Six ways to show support for your political candidate

With election season in our midst, you might be thinking about how you can do more to support the candidates of your choice. While it’s true that each person only gets one vote, there are other ways to show your support for your favored candidates leading up to the election that go beyond showing up at the poll.

If election season ignites your passion, and you want to do everything you possibly can to see your candidate succeed, there are a few things you can do to help. Here are six ways you can show your support:

* Help ensure that the name of your favorite candidate sticks by attaching a bumper sticker to your car. There’s no better way to become a mobile advertisement for your candidate of choice.

* Volunteer to canvass your neighborhood. Most campaigns rely on the help of volunteers to walk door-to-door to speak with their neighbors about their preferred candidate and why they’d make a good mayor, school board member or representative. Check with your candidate’s campaign office, as there may also be opportunities to do something as simple as passing out flyers if you don’t yet feel comfortable with the conversation part. Most campaigns will offer training to volunteers so you’ll be prepared before you start.

* Show your support by purchasing a yard sign for your candidate. Yard signs can also help you spark up conversations with your neighbors about why you support a certain candidate or ballot measure.

* Host a fundraising party. Fundraising parties are great because they give people extra incentive to donate and you can discuss other ways you can help the candidate succeed with guests during the party. Parties help get people energized and make them feel more involved than if they were simply writing a check to the candidate.

* Another way you can help spread the word about your favorite candidate is to participate in phone banking efforts to call voters. Campaigns usually provide plenty of training to callers and there will be other volunteers there to provide moral support.

* If you feel particularly passionate about issues your candidate supports, a great way to articulate that support is by writing a letter to the editor to your local paper. To increase the chances of getting your letter published, be concise and provide positive reasons to support your candidate – instead of being negative about your candidate’s opponent.

If you haven’t yet given much thought to the upcoming election season, there’s still plenty of time to learn about the candidates and get involved. Visit www.vote411.org to find out about the candidates and ballot measures in your neck of the woods.