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?