How to Support a Political Candidate Beyond Voting

Although I was unable to vote for Senator Barack Obama, I found other ways to support his campaign. While most people feel their vote is enough, there are steps people can take to help boost their favorite candidate's chances of winning their elections.

-Volunteering

While I didn't do as much volunteering as I would have liked, I did some canvassing for Obama on November 3rd in my neighborhood. Canvassing is interacting with voters, whether it's going door to door or calling them, and either trying to persuade them to vote for a candidate or ask who they are voting for in the upcoming election. In my personal experience my friend and I went to assigned homes and placed a door hanger with voting information. These homes were identified as Obama supporters, and the election headquarters wanted to ensure that they would vote for their candidate. While canvassing is an important part of volunteering, political supporters can also work in phonebanks, give rides to voters who don't have transportation, and watch polls.

-Donating

All politicians, when campaigning for office, ask for donations, regardless of their personal financial situation. According to Answers.com in an article titled "Election Campaign Financing" , politicians use this money for "support staff, advertising, traveling, and public appearances"¹. Campaign contributions are a matter of public record, and after seeing the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin when it was revealed that $150,000 was spent on expensive clothing from designer labels for her, the public might be wary of handing over personal money to politicians. The RNC, however, were the ones who funded the clothes (and the McCain campaign always promised her clothes would be donated after the election), and according to an article on Politico.com, this money came from the RNC and not donor funds.² Once you make a donation, you will probably receive mailings and emails asking for more, and possibly phone calls as well, so keep this in mind if you just want to make a one time contribution.

-Advertising

Your help with advertising can assist a candidate even if it's a well-known politician running for the highest office. Whether it's official campaign gear (yard signs, shirts, hats, stickers, buttons, bumper stickers, mugs, and posters), from a shop like CafePress.com, or something homemade, your personal hand in candidate advertising can help. It might not change people's minds if they're already in favor of another candidate, but it might get them thinking about your favorite candidate. I created a few pro-Obama designs on my CafePress site, Liberty Graphics (http://www.cafepress.com/libertygraphics). If you enjoy creating artwork, or if you're clever with slogans, you can open a shop on CafePress for free, and either earn money through your sales or sell your designs for free.

-Attending Rallies

I was fortunate enough to attend an Obama rally on April 15th in Tampa, Florida, and the experience was incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. After hearing Senator Obama speak, I knew he was the candidate I wanted to support. At rallies, supporters can purchase campaign merchandise, make donations, and even register to vote. I would advise to arrive early to rallies, especially if the candidate is popular and the election is nearing. Although my friend and I were sunburnt, having fully expected rain and not sunshine (make sure to watch weathe forecasts and come prepared with an umbrella and poncho, or sunscreen), we loved the experience. I purchased a copy of Senator Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" and was lucky enough to get it autographed.

-Encouraging Others to Vote

Talking to family and friends about voting and the candidates who are running can inspire those who are unsure of voting or those who are undecided. Your plans of persuasion may not work out exactly in your favor, but those who can vote should, and should be encouraged to do so.

Voting is essential for all forms of office and for essential issues on the ballot. If you are unable to vote, or you can and want to do more, these are some ways that you can contribute to a campaign and a cause.

SOURCES:

1 - "Election Campaign Financing: Information from Answers.com" (http://www.answers.com/topic/election-campaign-financing)

2-"GOP donors critical of Palin's pricey threads" by Jeanne Cummings, 10/22/08(http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14840.html)