BEST PRACTICES TO PREPARE FOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS
What Should GADs Do to Prepare?
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Count backwards from both your general and primary election dates to map out a plan and calendar. Important dates to consider:
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Find your state’s election calendar (usually at the Secretary of State or similar election agency’s website) to know when voter registration deadlines, early/absentee balloting request and mailing deadlines, petition deadlines, etc. take place for the primary and general election. Put them on your calendar.
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Include and watch for candidate filing deadlines
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Many election dates and vote by mail parameters are changing rapidly due to COVID. Be sure to stay on top of local and state changes.
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Know when you need to get your applications in to NAR
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Be familiar with vendor deadlines for polling, creative, and GOTV – for reference, see the corresponding visuals below from REAL Strategies' partner company, ACCESS Marketing Services:​
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​​Some other helpful tips include:
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Polling needs to happen early if it’s to shape outreach universes and messaging
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Reminder that phones/online ads can typically be turned around within 24-48 hours.
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REAL Strategies will send out reminders for application deadlines for each tactic in the general.
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Know the association’s approval process timeline: i.e. when you need your members to approve candidates, IE applications, and any corresponding funds to get your application in to NAR on time.
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Don’t forget to update and send or schedule your candidate interviews/questionnaires in a timely fashion. Add those target dates to your calendar.
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What is the approval process/structure at your association and set that up: is it your full RPAC Board of Trustees or Governmental Affairs/Public Policy Committee or has your association created a 3-7 member IE workgroup that has been fire-walled and has approval authority to act on behalf of the lager committee. Many times, these smaller workgroups are quick to respond to requests and are knowledgeable on the nature of IEs. Also, fewer confidentiality affidavits to get signed!
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Pick one primary person to be the point of contact with NAR and vendors. This person will be responsible for sending any edits, feedback, and approvals.
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Once you received the vendor’s polling, creative and GOTV schedule/deadlines for your specific campaigns, create calendar appointments for yourself to plan for that review time by the deadline. It will help remind you of the work and keep your campaigns on track.
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Designate someone to be the point of contact if you are scheduled to be out of the office or at a conference and know you will have limited email access during the creative process.
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Talk to a campaign finance attorney on the legal disclaimers required for the specific type of campaign you wish to run. Unless you will be utilizing NAR’s disclaimer and Fund.
What Do Vendors Want GADs to Know?
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As a general rule, the sooner the better. The more lead time available, the more creative and tactical options there are to play with.
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The primary point of contact should gather feedback and comments from other team and committee members so it’s sent all at once.
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Everything is scalable! The world is your oyster! But be realistic.
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Let us help you with planning and budgeting.