Ask EMILY: Fundraising challenges, where to find the best staff, and how to get on the ballot

Welcome to “Ask EMILY” — an advice column for pro-choice Democratic women who want to run for office!

Today we’re answering questions we received from the Run to Win community.

Let’s jump in:

Q: Do I have to obtain a certain number of signatures from voters to be placed on the ballot?

— Ready for the Ballot

A: Dear Ready for the Ballot,

You’re asking about the requirements to actually get your name on the ballot, which is necessary to run for office. The answer is that the requirements to get on the ballot actually vary depending on what you are running for and where. Sometimes you need a specific number of signatures from voters, sometimes you just pay a fee, and other times you are required to do both or something entirely different. The one thing that is true for every position is that the requirements must be fulfilled before a certain date, called the filing deadline.

So, how do you find out what you need to do before your filing deadline to get your name on the ballot? Contact your state’s election office, local board of elections, or town clerk’s office and they should have the information you are looking for. Also touch base with your local Democratic Party. They can help direct you as well. Pay close attention — some offices have very specific filing requirements and something as small as using the wrong color pen for collecting signatures could disqualify your application entirely.

If you need to collect signatures, it’s always a good idea to collect more than the required number. Collecting signatures gives you a chance to introduce yourself to people in your district who are potential supporters. Additionally, if you collect more signatures than you need, you can demonstrate early viability in your race and kick things off on a really strong note for your campaign!

As a final note, make sure you consult with an election lawyer to ensure you’re compliant with the law.

Q: How do you continue to fundraise once you have asked all of your people and friends and family around you?

— No One Left

A: Dear No One Left,

This feeling of exhausting donors is a completely normal one and one we hear about often on campaigns.

But what we find is that you can almost always find more donors if you are determined and open-minded about where to look.

We know that for many of you asking for contributions is one of the most challenging parts of the campaign. But you need to remember that you aren’t asking a person to donate to you, you are asking them to invest in your vision for a better community. Giving to you is actually in their own interest. So don’t rule anyone out! Even if you don’t know someone very well, you can connect with them on an issue and interest level and demonstrate how giving to your campaign helps them. What’s to lose? The worst they can say is, “no.”

Unless they’ve reached the maximum contribution limit, you should go back to your inner circle. They are invested in you and want to see you win. However, if you feel you’ve exhausted your inner circle, go back to your list of potential donors and make sure you’re not missing anyone. You need to go through your whole life history with a fine-tooth comb: Identify childhood neighbors, teachers, and classmates throughout the years, members of your college’s Democratic club, etc. Get the number of your old babysitter. Ask your best donors to introduce you to other community members who might be interested in your campaign. Literally everyone you’ve ever met — and their friends — is a potential donor.

Q: How do you start researching an office and determine the likelihood of a successful outcome?

— Searching for Success

A: Dear Searching for Success,

Sounds like you have your eye on a specific office, but are having trouble figuring out if it’s the right position for what you are passionate about and if there’s a path to victory for your potential campaign.

We get questions like this a lot. Here are some tips for beginning your research:

• Research the office. What are the responsibilities of this office and do they align with what you want to accomplish? Is it an open seat, or will you have to challenge an incumbent? If someone currently holds this seat, are they a Republican or Democrat and how long have they held the seat? You can start looking for this information on websites like https://ballotpedia.org, but also consider reaching out to local party leaders and those involved in past elections who may be able to give you the inside scoop.
• Research the campaign history. How many votes are typically needed to win? How much does this race, when waged competitively, generally cost? You can look for the cost of past races on websites like https://www.followthemoney.org, but for more local races, you’ll need to check in with the fiscal officer overseeing the level of your race (think county auditor, city clerk, etc.).

Do your research but also don’t be afraid to start asking political leadership in your community for advice and direction. They will likely know things that campaign finance reports and these websites don’t. You got this!

Q: Who do you contact when you want to hire a campaign manager/volunteer organizer/video person/etc.?

— Building my Team

A: Dear Building my Team,

No candidate runs alone. Your team is the one fighting for you and supporting you every step of the way, so making sure you hire the right person for the job is extremely important.

When it comes to important jobs like campaign manager, we recommend looking for someone with previous experience, especially if you’re a first-time candidate. When you’re looking for applicants to hire, start by contacting your local Democratic Party, they’ll usually have a list of recommendations. Also try reaching out directly to candidates who have run in the past in your area to see who they worked with and if they’d recommend that person for your campaign.

Another great resource for building your team is tapping into your Facebook community. Are you a member of a political Facebook group? Crowdsource your search to the members to find possible leads, or at least get some helpful insight. If you aren’t a member already, the Run to Win Facebook community is a great place for this kind of support and much, much more.

Beyond figuring out who is best to work on your campaign, it’s important to think about what positions you actually need to hire for. On smaller campaigns, your “team” might only be a campaign manager and a few committed volunteers that handle volunteer recruitment and your social media. Other bigger races could have a campaign manager, finance director, and maybe a few other paid staff. But be careful: Running a campaign can be expensive, so make sure you’re only hiring for positions you really need.

That’s it for this edition of Ask EMILY!

A few housekeeping items:

1. Sign up here to get invites to our in-person and online trainings as well as regular emails with advice about running for office.
2. Have you checked out the Training Center yet? There are a ton of great resources there, including a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a campaign budget (as well as a template for you to use!). Visit the Training Center and start exploring all it has to offer.
3. Join our Run to Win Facebook community to meet hundreds of first-time candidates, women who are thinking about running, and passionate people who just want to help them win.