This is why we have to offer a decent salary to elected officials. This gig has to compare favorably with "regular" jobs or there's no way "regular" people can consider doing it.

 

As for me, beyond not wanting to derail my career aspirations, I don't know that I'd ever be up to asking all kinds of people for money, over and over.

 

It is the biggest reason I never ran for anything more than school board a couple of times.

There can also be a strong influence of machine politics. Not many people run because they won't get the backing of their party and may piss others within the party off if they're "stepping out of line."

It is the biggest reason I never ran for anything more than school board a couple of times.

At the local small/mid-sized town level, there's really not that much. My FIL is an elected official, and I think the extent of his fundraising is helping run the annual fundraiser event and calling friends and family to see if they want dinner/dance tickets. Lots of door-knocking and canvasing come election time, but no real "media coverage" to speak of or anything like that. The biggest campaign cost is getting a few thousand door placards and some yard signs printed, and the yard signs can be reused ("John Smith for Mayor" is good in 2013 and 2017).

At the local small/mid-sized town level, there's really not that much. My FIL is an elected official, and I think the extent of his fundraising is helping run the annual fundraiser event and calling friends and family to see if they want dinner/dance tickets. Lots of door-knocking and canvasing come election time, but no real "media coverage" to speak of or anything like that. The biggest campaign cost is getting a few thousand door placards and some yard signs printed, and the yard signs can be reused ("John Smith for Mayor" is good in 2013 and 2017).

 

The second time I ran it was four people running for one seat, and on the civil city side it was 8 people running for three seats. The person who won my race spent more than the other 11 people in the school board race combined and got the highest vote total out of anyone. A week before the election she didn't know what the Strategic Plan which was put together by nearly 500 volunteers in our community only 3 years before, and dictates the direction of the school system.

 

I was pretty proud of taking second and at least beating the incumbent under the circumstances, though i would rather have seen that person win again, versus the idiot who did win.

I wonder if Jake or anyone else knows of any studies that have looked into the effects of political spending/advertising at local-level races.

 

What was the timing of your school board election? If it fell on a Presidential year or even a mid-term congressional year (like today), I could see how just having your name plastered everywhere could pick up some votes from people who are there to vote for President/Senate/Governor but don't know anything about the races down-ticket. On the other hand, if it's like a lot of municipal elections in Illinois and it's on an off-year and off-season (e.g. April 2013 for our mayoral elections, February 2015 for Chicago's), it'd be more about getting a small but dedicated electorate to turn out in your favor, and I'm not sure how much flyers and yard signs would really matter there.

I wonder if Jake or anyone else knows of any studies that have looked into the effects of political spending/advertising at local-level races.

 

What was the timing of your school board election? If it fell on a Presidential year or even a mid-term congressional year (like today), I could see how just having your name plastered everywhere could pick up some votes from people who are there to vote for President/Senate/Governor but don't know anything about the races down-ticket. On the other hand, if it's like a lot of municipal elections in Illinois and it's on an off-year and off-season (e.g. April 2013 for our mayoral elections, February 2015 for Chicago's), it'd be more about getting a small but dedicated electorate to turn out in your favor, and I'm not sure how much flyers and yard signs would really matter there.

 

4 years ago, right now. It the only non-partisan race on our ballot.

I wonder if Jake or anyone else knows of any studies that have looked into the effects of political spending/advertising at local-level races.

 

What was the timing of your school board election? If it fell on a Presidential year or even a mid-term congressional year (like today), I could see how just having your name plastered everywhere could pick up some votes from people who are there to vote for President/Senate/Governor but don't know anything about the races down-ticket. On the other hand, if it's like a lot of municipal elections in Illinois and it's on an off-year and off-season (e.g. April 2013 for our mayoral elections, February 2015 for Chicago's), it'd be more about getting a small but dedicated electorate to turn out in your favor, and I'm not sure how much flyers and yard signs would really matter there.

It would be hard, but when I covered it it seemed like money was just a major signal of organization. She had become the preferred candidate of teachers, and made headway with other local organizations. So more people that would vote knew her name, basically.

 

Just got back from voting. My tally:

 

Libertarian = 6

Republican = 4

Democrat = 2

Independent = 1

Non-partisan (school board) = 1

Kentucky stays Red

Kentucky stays Red

 

I'm just glad all those f***ing commercials are over! Worst election season ever. It got to where I was afraid to turn the TV on.

I'm just glad all those f***ing commercials are over! Worst election season ever. It got to where I was afraid to turn the TV on.

 

Absolutely agree! Wigh I owned a Tv station.

I voted for 3 R's and 3 D's. All judges except one were no votes.

Dems asking for an extra hour in Broward County Fla. The people in that county are seemingly incompetent when it comes to elections, no?

Edited November 5, 201411 yr by Cknolls

Who controls the distribution of voting apparatuses in Florida?

Who controls the distribution of voting apparatuses in Florida?

 

 

Who is sec of state? R or d ? I DK.

+1.......West Va.

Who is sec of state? R or d ? I DK.

R

 

This country has a history of way more voting machines per registered voters in rural areas than in urban areas in general.

 

 

Chicago Election Judges Receive Robocalls With False Instructions

In exit polls, only 22 percent of voters say that they think the next generation will do better than this one. The previous low for that number was 29 percent in 1996.

signs placed around college campuses in Atlanta:

 

My county's returns are at 100%, and I am happy to report that the son of my disgusting, horrible b**** of an ex-boss lost his bid to be county prosecutor.

signs placed around college campuses in Atlanta:

 

 

If people fall for this, they probably shouldn't be voting anyway.

Remember how we hoped the margins in the first two Senate elections would clue us in as to how the error in polling was? Well, they're in opposite directions.

 

We thought McConnell would win by about 7%, but it looks like it will be in excess of 10%.

 

We thought Shaheen would win by about 2.5%, but it looks like it will be in excess of 5%.

Lol Scott Brown

Lol Scott Brown

Apparently Maine and Connecticut have seats up for election in 2016!