One vote does make a difference! If you are interested in becoming involved as a volunteer in politics, there are many, many ways to help and no end of campaigns to pursue. There are opportunities at all levels of government campaigning. Politicians need all the help they can get because it is hard work getting every vote.
First, you need to decide how much time you can spend because once you volunteer for a project; your candidate will need reliable, dependable service from you. You can easily find ways to help by using the Internet or contacting the campaign directly from one of their flyers. And remember, it’s never too late in a campaign to volunteer because there are always last-minute details that need attention.
Looking for your niche?
If you love to type and are comfortable using Access or Excel, volunteer to key mailing list databases. If you are better at reading than typing and work well with multiple windows open on your computer, volunteer to proofread those same databases.
If you know HTML, most candidates need a web page. Volunteer to set it up or maintain the site during the campaign. Current information is crucial, so be sure you have plenty of spare time to help on this one!
If you would rather work with your hands, volunteer to help pick up signs from the printer, post large signs by helping dig post holes, or stuff envelopes.
If you love to talk on the phone, candidates need help there, too. Cold-calling from a list of registered voters and asking for their vote has won many a campaign on local and federal levels.
If you like meeting people, help your candidate get on the ballot by asking for petition signatures by standing in front of malls, grocery stores, asking friends at church and talking to the civic groups to which you belong. Since most candidates have a land-line phone, you can contact them directly and invite them to speak at your club’s meetings, and get signatures after the speech.
If you want to get some exercise, volunteer to go door-to-door dispensing information and leaving cards about your candidate, and give them campaign buttons to wear. This helps the candidate stay fresh in the minds of people that may not have a chosen candidate for a certain post.
If you want to become even more involved, sign up at your local City office and they will train you to check ID at the polls and mark the “do not cross” lines.
If there are multiple candidates in a certain race, you can help your candidate by handing out information cards to inform voters about him/her, and encourage them to vote for that person – one last time.
Finally, after the race, your candidate will need help gathering up all their signs from the polling place and anywhere the big signs were posted.
To find local information on how to volunteer in any campaign, start with these sites:
Most politicians welcome all help, so don’t be afraid to look them up in the phone book and call them directly! They can give you the name and number of their Campaign manager and you can work with them to find your spot.
www.meetup.com has a list of all kinds of groups across the country. Look under Politics & Activism for local campaigns that have a Meetup site near you– if you don’t see the candidate you are looking for, click on “more…”; if you still don’t see the name you’re looking for, you can start your own group! It’s free, and it’s easy as pie to start your own site. Ask your candidate for a photo so people will begin to recognize him/her and have it posted on the site. Invite your friends to join, you can have Meetup buttons printed up and shipped to you for about $2.00 per button. Design your own.
Use your Search bar on the Internet and type in “(Your State) Republican Party”. You will see a list of sites in your state. Most sites have a Volunteer button to press that helps you get involved in campaigns. Some of them have current elections and candidate information that lets you choose your specific candidate, some states just ask that you volunteer and then they contact you when an election approaches. A lot of states also have Events or Clubs information that allow you to join clubs that do volunteer work.
http://www.democrats.org/a/party/history.html. Enter your zip code to find a group near you in the Partybuilders box. Then type in the name of your candidate on the page it brings up under Find a Member. You will find others that are supporting your candidate and you can contact them for ideas and information. Or click on Events to see what is happening near you.
Remember, it’s up to the average American to change politics in America, and it all starts with volunteers spreading the word about a great candidate.
