DPDC Candidate Support:
Building Your Campaign Infrastructure
Political Campaigns basically need to do five things:
1) Develop a compelling Message and brand, carrying that message consistently through every method of voter outreach
2) Identify, Target, and Contact Persuadable Voters through a combination of literature, signs, digital and analog advertising, in-person events, phone calls, text banks, canvassing, alliances, and Precinct Committeepeople (PCs)
3) Fund the activities of the campaign team
4) Get Out The Vote (GOTV) - use appropriate tactics to ensure that your targeted voters cast their ballot
5) Do all of the above in Compliance with Illinois Election Law
To do this, you need a campaign team with the right skillset. Of course, in smaller campaigns, one person will wear multiple hats. Additionally, some of this work can be contracted out either to paid consultants to to skilled volunteers.
Scroll down for basic information on campaign roles needed. You can also download a spreadsheet and assign names to each of these roles.
Campaign Roles and Reponsibilities
CAMPAIGN MANAGER
Responsible for overseeing the work of the entire campaign team and ensuring that deadlines are met. Strategic, experienced leader of people, knows how to motivate volunteers, is trusted by the candidate.
TREASURER
Responsible for keeping accurate financial records, a budget, cash fow projections, and for filing reporting legally required by the Illinois Election Board. Detail oriented, experienced with accounting practices.
FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR
Responsible for planning fundraising events, maintaining files of potential and actual donors. Experience planning events; organized, not afraid to ask people for money.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Responsible for writing communications to the press, donors, endorsers, voters, politcal party members, PCs, and for maintaining files of contact info. Excellent speaker and writer, can author compelling content that engages the reader while getting across the desired messaging.
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Responsible for maintaining candidate's social media presence to engage voters. Good judgment, excellent communications skills.
DATA DIRECTOR
Responsible for analyzing voter data to develop vote count to win target and a data driven plan to hit that number. Strong data analysis skills, experience with excel, able to use data to tell a story and to confirm campaign team theories.
FIELD OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Works with the data director to create voter contact lists for canvassing, phone and text banking, and advertising outreach. Responsible for coordinating volunteers for signature collection, voter persuasion canvassing, and sign distribution. Detail oriented, can train on minivan, can motivate volunteers.
DESIGNER
Responsible for developing campaign artifacts that successfully communicate the "why" messaging. Political graphics design experience.