone that is going to walk door to door on your campaign on legal issues especially if they are going to obtain signatures be it for petitions or absentee ballot request.
  • Make sure canvassers are well informed about the candidate or issue and have a short message to give voters once they open the door
  • Your canvassers should be identifiable, preferably wearing a T-SHIRT identifying them with the campaign. If they are to wear mask, they should also have candidate’s logo on them.
  • Train canvassers on how to properly use app and stress the importance of inputting correct information.

Dark Horse Strategies provides canvassing services for your campaign, issue, or business. We track canvassers and give the client full access to tracking platform.

I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or need more information or clarification, please email me at emiliano@darkhorsestrategies.org

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Feb 7 2022
GETTING STARTED ON YOUR FIRST ELECTION CAMPAIGN

 You’ve made your decision to run for elected office, now what? After thinking things through and perhaps even conferring with friends and loved ones you are now moving forward and starting your campaign. But you’re not so sure of what you need to do.

Depending on the size of your race somethings may vary but below are some steps you will likely need to take.

  • File the necessary paperwork with the authority governing your election, if you’re running for a city/tow/Village position that would be that city/town/village clerk. If you’re running for a county office Mayor, Commissioner, School Board or Community Council for example you need file with Miami-Dade Elections Dept. If you’re seeking a state seat like State Representative, State Senator or Circuit Court Judge you would need to file with the Florida Division of Elections and if you are aiming at a Congressional or US Senate seat you need to file with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). Keep in mind that after filing you will also need to QUALIFY which depending on the seat you are seeking may ask for other documentation such as proof of residency and certain financial disclosures (qualifying dates vary).
  • Designating a campaign treasurer. In choosing a campaign treasurer you have three options, yourself, a close friend or relative that you trust or an accounting professional with experience in political campaign financial reporting.
  • After filing your paperwork, you should open a campaign account. In order to open a campaign account, you will need a tax ID number which can be a new FEIN number specifically for the campaign (Recommended) or in some cases the candidate’s social security will suffice (Not Recommended).
  • Give serious thought as too whether you will run your campaign or whether you want to hire a consultant. Regardless, you should obtain the names of some political campaign consultants and meet with them to at least get a feel from them as to what you need to do and how much that might cost. Whether you decide to hire one or not these meetings with consultants will give you additional perspectives into what you’ll need to do.

Once you’ve taken these steps your ready to start your campaigning. For more information you can also consult the Florida Division of Elections Handbook

I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or need more information or clarification, please email me at emiliano@darkhorsestrategies.org

 

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Feb 1 2022
Where will your campaign funds come from?

You have finally decided that you want to run for elected office but are wondering how much money your campaign will require and how are you going to raise it.

First you need to assess how much money your campaign will need to be viable, depending on how many voters you will need to reach with your message this can vary from a few hundred dollars to over one million. If you are an incumbent its not as difficult to raise the money than if you are challenging an incumbent or vying for an open seat.

If you are challenging an incumbent or are not the anointed one in an open seat fundraising is usually a daunting task. First you must remember that you don’t need to raise the money all at once. Campaigns are a lot like horse races except that in campaigns you are allowed to bet on your horse throughout the race.

In a campaign especially when it’s the candidates first run, most of the initial funds will come from friends, family members, business associates and people in organizations you belong to that share your vision. This is usually not enough to get you through the entire campaign but if used judiciously it could be enough to get you into contention and at that point attract the interest of interested individuals, companies, organizations, or trade groups, that may not be happy or in agreement with the frontrunner.

Whether or not you hire a consultant make sure that your plans and budgets are realistic as to the amount of money you will be able to raise at different stages of your campaign. If you spend wisely you can go from a candidate with very little likelihood of success, to a viable candidate and hopefully into contention.

I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or need more information or clarification, please email me at emiliano@darkhorsestrategies.org

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Dec 18 2020
ARE YOU READY TO RUN?

Deciding whether or not to run for elected office is not easy, as it shouldn’t be. Prior to running you should ask yourself some basic questions.

  • Why am I running? Is there a certain issue or issues that have gone unnoticed or unresolved that you think you can resolve or move in the right direction? Is there broad support for these issues or do you think you can create that support with your commitment and message?
  • Can I invest the necessary time needed to the campaign? Different campaigns require different levels of commitment when it comes to time, depending on the size of the electorate. It can range from 4 or 5 hours a week to 25 Hours a week or more. You need to assess the size of the electorate for the position you are targeting, what the most efficient way to target them will be and if you are willing to invest the time required.
  • How much money will be needed to have a viable campaign? Just like time campaigns have a varied degree of financial needs. You may be running for city council in a small town where you can personally communicate with almost every voter, or a county commission seat, state house, state senate or congress, in which case you’ll need to employ some forms of mass communication like direct mail, digital, TV or Radio ads, as well as campaign voter contacts through phone banks or canvassing operations. In these cases, I suggest you contact more than one known political consultant and ask their opinion as to how much running a viable campaign would cost and what services would that include, try to get a cost break down by service and price. If you ultimately consider hiring a consultant obtain and follow up with references. (We will discuss campaign funding in a later post).
  • Personal Inventory. Are your family and loved ones on board with you running for elected office?  You also need to ask yourself the questions: What is the worst thing I have ever done? If that thing became public, could you live with it? Could you live with how it would affect your family? If these things in your mind are minor or of little or any consequence, and your close family agrees, then this should not hinder you from running.

Answering these questions should help you make your decision as well as provide more clarity and direction if you choose to run.

I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or need more information or clarification, please email me at emiliano@darkhorsestrategies.org

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