7 Tips for Candidates Who Want to Make the Best of the Last 7 Days

Voter contact tactics — like phone banking — are the top priority going into Election Day.

Today marks one week before California’s “Election Month” is over. Voters have been returning their mail-in ballots for over 3 weeks now, and candidates may wonder “What should I do these last seven days?”

Evinco Strategies team members weighed in on this question and here are their answers.

1) Voter contact, voter contact, voter contact!

Overwhelmingly, the number one answer by our team members was to focus on talking to voters. At this point in the election, there isn’t a whole lot you can do about the political dynamics, endorsements, and fundraising, and efforts focused on these areas won’t have as much impact on the results as they do earlier in the cycle. At this point, the best thing you can do is talk to as many voters as you can.

Evinco’s Campaign Strategist, Reni Adebayo, added, “Voter contact is hands down the most important thing you will focus on during the last week of the election. At this point, endorsements, mailers, interviews, and so forth are pretty much over with, and all you can do is reach out and talk to voters directly. You want to focus as much energy as you can on getting out the vote through phone calls, canvassing and texts. Don’t forget to remind your ‘Yes’ IDs to vote and give them polling information to make it easier for them to vote. Good luck!”

2) If your campaign isn’t fully funded yet, focus on getting your pledges in the door as soon as possible.

Finance Director, Lindsay Riedel Reuther, and Finance Strategist, Alexandra Hader, said the following, “It will be harder to raise money after the election than before. That said, it depends how much debt the committee has and what the max contributions are in your jurisdiction. Generally, if your debt is in the tens of thousands, there is likely to be significant debt after the election regardless of what you raise in the next 7 days. In that case, focus on field. However, if you need to raise five to ten thousand or less, get on the phones now and call your past donors who have already contributed, paying particularly close attention to donors who you think could max out but haven’t, and chase open pledges. And for candidates looking to retire debt after the election, here are some resources.”

3) Have your win, loss, and too close to call statements and emails ready the week before Election Day.

No matter how Election Day goes, having these ready ahead of time decreases stress and allows you to focus on what matters. Media appearances and celebrating with your team!

Director of Digital Strategy, Susannah Bankhead, shared some of her tips for writing these, “When writing a win statement, a loss statement, or communicating with your supporters that the election is still too close to call, the most important thing is to remain authentic. Like any other time during the campaign, voters can tell if what you’re saying feels real. Be honest, be humble, and be thankful. Let voters and supporters know how grateful you are for all they’ve done. And always remember to leave on a note of inspiration and action. Ask yourself, ‘what’s next?’ for the community you’ve just helped mobilize and call them into action. No matter the outcome of the election, the work and the fight must always continue on.”

4) Spend every cent, and do not have any regrets.

You don’t want to wake up on Wednesday with a bunch of money left in your committee and the feeling that you didn’t do everything you could to win.

Eva Posner, President of Evinco, has some ideas for where that last minute money can go, “There is a lot you can do! There are some tried and true ways your campaign committee can spend its last dollars: increasing hours for paid canvassers and other field staff; text messages; digital ads (particularly social video if you can get it up quickly); paid phone calls through a call center; and robo calls, if it’s very last minute. You didn’t raise this money to hold onto it — so leave it all on the field!”

5) Don’t forget to take care of yourself.

Burn out on campaigns is very real, and the last month of the Election can be very stressful. Make sure to take time for yourself so you can be the best version of yourself for your team, supporters, and family.

Intern Chris Stubbs suggested the following, “Plan something fun to do after Election Day. It will serve either as a celebration or a distraction, either way, you’ll have something to look forward to after the election. And don’t forget about the basics: moisturize, drink plenty of water, get your 8 hours of sleep, and don’t doom-scroll.”

And Quynh Anh “Quinnie” Nguyen, another intern at Evinco, added, “My mind immediately went to spending time with family!! I think so much of what candidates do sees them out of the house, knocking on doors, making those connections with the community, that family time is really affected during (and after) the election.”

6) Keep walking and talking the weekend of and on Election Day!

Ashleigh Padilla-Goins, Strategic Policy Director, had a simple message to candidates, “Spend all of GOTV (Get Out the Vote) walking. You don’t want to have any regrets.”

Colin Scharff, Campaign and Policy Coordinator, added, “Talk to the voters. Knock doors, hear their stories, and remember why you are running. Keep your eye on your why to stay fresh for your team, the voters, and yourself. Be at your best so you can act your best.”

7) And of course, don’t forget to celebrate as the results come in!

Sophia Kittell, Campaign Coordinator, at Evinco said, “It’s easy to get overwhelmed on Election Night as results roll in. Taking the time to celebrate with those who have helped you along the way can help remind you why you ran in the first place.”

And we will leave you with these wise words from Digital Strategist, Davis Schmitt, “Regardless of the outcome, it’s important to celebrate post-election by focusing on what an accomplishment it is to run for office– the people you’ve met, the conversations you’ve had along the way, and the impact you’ve had in your community. You’ve dedicated many months to fighting for something bigger than yourself. I think the best way to celebrate that is to take some time for yourself, to catch up with friends and family, and maybe get back to a hobby you haven’t had time for during the election season!”

Need help with your campaign? Book a free 15-minute call with us now.

This piece was written by:
Mari Latibashvili, Vice President of Campaigns & Political Affairs at Evinco Strategies