How to Run for Mayor in Pennsylvania
Mayors in Pennsylvania help lead city council meetings and make decisions about the operations in their cities. A lot of preparation is needed to run for mayor and the strength of your campaign and stance on important issues will have great impacts on your success on Election Day. Each city has its own political climate, election procedures and rules, so it is important to familiarize yourself with your city's rules and politics before beginning a campaign.
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Instructions
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Read local election laws and your city's charter. Some cities use a party-based election system and others do not. If you need to, select a party you want to run under and contact your local chapter of the party. Also, determine when the mayoral elections are held because it could be as far as four years away.
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Submit paperwork to get your name on the ballot, usually about 13 weeks before the election. Again, this varies from city to city, but all candidates must fill in some paperwork and many must collect voter signatures before their name can appear on the ballot. Follow all deadlines and rules to prevent problems during the campaign and on Election Day.
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Gather a team of supporters to help organize and run your campaign. You need people to assist with managing campaign contributions, volunteers, media requests and campaign events. It is a good idea to select people who have been involved in other successful campaigns in your city, because their experience can be valuable in your campaign.
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Develop your campaign message with your team. Your message should address questions like why you are running, what you want to do for the city and should aim to energize volunteers and voters.
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Meet residents, post campaign yard signs, air commercials, hold interviews with the media, call potential donors and have volunteers go door-to-door to spread your name and campaign message in your city in the months before Election Day. Be prepared for tough questions about issues in your town, like funding for schools or changing local ordinances. If you come across as unlikable or uninformed, it could hurt you in the polls.
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Participate in local events, parades and debates during the campaign. The more opportunities for voters to meet you and hear you speak about issues that are important in your city, the better. If events like that are not scheduled in your town, consider using political donations to organize a city fair or campaign publicity event.
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Seek endorsements from local media outlets and important area organizations, like unions and parent groups. Meet with these groups and talk to them about your campaign, in hopes that they will endorse you over other mayoral candidates.
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File campaign finance forms at the required times before Election Day in your city. These deadlines are different in each municipality, but are legally required. Consult your city's clerk for guidance if needed.
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Appoint watchers for each polling place in your city to ensure the election process is fair. On Election Day, those people will challenge the qualifications of suspect voters and ensure election laws are being followed.
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Post campaign volunteers outside of each polling place for last minute campaigning on Election Day. These volunteers must stay 10 feet from the polling place, but can catch voters you have not met yet.
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Throw a post-election party to thank your supporters and await election results once polls close on Election Day. Unofficial election results will often be available that evening from the city clerk's office.
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Tips & Warnings
Involve your family in your campaign to improve harmony at home during stressful campaigns.
Elections are complicated and even if you do everything right in your campaign, you may not win because of national issues or uncontrollable events.
There are serious legal ramifications for not following campaign finance laws.
References
Resources
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