Election Time: How to Pick a Candidate to Volunteer For

So, the election season is heating up and you may be considering doing a little volunteering. But as a friend recently asked me, "How do I know who to work for? I don't want to pick the wrong one."

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a candidate to volunteer for in an election cycle. Here are just a few.

Picking a Candidate to Volunteer For When You're a One-Issue Voter
Perhaps you have a hot-button issue that overrides every other concern you have. Maybe you're against abortion or you think civilization will be lost if gay people are allowed to marry. Maybe your child is dying of a disease that can be cured with stem-cell research and that's at the top of your agenda. Maybe you're not normally a one-issue voter, but the recent propulsion of Torture onto the national agenda is rapidly making you one. Whatever the case, if you're a one-issue voter, the strategy in deciding which candidate to volunteer for is simple. If your issue is a federal one, volunteer your time to the candidate running for the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House of Representatives who most closely agrees with you on your most important issue. Call up the candidates and ask. If neither candidate agrees with you, focus on a local race in which a candidate shares your passion. Local races are long-term strategy. Your candidate might be elected dog-catcher today, but years from now, he might be in the White House. So groom accordingly.

Picking a Candidate to Volunteer For If You're a Partisan
Perhaps there are a slate of issues that are important to you this election, and one party represents your views more completely than the other. You know which party you're voting for, but you're not sure which candidate to volunteer for. In this case, you need to take a close look at the issues. Are the things that concern you most of a federal nature, or something that the state handles? If your local environment is higher on your list than the global environment, consider volunteering in the gubernatorial races. If you're more concerned about immigration or another federal issue, shift your attention to the Congressional and Senatorial races. If you have a number of candidates to choose from still, there's one quick test you can apply. Decide which issues on your list are deal-breakers. That is to say, which issue is so important to you that if your candidate disagreed, you'd be angry that you worked for him or her? Then call up the candidates and ask them what they think. (Also, consider asking how they have voted on these issues before, if they are incumbents because rhetoric does not always match the voting record.)

Picking a Candidate to Volunteer For When You're In A Blue/Red State
Sometimes, picking a candidate that believes what you believe seems hopeless because you live in a state that generally disagrees with your point of view. Perhaps you're a Republican in San Francisco or a Democrat in Utah. Hope is not lost! It's important to fight the good fight no matter what the leanings of your state, because you can convince a few people. Sometimes it's important to pick the candidate that will make the biggest statement. But if you don't have the emotional energy to volunteer for a campaign that you think is surely doomed, then concentrate on the local races. Not the Governor's race; think smaller. Consider volunteering for a candidate running for the State's Attorney General position or even the local school board. In this way, you help create a "bench" of politically viable candidates down the road when the political landscape changes.

Picking a Candidate to Volunteer For When You Live in a Battleground State
The residents of other states envy you. No matter what President Bush might say, you are "the deciders". And so you should pick your candidate based on the big picture. Decide which race is going to make the most impact in the country, and if you can put aside your differences with a given candidate for the greater good, do so. Remember too that the party you elect at the local level may control the voting for the next Presidential election, and that is not to be scoffed at in the age of hackable voting machines.

Picking a Candidate to Volunteer For When You Want Split Government
One party rule is not healthy in a Republic and the majority of Americans prefer a split government. If you think almost all the issues that concern you can be solved with more deliberation, and hesitation - if you see the need to stop a runaway Congress and administration - then your choice is easy. Pick a national candidate from the party not currently in control, and from the branch of government most likely to slow things down. That's usually the Senate, by the way, but the House isn't a bad choice either.

Picking a Candidate to Volunteer For When All Other Factors are Equal
So maybe you've narrowed down the field, and strategy isn't an issue anymore. You have a few candidates to volunteer for in mind. But you're just not sure which one. This is when it's gut-check time. Maybe you should go to see the candidates speak. Read their bios. See what resonates with you. It's always better to have passion for your candidate. Volunteer for a candidate you genuinely like, and the voters will share your enthusiasm.