UNDERSTANDING LOCAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS: A guide for civil society advocates

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UNDERSTANDING LOCAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS A guide
for civil society advocates

• PATRICK PATINO
• (Institute of Popular Democracy)
• Philipines

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WHAT IS AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN?

• a partisan political activity designed to
  promote the election or defeat of a particular
  candidate or candidates to a public office
• campaign objective is to win, nothing else
• getting votes for the election of a candidate is
  getting votes away from opponent candidate/s for
  their defeat

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in reality, election campaign means

• strategy and plan
• life and death
• hopes and fears
• about alternatives
• communication

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People vote based on their perceptions on the
role of politicians

• who is qualified for the job
• who is acceptable and desirable
• voters do not vote against some abstract sense of
  what it means to be good but measure candidates
  against each other (i.e. How do you compare with
  the competing candidates)
• candidates are looked upon as politicos i.e.
  intercessor and accessor to power, resources and
  opportunities. But people have a variety of
  meaning for this (material satisfaction, symbol,
  etc.). Candidates thus compete among themselves
  to satisfy this criterion of the
  public/electorate.

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Election Campaign essentially

• has objective and plans for
• voters' awareness
• name recall
• conversion
• and to
• ensure votes
• ensure vote count
• ensure victory

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SEVEN COMPONENTS OF WINNING
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PHASES OF THE CAMPAIGN

• awareness, recall
• base building
• machinery and resource building

• PRE-CAMPAIGN

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CAMPAIGN

• awareness, recall, conversion
• base building

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LAST 48 HOURS

• base protection
• base denial

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ELECTION DAY

• vote delivery/protection

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COUNTING andAPPRECIATION of VOTES

• ballot and count protection

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CANVASSING

• PROCLAMATION

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING

• Area Profile
• Basic Demographics
• Socio-Political Concerns
• Socio-Economic Concerns
• Centers of Legitimization
• Church
• Media
• Academic Community
• Organic Centers (Clans, Public Market, Plaza,
  Terminals)

• Military/Police
• Non-Government Organizations and People's
  Organizations
• Political Blocs
• Non-State Armed Groups

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ELECTORAL PROFILE AND SURVEYS

• Voters Demographics
• Politicians Profile
• Political Party/Organization Profile
• Non-Politicians Profile (Stakeholders and
  Influentials)
• Party/Political Operators/Ward Leaders/Gatekeepers
  
• Economic Powerholder
• Political Clans
• Voters Awareness
• Voters Preference
• Voters Conversion

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ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE READING

• Local Leaders Inventory
• Inventory of Potential Votes

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STRATEGY
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THE APPROACH
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TYPES OF VOTERS

• COMMAND VOTES
• BASE VOTES
• CAPTIVE/INFLUENCED VOTES
• MARKET VOTES
• SWING VOTES
• NEGOTIATED VOTES
• FRAUDULENT VOTES

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STRATEGY
YOUR PROFILE
POLICIES PARTIES ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS MEDIA
IS NOT AN OPPONENT
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN AS? PRINCIPLES,
PLATFORM, PERSONALITY WHAT ARE YOU KNOWN AS
TODAY? open? Listening? Modern? Concerned? Well-in
formed? Capable?
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PLATFORM

• PLATFORM
• as general guide for governance and leadership
• as organizing tool and unity building among
  citizens
• AREAS OF GOVERNANCE
• organizational management
• development planning
• delivery of basic services
• effective local legislation
• fiscal/finance management
• inter-governmental relations
• inter people's organizations relations

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PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

• VISIONING EXERCISE
• AGENDA BUILDING
• where are we now
• where do we want to go
• how do we go there

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VISIBILITY AND PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES

• POLITICAL SIGN, COLOR, SONG AND JINGLE
• MOVEMENT BUILDING
• VISITING THE DEAD, ATTENDING WEDDINGS, BAPTISMS,
  ETC.
• DONATING PRIZES AT FIESTAS, ATHLETIC UNIFORMS,
  SOCIAL SERVICES, ETC.
• SENDING BIRTHDAY CARDS, PHOTO WITH PEOPLE, ETC
• GUESTING AT CORONATION, IMPORTANT OCCASIONS
• BEING INTERVIEWED ON TV/RADIO. NEWSPAPER
  RELEASES, INTERVIEW MATERIAL OTHER THAN THE
  CANDIDATE
• ORGANIZING SUPER ANGELS AND THE ARCHANGELS
• HOLDING RALLIES, FORA, TEA PARTY, MASS MEETINGS,
  ETC.
• HOUSE TO HOUSE, MARKET TOUR. CARAVAN, STREETWALK
• COURTING ENDORSEMENT FROM ORGANIZATIONS, LEADERS
• POSTERS, LEAFLETS, STICKERS, BANNERS, STREAMERS,
  ETC.
• SHOWING FREE MOVIE, MEDICAL SERVICES, ETC

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PLAN GUIDE FOR VOTERS CONTACT
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7 TYPES OF MACHINES

• TERRITORIAL
• SECTORAL
• PRECINCT BASED
• SPECIAL GROUPS
• SUPPORT GROUPS
• FRIENDS AND FAMILIES

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ELECTORAL TECHNOLOGY ELECTORAL MOVEMENT
BUILDING OPEN EECTORAL CAMPAIGN
MANAGEMENT ELECTORAL OPERATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND
MANAGEMENT SPECIAL OPERATIONS NEGOTIATIONS FINANC
E AND LOGISTICS FINANCE AND LOGISTICS GENERATION
AND PREPARATION ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN
BUDGETING FINANCE AND LOGISTICS ADMINISTRATION