Appendix B: Campaign Research Questions#
These are a series of questions designed to assist the campaign in understanding the particular situation of this campaign and develop a realistic strategy. Not every question may apply to every type of campaign but by working through the entire series you may begin to think about things you may have overlooked.
Some questions you will know the answer to immediately and others will require some research. In some cases, you may have to take an educated guess about the answer to a particular question. You should do this only as a last resort. It is important that you set and stick to a time limit for completing this research and answering these questions.
Election Rules
The Type of Election
What type of election is this (for example, party list or candidate, single mandate or multi mandate)?
What is required to win the election (for example, a simple plurality or a majority of the votes cast)?
How many seats are open in this election race (for example, is this a single mandate or multi-mandate seat)?
Will you be running alone or as part of a team?
What are the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for?
Election Law
Filing Candidacy
(1) What are the filing deadlines?
(2) What is needed to file as a candidate?
Campaign Finance
(1) Are there contribution limits?
(2) What requirements are there for reporting contributions?
(3) What are the campaign finance filing deadlines?
Campaigning
(1) What is the law regarding access to the media?
(2) What is the law regarding sound trucks, posters, lawn signs or other methods of visibility?
Election Day
(1) Is there a turnout requirement for the election to be valid?
(2) When do the polls open and close?
(3) What are the rules about campaigning on Election Day?
(4) What are the rules about campaigning near a polling place?
(5) Who is responsible for running the elections and validating the results?
(6) Is there a history of voter fraud in the area?
The District
What is the district like?
What are the physical boundaries of the district (in other words, how large is the district)?
What are the physical characteristics of the district (for example, is the district rural or urban, flat or mountainous, etc.)?
Are there any important environmental factors effecting the district?
What is the economic situation in the district?
Have the economic circumstances recently changed for the better or worse?
How has the overall population of the district changed recently?
What is the transportation system like?
What other data is available on the district?
What is the political landscape of the district?
Who are the political players in the district?
What is the situation with the local, regional or national political parties?
Who are the civic leaders?
Who are the business leaders?
Who else could be considered an opinion leader?
Where do voters get their information?
Who, what and where are all the local media outlets?
Who controls the local media outlets?
Who are the reporters covering this election for the local media outlets?
When are the news programs?
What are the deadlines for the reporters?
How does the media view the campaign?
How will the media cover the campaign?
Which press will be favorable to the candidate and which will be favorable to the opposition?
Where can the campaign buy advertisements?
The Voters
Is there a voter file or accurate list of all possible voters in the district and who has it?
What is the party breakdown of the voters or level of support for various political parties?
What are the demographic make up of the voters (for example, income levels, education levels, professions, race or ethnic backgrounds, religious background, age, gender, etc.)?
What is the geographic break down of the voting population (who lives where)?
Which groups of voters are more likely to vote than other groups of voters?
What are your supporters like?
What are the target voters like and how many meet this profile?
What are the important organizations in the district?
What are the major forms of recreation?
Where do people work?
Where do people shop?
Do certain demographic groups, such as seniors, students or apartment dwellers tend to live in a particular part of the district?
Have there been any substantial changes in the overall makeup of the population recently?
Past Elections
Who ran for this position in past elections?
What where the results for this position in past elections?
What percentage of the population voted in past elections?
How many votes were cast in past elections?
How many votes were needed to win this position in past elections?
What are the results for elections for other positions in this district?
What is the difference in level of support similar candidates received in past elections?
This Election
The Issues
What local issues are important to voters?
What regional or national issues are important to voters?
What is the main motivating factor for voters?
What is the voter mood?
How do the voters feel about the Party leaders?
How do the voters feel about the national leaders?
Other Races
What other races will be on the ballot in this election and how does their presence impact this race?
Who else will have campaign organizations operating in the district?
What opportunities are there for coordinating with other campaigns?
Our Candidate
What is your candidate's background?
Describe the candidate's childhood.
Describe the candidate's education.
Describe the candidate's work history.
Describe the candidate's immediate family.
What role will the family play in the campaign?
Has the candidate previously held elected or appointed public office?
What public statements or important votes has the candidate made?
What have others said about the candidate (both good and bad)?
Does the candidate have a record of keeping past promises?
Is there a particular voting group that is either happy or unhappy with the candidate?
Are there any court or other public records of the candidate?
What is the candidate's voting record and can this be made public?
What is the candidate best known for and how well known is the candidate? 14.What are the most important accomplishments of the candidate?
Is the candidate charismatic when meeting people?
Is the candidate a good public speaker?
Are there any negative things in the candidate's past which the campaign should deal with or which an opponent might take advantage of?
What resources does the candidate or the campaign have?
What financial resources will the candidate use?
How much time will the candidate realistically spend fundraising?
To what organizations does the candidate belong?
What assistance can these organizations provide?
What organizations or political action committees are likely to donate to the campaign?
What is the cheapest way to raise the most money from proven and potential contributors?
Is there early money?
When will the money come in?
What is the cash flow for the campaign?
When will the contributions be collected and how will this affect cash flow?
What does the candidate like and dislike?
Viable Opponents
Who are the viable opponents?
What are the viable opponents' backgrounds?
Describe the opponents' education.
Describe the opponents' previous jobs.
Describe the opponents' previous elected or appointed positions.
What is the opponents' voting record?
What previous public statements or important votes have the opponents' made?
Are there court or other public records on the opponents?
What negative thing in the opponents' background could be exploited?
What resources do the opponents bring to the campaign?
How will the opponents fund their campaign?
What other resources are available to the opponents?