Running a Campaign

To be successful in an election you will need to convince the electorate that you are the best person for the job, and that you understand students and will represent them on issues that matter to them.

Timing

Your election campaign starts the minute you make the decision to run. Don’t waste time – tell your friends that you’re running and start planning. Although printed material is not allowed to be distributed before 6:00pm on Sunday 30th February, there is lots you can do online. But be careful. If you start your general promotion too early you might lose momentum before election day. There is also the challenge of keeping your message fresh so voters don’t get tired of you. But don’t leave it too late either!

Campaign Team

To run a good campaign it is advisable that you get a team together to support you. Your team will provide valuable support to you during the election week. Ask your friends to give you a few hours support and arrange times that suit them. Some people might not want to help with canvassing, but they might be able to help with postering. Get whatever help you can! The more people you can communicate with, the better chance you will have. Ask one of your friends to be your Campaign Manager. It will be their job to handle logistics and manage your campaign team.

Manifesto

Your manifesto outlines your policies, plans and ideas for what you would do if elected. Talk to your friends and classmates about what they would like to see the Students’ Union do. Think about what your plans are and how you would go about implementing them. You don’t need to think of all the details, but it’s probably best to avoid promising everything without having some thought behind your ideas. Don’t let anybody talk you out of an idea that you think is worthwhile and doable. Your manifesto should be exciting and should set your goals for the year, not your first day. Above all, make sure your manifesto is relevant to students.

Your manifesto should also include something about yourself and why you are the best person for the position you are seeking. Include a photo so people know who you are. For consistency, it is a good idea to use the same photo that will appear on the ballot paper.

Speak to Students

Talking to students is the number one method for convincing them to vote for you. Posters, flyers, t-shirts and gimmicks will only do so much. You need to get out and canvass voters. Most election candidates will tell you it’s the hardest part of an election, but it’s also the most important part. Take some time to think about what you want to say to voters. The most obvious question you’ll be asked is why anybody should vote for you, so make sure you have an answer ready.

Talking to students does not mean shoving a flyer in their face: it means dialogue, asking questions and communicating your policies and ideas. Don’t forget to balance the need to engage with the need to be efficient – you will need to reach a lot of people in a short space of time. This is where slogans can come in handy, especially if it jogs someone’s memory when they are looking down a long list of names on a ballot paper. Lecture shout outs are also a great idea for speaking to a lot of students, but you will need the lecturer’s permission first.

Students want to know what you plan to do and how it will affect them. Simply saying “vote for me” is not enough. You need to say why. Referring to something you are already doing (before you’ve even been elected) or something you have already done is a great way to show that you mean what you say.

Posters, leaflets and other promotional material

Make sure your promotional material is eye-catching and gives a clear message to students. Check that there are no spelling or grammatical errors and that your name appears clearly! It sounds obvious, but be sure to factor in some time to get feedback (and free proof reading!) from your friends.

T-Shirts are always very popular, especially during full-time elections. Be realistic when ordering T-Shirts. Count how many people you actually have on your campaign team and avoid overbuying. Remember that T-Shirts are only effective when they’re seen, so try to recycle them amongst your campaign team and friends who are actually on campus during election week. You can make your own T-Shirts very cheaply, or you can have them professionally printed. Advertees is a local T-Shirt printing company who support many students’ union activities with great deals. Check out www. tees. ie

Social media and websites are also great promotional tools and unlike postering and flyers, websites and social media pages are permitted to go live before the start of the campaign. Just remember not to overdo it. It’s very easy to bombard people, especially on social media, which might lose you more votes than you gain.

Talk to SU Officers

If you are considering running for a position why not talk to the current officer? They can provide insight in to the job and answer some questions you might have.

Think Outside the Box

Every campaign is different and every candidate is unique. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try something that will help your campaign stand out. This could be anything from a campaign video to something novel which hasn’t been tried before.