Political Campaign Research

The first order of business in successful campaign research is a realistic assessment of the political landscape – the jurisdiction/district, opponents, voters, community organizations, social clubs, businesses, local, regional and national political parties/members and other non-governmental organizations.

The Campaign Research Team needs to be reliable, well informed and ready to dive into any topic or issue head on. Depending on the size of your team you will want to delegate certain specific topics to individuals. Does someone on the team have some knowledge regarding locals unions or businesses? Have them reach out to their contacts to build a full, true picture of the jurisdiction's situation. In larger jurisdictions there may be polling firms who have demographic data which would be invaluable in understanding the make up of the district and in creating a targeted communications strategy.

Time management is a critical element of research. There is always more to know however having workable information before a debate, for instance, is critically important. Have either the candidate, manager or research administrator come up with a schedule which the team can use to set benchmarks to achieve objectives and maintain a reporting structure for critical information.

There are four key areas to focus research on before a campaign begins: The operating environment (the jurisdiction, its political battlegrounds, topography, etc), issues, voter makeup and fundraising.

The Operating Environment: Your Political Battleground

Questions pertaining to the lay of the land in the jurisdiction to consider and  research extensively before a campaign begins:

-        What has changed since the last election?

-        What type of election and what are the rules?

-        What are the filing deadlines?

-        What are the regulations surrounding campaign finance?

-        What are your candidates strengths and weakness compared to their potential opponents?

-        What is the law regarding access to media and promotional material in the jurisdiction?

-        What are the rules regarding campaigning on Election Day or near polling stations?

-        What is the economic situation in the jurisdiction? What function does each level of government have responsibility over?

-        What is the district? (boundaries, topography, environmental factors, demographics, population change, transportation system, etc)

-        What polls are conducted in the region: what do they show about voting preferences and attitudes?

Another pivotal task for the research team to conduct on the battleground is opposition research – exposing weaknesses and finding the chinks in the armour of an opposing campaign.  Essentially the team will be vetting your opponent:

-        Public votes made by opposition and/or incumbent

-        Statements made by opposition

-        associations of opposition

-        background checks against the opponent – criminal activity or civil litigation? How would these affect their campaign? How will it appear to voters?

Issues:

-        Are there specific objectives the candidate wants to achieve, do they resonate with the population?

-        What issues are important to the voters in the jurisdiction? Are there any recent polls?

-        What community organizations are active in the jurisdiction? Do they have a legislative agenda? When and where do they meet?

-        Are there national, regional or local issues which are top of mind for the electorate? What type of position can the campaign take on these issues that are credible, responsible, and where appropriate conciliatory?

Voters:

-        Does the jurisdiction possess a master list of all eligible voters, is it reliable and who has access to it?

-        Where do voters get their information? (ownership of local media outlets, political reporters, news programs, news deadlines, availability of advertising, media attitude of the campaign, election, incumbents and opposition)

-        What have been the topics of editorials and letters to the editor in local print or online? Is there a pattern or consensus around certain topics?

-        What is the demographic make up of neighbourhoods within the jurisdiction: Density, income, religion, proximity to key civic centres (educational, industrial, government, spiritual)

-        Who are your supporters? Who are your opponents? Who are the swing voters? Leaning towards you or against? Who is a possible audience for persuasion?

Fundraising:

-        Who are the active business associations or chamber of commerce groups in the jurisdiction? When do they meet and when can the candidate address them?

-        Methods and Best Practices: what are the preferred types of fundraising in the jurisdiction? Which are the most effective? Are certain methods prohibited in the jurisdiction?

-        Does the candidate appeal to certain income groups? What level of donation is an appropriate amount to appeal from donors?

-        Who are your possible donors? Who are your opponents? Are your opponents donors open for persuasion?

Consultants & Polling Firms – value for research.

Ways to obtain information: consultants, public polling and focus groups. For smaller campaigns these may not be a worthwhile investment as it can be expense to run a scientific poll and effective focus groups can be prohibitive. For smaller campaigns a diligent consultant can make a huge difference. They can have the experience of knowing the political players and the opinions and attitudes of the voters in the region. For larger campaigns public polling can be essential. A more in-depth discussion of polling research will follow in a later blog post.