The Campaign Workshop Blog, is hosted by The Campaign Workshop - an advocacy and political consulting firm. We write about tactics for advocacy, membership, civic engagement, and progressive politics.  We post weekly, and also publish ebooks, host webinars, and The How to Win a Campaign Podcast. Sign up to learn more.   

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Presidential Election Predictions Crystal ball sitting on a map

Presidential Election Predictions, Are They Accurate? | Predicting Elections 2020

by Joe Fuld (He/Him)

We are often asked to predict the future in politics—especially when it comes to Presidential Election Predictions However, being a political consultant does not mean being the best judge of what will happen on Election Day. We are determined to help our candidates win, and that can make us less objective in predicting electoral odds than we should be.

Pile of mail-in voting envelopes and "I Voted" stickers and an American flag

Debunking the Myth of Mail-In Ballot Voter Fraud

by Elena Veatch

No one should have to choose between making their voice heard in a pivotal presidential election and risking their life by voting in person during a pandemic. That’s why states have taken measures in 2020 to make mail-in voting easier for and accessible to more voters. This fall, states like California are automatically sending ballots in the mail to all registered voters (rather than just those who explicitly request a ballot).

Early Voting- Girl holding up VOTE in letters and smiling at the camera

Early Voting: What Do Campaigns Need to Know?

by Ben Holse (He/Him)

Due to the ongoing pandemic, we’ve seen a lot of talk recently about early voting in 2020. But early and absentee voting can be very, very different depending on where you live. While there are states that continue to limit absentee voting, early voting, or both, the trend across the country in recent years has been to make it easier for voters to cast a ballot.

woman with a flag leading other professionally dressed people - Political campaign staff

Political Campaign Staff Hiring Guide: Traits Matter More Than Experience

by Joe Fuld (He/Him)

Whether you're running for city council or congress, hiring your political campaign staff is an essential part of the electoral success. Managing budgets, raising money, running social media, building field programs, prepping candidates for public appearances, and implementing campaign strategies; the political campaign staff is the backbone of every campaign.

ipad with email logo on screen on chalkboard with envelopes - Grow you email list

Grow Your Email List For Political Campaigns

If you’re running for office, you need to grow your email list, no matter how small the race. Building your list will take a long time, so it’s important to start as early as possible. If you’ve run for office before, you can start by reengaging your old list. If you’re new to campaigns, you can start with your friends and family, but where do you go from there?

Ganging Considerations for Direct Mail

Gang Printing for Your Direct Mail Budget

by Sophie Thurber (She/Her)

Let’s talk about gang printing and economies of scale. And—lest you think that “economies of scale” sounds boring—let me assure you that there is nothing boring about saving money. As campaigns get off the ground and start building out their plans, they often want to do several pieces of mail, segmenting their targeting universe (because, crosstabs!) and customizing messages across multiple mailers.

women holding vote buttons

Women Running for Office: A How-To Guide

by The Campaign Workshop

Since Donald Trump was elected in 2016, we have seen women running for office at all levels of government at an unprecedented rate—and winning. We’ve written ultimate guides for running for office in the past, but running for office as a woman comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

Post office delays

Post Office Delays Impact Mail Delivery and 2020 Campaigns

by Joe Fuld (He/Him) and Ben Holse (He/Him)

Have you experienced post office delays? Beyond the current political dysfunction, USPS has fallen victim to inconsistent funding, under-capitalization, ill-timed cost cutting measures and a lack of respect for the system and its workforce. On top of the ongoing pandemic, USPS will be facing an unprecedented influx of absentee ballots.

People walking in line on bar chart painted on asphalt -

Pollster Ben Lazarus: 7 Qs on State Legislative Races

by The Campaign Workshop

Pollster Ben Lazarus is currently the Director of Research Solutions at TargetSmart. He is a specialist in state legislative races and works as a principal pollster and analytics consultant for the New Jersey Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, the Maryland Senate Democratic Caucus, and the Indiana House Democratic Caucus. We asked him 7 questions on polling in state legislative races.

Advocacy RFP Woman pointing to document in front of two men

Advocacy RFP Pitfalls to Avoid

by Ben Holse (He/Him)

The goal for your advocacy RFP should be to compare apples to apples and make the best decision for your organization. Check out our Advocacy RFP Template to determine what questions you should be asking your advocacy consultants in your request for proposals. At The Campaign Workshop, we fill out a ton of advocacy RFPs and have seen a lot of good ones and some not so good ones.

green megaphone made out of binary code

7 Questions on Virtual Canvassing in the Age of COVID-19

by The Campaign Workshop

Craig Johnson and Alan Rosenblatt are both a part of Unfiltered.Media, where Johnson is the co-founder and Rosenblatt is a partner. Together they have more than 35 years of experience in digital communication. Now, more than ever, virtual canvassing has become essential for the success of campaigns. Here are the 7 questions we asked them to gather their insights on virtual canvassing during COVID-19:

tio bernie book cover

7 Questions: Chuck Rocha on Latino Outreach & 2020 Sanders Campaign

by The Campaign Workshop

Chuck Rocha has been doing ground-breaking work from the start. At 29, he was the first person of color named National Political Director of the United Steelworkers of America (USW). In 2010, Rocha left USW and founded Solidarity Strategies, a Latino-owned and operated political consulting firm. In 2016 and 2020, he worked for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, acting as a senior advisor for the 2020 campaign.

Photo of timeline with steps

Timelines and an Advocacy RFP Template

Using an advocacy RFP template can help streamline the process of hiring the right partner for your next project. The exercise of filling out the template should help you identify your goals, any constraints on the project, and strengths and weaknesses in your organization.

paper going fast on a big printer

Political Direct Mail: Let’s Nerd Out on Paper Stock

by Sophie Thurber (She/Her)

Any printer can give you paper—commonly referred to as “stock”—that is lying around the shop. But when it comes to what paper stock is available for your political direct mail, there are as many choices as there are types of drinks at your favorite coffee shop.

David Pepper: Three conversation bubbles outlined with different colored pegs

7 Questions on the 2020 Election w/ David Pepper

by The Campaign Workshop

David Pepper is the former chairman for the Ohio Democratic Party. Prior to that, he served as a councilman for the city of Cincinnati and was a member of the Hamilton County Board of Commissions. Pepper has authored The People’s House, which predicted Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, as well as The Wingman, which focuses on the role of dark money in campaigns.

typewriter with a green phone paper and pencil GOTV Script

GOTV Script Writing

by Martín Diego Garcia (He/Him)

Get Out The Vote (GOTV) scripts are important because, in the vast majority of cases, they are your last chance to talk to your campaign’s core supporters to encourage them to vote. Therefore, it’s important that you make a lasting impression with these people and engage with them in a way that will resonate enough that they’ll take an hour (or six) out of their day to go vote.

Man looking at computer/documents Advocacy RFP

Advocacy RFP: Reference Check Tips for Your Public Affairs Campaign

by Elena Veatch

We’re all about helping organizations navigate request for proposal (RFP) processes, and our advocacy RFP template is a great resource for folks who are looking to hire a consultant or vendor. Once you get the ball rolling on the RFP process, make sure you think through what you really want to learn from references in the final stage.

political campaign jobs

Political Campaign Jobs Are Hard to Find

by The Campaign Workshop

Political campaign jobs can be elusive to find. As someone who has gone through the daunting task of political job hunting not too long ago, I know how tough it can be to land a political campaign job—especially your first. With so many newly minted undergraduate, graduate, and even law school grads hunting for jobs in the same market, it can sometimes be an overwhelming and discouraging undertaking.

telephone town hall: cartoon of a woman sitting on a desk talking on the phone and two other people taking on the phone

Telephone Town Halls for My Political and Advocacy Campaign

by Joe Fuld (He/Him)

What are telephone town halls? Think of a telephone town hall as a cross between a radio talk show, an old-fashioned town hall, a member meeting, and a conference call all done in the comfort of your home or office.

yellow pedestrian crossing sign - canvasser safety

Canvasser Safety During a Pandemic

by Ben Holse (He/Him)

Now more than ever, canvasser safety really matters. When COVID-19 hit, canvassing pretty much stopped everywhere and is only now slowly starting to reemerge. Canvassing can be dangerous, as it requires that you approach strangers in what is often unfamiliar terrain, even when we aren’t in the midst of a pandemic.