Budgeting for a local campaign represents a significant
challenge. Among your budget considerations will be:
-
Candidate registration fee
and ballot statement.
-
The cost for campaign
signs.
-
The cost for campaign brochures
and literature.
-
The cost for postage.
-
The cost for a meaningful
list of likely voters.
Campaign experience has shown that a 'war chest' of
$5,000 is the low end threshold establishing a funded local campaign. If you
are seeking to replace an incumbent with less that $5,000, your chances of
success at the polls are not very good.
The Campaign Connection service provides a
"Campaign Quick Start" booklet that will give you some ideas
regarding fund raising as well as time lines for filing activities. Below, you
will find some general guidelines for the development of a campaign budget
using the Campaign Connection Service:
Base Costs
An analysis of the voters is essential to ensure that
you put literature in the hands of those voters who are most likely to vote.
The base cost for this analysis is $750.00 and includes the elements shown in
the Sample Analysis and the list of target
voters to support mailings. Walk lists, phone banks lists and other
specialized campaign list activities carry a nominal additional cost for
processing and printing.
The development of effective campaign literature is
essential to placing your candidacy or ballot issue in front of the voters. The Campaign
Connection service offers some different options regarding campaign
literature:
-
Bulk mail post cards in a
two color 3 x 5 format for the lightly funded campaign.
-
Bulk mail post cards in a two color
6 x 9 and
format for the campaign with an enhanced funding structure.
-
Bulk mail postcards in 4 colors in a or
6 x 9 and Jumbo format for a well funded campaign
Once you have campaign literature, you will need to get
it into the hands of voters. The Campaign Connection Service will CASS certify
the mailing lists of voters and will ensure that you get the best bulk mail
price for the literature option you have selected.