Voted Best Web-Based Political Campaign Software 2 Years Running

What the Internet Teaches Us About Designing Good Direct Mail

Hal Malchow

For years, my firm has been a leading direct mail company for Democratic organizations and candidates.   We have worked for the AFL-CIO, all three of the national Democratic committees and hundreds of candidates for office.   We think we know what we are doing and how to reach voters with a piece of mail.  But this past year, we learned some lessons and we learned them in a surprising place.

The Internet.

Early this year, our firm decided to open an Internet division.   There were a lot of reasons for our decision.  

Getting the Strong Urge to Run? Get Started Right After Election Day

As we approach yet another Election Day, all politically-minded eyes are focused on this year’s big races.  There are a small number of people, though, who have already begun to look beyond Election Day: next year’s candidates.  For them, while this year’s campaigns are important, the most important campaign, their own, is just beginning. 

Whether you’re just thinking about running for office next year, or you’ve already decided to throw your hat in the ring, you may be asking yourself, “When should I start my campaign?”  The best answer anyone can gi

Should You Hire a Vendor for Your Voter File?

Brad Blaemire

As a voter file vendor, this is not a new question for us.  In fact, we have found our greatest competition is from clients who decide to “bring the voter file in-house”.

Is this wise?

Like most decisions, nothing is always right or always wrong.  But there are certain arguments that should be considered by every campaign or party that is considering the building and management of their voter file in-house.

   1.      Bringing it in-house

Web-based Software in the Political World

Benjamin A. Katz

Since the early days of professional campaign management, political operatives have been interested in data management -- tracking voters, donors and opinion leaders have been key to a successful campaign.  Early data management technology generally consisted of an alphabetized set of index cards.  Over the past 10 years, the tools available to campaigns have dramatically improved in utility, easy of use and accessibility.  Most recently, the rise of web-based software has revolutionized the campaign world, creating a fundamental shift in the way entire campaigns are run. No lon

Listen to Off-Year Issue Campaigns To Help Form Your Election Message

Michael Cohen

In getting ready for next year’s races, we should all take note of what is going on right now on issues voters are seeing play out right now.  Issue campaigns in off-years can provide clues as to what might drive voter decisions on Election Day – even if it is over a year away.  Remember, voters always remember your positions and so do your opponents.

Background

Modern issue campaigns are interesting creatures created out of the 1993 campaign by the Clinton White House for healthcare reform.  A relatively obscure group, Health Insu

The Three Best Ways for Under-Funded Candidates to Get Their Message Out

Of all the hurdles that first-time candidates and lesser known challengers face when running for office, none is as intimidating as being seriously under-funded.  Money isn't everything when you run for office -- issues count, name recognition is a major bonus, volunteer manpower is important - but without the ability to raise a significant sum of money, it becomes very hard to get your message out and win your election.

There are ways, however, that under-funded candidates can use to get their message out, to persuade voters and raise their profile.  Much lik