How to Campaign at the Polls in November

Working as a political campaign staffer is an exciting and exhausting experience. Political campaigns last for several months leading up until the minute the polls close on election day in November. If you are working on a campaign and you want to convince last-minute voters to vote for your candidate or cause, you can campaign outside of the polling place. While state laws, varying from state to state, prohibit people from campaigning within a certain distance from a polling place, you can observe the limit and still campaign outside, appealing to the last-minute undecided.

Instructions

1. Obtain your state's election code from your county election office. Each state has a law concerning campaigning, or electioneering, at and near polling places. No state will allow you to campaign inside of the polling place or right outside the door, but you can campaign within a certain distance of the door. Use a tape measure, if necessary, to measure your distance from the polling place and ensure that you comply with the law. In some instances, there will be markers set out by poll workers that indicate where electioneering is prohibited.

2. Place campaign signs along the street leading up to the polling place. Get permission from any person who owns property surrounding the polling place to put a campaign sign in her yard. Make sure that the signs are visible from the street and can be seen by people coming to vote.

3. Operate a campaign table. The polls are open for many hours, so include chairs for you and your co-campaigners. Have plenty of literature and sample ballots. Display prominently posters that support your candidacy or cause from the table and from whatever surrounding structures you have been given permission to use.

4. Wear campaign clothing and paraphernalia. Shirts, hats and buttons are ways to show support for your candidate or cause that serve as additional advertising to spread your message.

5. Greet voters as they proceed to the polling place. Shake their hands and give them literature. Explain your candidate's positions, philosophy or cause and answer any questions they may have. Be affable and courteous to all potential members of your bandwagon.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful not to obstruct voters from going inside to vote or from exiting the polling place.

References

• Oncle.com: Texas Election Code Section 85.036. Electioneering Prohibited
• Findlaw: California Code - Section 18370
• Oncle.com: New York Education - Part 1 - § 2031-A Electioneering Within One Hundred Feet of Polling Place Prohibited; Distance Markers
• Jhdesigninc.com: Political Campaign Election Poll Rules
• Killer Campaigning: Polling Places & Minimum Distance for Political Campaign Signs, Candidates