Campaign designMinnesota House District 43A

Melissa WaudbyNovember 2012Politics 113Professor Williams

Part One: District InformationMinnesota House District 43A is located in the western suburbs of the Minneapolis area and includes parts of Plymouth and Medicine Lake. The total population of this district in the 2000 census was 37,005. The amount of the population that was over 18 years (eligible voters) was 26,924. Campaign Design10

Age Population

18 to 19 years758

20 to 24 years1,983

25 to 34 years5,550

35 to 44 years7,208

45 to 54 years6,175

55 to 59 years1,893

60 to 64 years963

65 to 74 years1,438

75 to 85 years808

85 years and over148

RacePopulation

White Alone33,567

Black or African American1,024

American Indian and Alaska Native134

Asian1,567

Some Other Race222

Two or More Races491

2008 ElectionVoter Turnout: 76%Winner: Sarah Anderson (Republican)Absentee Ballots: 4,114Contested by both parties: Yes (Clint Faust-Democratic Farmer Labor[footnoteRef:1])Undervote: 5.36%

2010 ElectionVoter Turnout: 56%Winner: Sarah Anderson (Republican)Absentee Ballots: 1,807Contested by both parties: Yes (Audrey Britton-Democratic Farmer Labor)Undervote: 2.71%

Campaign Strategy Minnesota does not require voters to declare a political party affiliation. Therefore looking at party registration/affiliation is not an effective method of analysis in this district. However, when looking at past election results the district leans slightly to solid Republican. Starting in 2006, the Republican incumbent Sarah Anderson has won over her Democratic opponents in each election with a victory margin of 8-16%. The wide margin of victory indicates that Republicans have a sizeable advantage over Democrats in this district. Looking at the demographics of this district Republicans hold this advantage because of the high population of middle-aged persons from 35 to 60, who traditionally vote conservative and have a greater voter turnout than those of younger generations. Meaning that there is a larger percentage of the population that is likely to vote Republican and also turnout to vote on Election Day. However, it can also be noted that the age group of 18 to 35 is growing and that this generation is less conservative than their parents. This increasing liberal part of the population is a factor that could help a Democrat running in this district sway enough voters to have a reasonable chance of winning.

The voter turnout of this district hovers around 55% for midterm elections and increases to around 75% for Presidential election years. Looking at these numbers is an indication that the people in this district care about and are involved in the political process. While voter turnout is high during Presidential election years, the undervote during these elections for down ticket races especially for House Representative is very high. Rather than focus on the whole turnout of the race, I think that a campaign in this district should focus on the areas with high undervote percentages. In this district there are 6 precincts that, relative to other precincts, have a high undervote percentage of 5.5 or higher. These undervotes usually indicate that the voters are discontent with the current choices they are presented with or that they dont have enough information to make a decision. In these areas it would be imperative for a campaign to increase the knowledge base of the voters, encouraging them to vote in down ticket races and to present a clear distinction from the current political party holding office.

Under the pretense of a Presidential election year, I have chosen to design a campaign for a Democratic challenger to the current Republican incumbent, with the incumbent having a sizable advantage over their challenger. I believe that a Democrat running as a social liberal and fiscal moderate/conservative, with a solid history of community involvement would have the best chance to win in this district. Because of the high affluence of the district with the average family income around $109,000, it would be important for the candidate to promote economic values that align with the high earners, such as less governmental regulations on businesses. However, because of the large majority of young professionals and young families that are present in this district, it is also important for the candidate to hold some socially liberal view points especially in regards to education and increasing or reforming the education system in Minnesota. On this issue the district has proven to be very liberal, passing a levy authorization for increasing taxes to fund school technology improvement within the past 2 years. This indicates that voters in this district vote based on issue rather than with party, which means that a Democratic candidate who is socially liberal and promotes increased community improvement and greater social freedom while having a fiscally moderate outlook would stand a very good chance of being a competitive challenger. To increase the likelihood for a competitive race and for the challenger winning, I would focus this campaign on mobilizing the undervote in precincts with a high undervote percentage and the large population of 18 to 34 year olds. 18 to 34 year olds traditionally have low voter turnout and I think that a candidate who plays into the issues that they are most likely to care about would help energize those people to vote. This younger generation traditionally is more liberal than their conservative parents, supporting education funding, social freedom and increased community development. A candidate that is socially liberal would have a greater likelihood of capturing these voters in the election. Based on the undervote and the youth population that needs to be mobilized, there are several precincts that I would focus for heavier canvassing based on the election results from the past 2 elections. Medicine Lake, Plymouth P-01, P-02, P-15, P-16 and P-17, are precincts were the vote was split with a very close margin that have a high percentage of undervote. I would like to focus energy on these districts because supporters of the Democratic candidate would not be isolated in a majority of Republican supporters and because these districts split the vote, some voters may be swayed to vote for the challenger. I also think that increasing canvassing in solidly Democratic precincts, Plymouth P-06 and P-11, would help undecided voters or voters who dont usually vote, to be swayed by the ideas of the candidate.

Campaign Team For the size and scope of this campaign I think that having 6 main people involved in the campaign in a reasonable number. The district is pretty compact, covering only a small section of Plymouth and the City of Medicine Lake and the population is quite low in comparison to other districts sitting at 37,000 people. This indicates that the district requires fewer resources and that those resources wouldnt have to be spread over hundreds of miles. CandidateMatthew Lombardi. Degree in Secondary Education (Math Endorsement) from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. 20 years of teaching experience in Minnesota school districts including Wayzata and Osseo. 15 years of head coaching experience (football). Matt Lombardi is an excellent candidate to run for office in this district because he is seen in the community as a leader being the head football coach of a successful team and being a popular and effective teacher at the high school within the district. Because of his coaching experience he can be perceived as a leader that effectively builds the confidence and strength of each football player and each team into successful and highly competitive unit. This experience can be transfer into the leadership skills necessary for effecting change in the government. Matt knows how to capitalize on the strengths and weakness of each person and this can be related to capitalizes on projects and bills that would benefit or grow the community. His experience as a teacher also makes him experienced in what is needed in the classroom today and how to make changes to the education system to benefit the learning and success of the students in the district. Recognizing problems that need to be fixed and knowing how to fix them for the betterment of the community is a skill that is transferred from the classroom. Another aspect of the candidate that would appeal to voters in this district is that he has been married for 15 years and has 4 children that are involved in the Wayzata School District. Because he has a young family and is in his late 30s like a majority of the people in the district he would be seen as relatable and interesting. Campaign ManagerSkip Durocher. Degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities and a Law Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 30 years experience as a trial lawyer with a prominent Minnesota law firm. 20 years of involvement in Minnesota DFL organization. Skip would be a great campaign manager because he is familiar with the legal system and know how to file information in a timely and correct manner, which is imperative to the campaign for timely filings. His experience within the DFL and in Minnesota politics is valuable to the campaign because he knows what is attractive to Minnesota voters and what they do not care for. This is key for creating a theme and message that will be the foundation of the campaign. Without the right issues or message the campaign will be seen as out of focus and out of touch with the voters of this district. Along with his experience in Minnesota politics comes the knowledge of how to fundraise and target audiences for support. This knowledge is helpful for the other members to have seeing as how the campaign manager delegates tasks and responsibilities to these members. Skip is also a very personable and easy to communicate with. He can have a conservative about pretty much anything with depth and understanding, which is key in talking to volunteers and supporters. TreasurerrIan McInnis. Degree in Accounting from St.Olaf College. Certified Public Accountant with 25 years of experience. Because a treasurerr has to keep itemized, detailed records of each campaign transition, Ian who has 25 years of experience keeping these types of records would be excellent to serve as the role of treasurer. Ian is also very organized and timely which lends itself well to the task of reporting campaign finances to the Minnesota Board of Campaign Finance. As an accountant Ian also has experience with the skills needed to form bank accounts and keep transitions and contributions separate and itemized into this special bank account. Field DirectorAndrea Waudby. Degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Minnesota- Duluth. 5 years of campaign experience in Minnesota, specifically the Duluth area. Experience on the campaign included volunteer coordinator for college students, organization of canvassing for the Duluth metro area and get out the vote effort mobilization. Andrea would be a great resource for the campaign because she has experience in the Minnesota political system and can mobilize and organize large populations of volunteers. Working on several political campaigns she has had a large amount of experience organizing volunteers and delegating tasks to them including canvassing neighbors and phone banking. She is also relatively young, in her mid-20s, which would help the campaign have a young and youthful approach to the many aspects and would give an interesting perspective as an advisor/resource for the candidate. Issues DirectorSue Wolf. Degree in Sociology and Public Relations from Gustavus Adolphus College. 20 years experience in Public Relations at Honeywell. 15 years of involvement with DFL party. With her experience in public relations at a Minnesota based company Sue as excellent insight into issues that are affecting the district. This means that when it comes to prioritizing issues for prominence in campaign literature and candidate speeches Sue can pick the issues that would resonant most with the voters. Also because of her experience in working within the political system of Minnesota, Sue knows how to connect with the voter on an issue based platform, which is key when a candidate is not solidly democrat or republic but rather a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. Media DirectorRachel Weeks. Degree in Public Relations and Graphic design from the University of Iowa. 10 years of experience designing large-scale advertising campaigns, website layout and design and print media graphic design. Having experience in both public relations and connecting with the general public for another agency/person and designing graphics for posters/fliers/billboards/etc. Rachel would a useful asset on the campaign. Because of her previous training in public relations, Rachel would excel in issuing press releases, staying on top of social media posts, controlling media spin for the campaign and also create campaign literature that shows the theme and message for the campaign clearly. Her experience and training in graphic design also helps with the layout and design of the campaign literature that she publishes. She can create all of the designs for print and web media and form these designs to make a unified theme for the campaign.

Part Two: Campaign FinancesIn Minnesota if a candidate is going to receive more than $100 from supporters to get elected or wants to receive public money, the candidate must form a campaign committee, through which all financial transactions for the campaign must be made. The treasurer of the campaign committee must keep records of the total amount of money that the committee receives, the name and address of anyone who gives more than $20 to the committee along with the date and the amount of the contribution, every expenditure made by the committee, every expenditure made by someone with the committees approval along with the date and amount of the expense and the name and address of any political committee or fund, candidates committee, or party unit to which the committee gives money. The treasurer must report all receipts and spending to the Board three times each election year. There is only one report required during a non-election year.

According to Minnesota statues a contribution is anything given to the committee. A contribution can be money, a thing or a service. A campaign can take contributions from individual who are and are not lobbyists, political committees, political funds, and political party units that are registered with the board, political committees registered in Hennepin County, another state candidates committee only if that candidate is closing down the committee within the 12 months and groups that are not registered with the Board or Hennepin County if 1) the contribution is $100 or less or 2) the group also gives you a disclosure form showing who gave the group money and how the group spent that money. There are limits on the amount that one person or one political committee or fund can give to a candidates committee each year.

Limits for Contributions from individuals, political committees and funds, and candidatesOfficeElection year individual limitNon-election year individual limitCandidates personal funds limitGovernor/Lt. Governor$2,000$500$20,000Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor$1,000$200$10,000State Senate$500$100$5,000State Representative$500$100$5,000

Aggregate party unit and candidate committee contribution limits

OfficeElection year limitNon-election year limit

Governor/Lt. Governor$20,000$5,000

Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor$10,000$2,000

State Senate$5,000$1,000

State Representative$5,000$1,000

A campaign committee must keep a record of everything given to the committee, and keep the records for four years. Larger contribution must be itemized on the report. Contributions over $100, the committee must list the name, address, and employer of the donor and the date and amount of the contribution. Contribution under $100 should be added together and listed as a lump sum.

In Minnesota candidates for legislative offices who agree to limit their campaign spending may qualify to receive direct subsidies from the state. Participating candidate must register a principal campaign committee, agree to abide by spending limits for the office sought, limit the candidates personal contributions, return public subsidy that exceeds campaign spending, raise a specified amount of money in the election year, promise to spend 50% of the general account payment two weeks before the general election, and win the primary election. Noncampaign disbursements do not count toward the spending limits and include payment for accounting and legal services, return of contribution to the sources, repayment of a loan, return of public subsidy, payment of food, beverages, supplies, facility rental, and entertainment at a fundraising event. The spending limits for 20102 are:

Office2012 base spending limitsLimits for candidate running for office for the first timeLimits for candidate with closely contested primaryLimits for first time candidate with closely contested primary

Governor/Lt. Governor$515,440$566,984NANA

Attorney General$85,920$94,490NANA

Secretary of State, State Auditor$42,960$47,356NANA

State Senate$68,100$75,000$81,720$90,000

State Representative$34,300$37,800$41,160$45,360

2008 ElectionIncumbent: Sarah Andersons Financial Report

The incumbent Sarah Anderson raised a total of $31,874.75 in contributions. Of that total $5,800 or 25% of nonpublic subsidy contributions was raised in the district. The other 75% of the contributions were raised elsewhere in the state specifically in the districts surrounding 43A and from the Minneapolis city center. The biggest individual contributors to the campaign were the Minnesota public fund, contributing $8,620, the Olsen Volunteer Committee with a $2,000 contribution and the 3rd Congressional District Republican party contributing $1,600. All individual donations were under $1,000 and were made by 8 donors.

Challenger: Clint Fausts Financial Report

The challenger, Clint Faust, raised a total of $34,677.60 in contributions. Of that total $3,075 or 12% of nonpublic subsidy contributions was raised in the district. $20,842 or 80% of the contributions were raised elsewhere in the state specifically in the districts surrounding 43A and from the Minneapolis city center. The remaining 8% or $2,000 was raised out-of-state. The biggest individual contributors to the campaign were the Minnesota public fund, contributing $7,760.60, the 43rd Senate District Democratic-Farmer-Labor party with a $1,000 contribution and the Clint Faust House District 43A committee (personal loan) with a donation of $1,000. All individual donations were under $500 and were made by 39 donors.

2010 ElectionIncumbent: Sarah Andersons Financial Report

The incumbent Sarah Anderson raised a total of $20,243.34 in contributions. Of that total $5,874 or 42% of nonpublic subsidy contributions was raised in the district. The other 58% of the contributions were raised elsewhere in the state specifically in the districts surrounding 43A and from the Minneapolis city center. The biggest individual contributors to the campaign were the Minnesota public fund, contributing $6,332.71, the candidate herself contributing $3,000 and Bill and Debra Krause contributing $832. All individual donations were under $500 and were made by 8 donors.

Challenger: Audrey Brittons Financial Report

The challenger raised a total of $30,391.66 in contributions. Of that total $4,322 or 19% of nonpublic subsidy contributions was raised in the district. 76%or $17,684 of the contributions was raised elsewhere in the state specifically in the districts surrounding 43A and from the Minneapolis city center. $1,205 or 5% of the contributions were raised out-of-state. The biggest individual contributors to the campaign were the Minnesota public fund, contributing $7,180.50, the 43rd Senate District Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party contributing $3,125 and Leslie Swartz-Williams with a contribution of $500. All individual donations were under $500 and were made by 35 donors.

Campaign Design Financial ReportChallenger: Matthew Lombardis Financial ReportBased on the analysis from the past two election cycles, the amount of money needed for a campaign in this district is in the range of $28,000 and $32,000. For this campaign a reasonable and attainable amount would be $30,000 needed for a challenger in this district. For this campaign design I would have the candidate sign into the Public Subsidy program because the benefits of having public money supplied outweigh the limits imposed on spending and candidates personal contribution. Spending more than $37,000 in this district would produce an overly excessive campaign that may not be well received by voters. It reduces that chance of voters viewing the campaign as being funded by one political action committee or one interest group. The program also allows for the candidate to have an automatic source of money, with no fundraising efforts needed.

Based on the layout of the district and the demographics, this campaign would focus fundraising efforts to direct mail, phone calls and donations on websites. This focus would be because of the time constraints that the majority of the voters would have, being younger families with school-aged children. By having an easy, non-time consuming way to donate money such as a link on a website or mailing in a check, people will be able to contribute much more frequently. Also because of the demographics of the district, with a majority being middle-aged to younger adults, using new media such as a website, twitter and Facebook to try to raise money would be a way to reach those people without having to spend money on direct mailing. This would also increase the amount of people who look at an ad promoting the candidate because most people by-pass campaign literature that is received in the mail. Two major events that the campaign would fundraise in person would be the Plymouth on Parade event, and the Minnesota State Fair. Both of these events are not contained to just the district, which increasing the pool of viable donors and also increases awareness about the candidate. At Plymouth on Parade the campaign would have a float or car with the candidate on the float or car and volunteers would be holding signs and wearing T-shirts passing out fliers and candy. This would increase the amount of connect the candidate has with voters and the amount of voters who are aware of the campaign and the need for contributions. At the State Fair, the campaign would have a table inside the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party booth selling T-shirts and buttons, signing up volunteers and soliciting donations. By having a table in the booth, it increases the awareness for Democratic supporters of down ticket races, reaching to those populations of undervotes and also brings in a wider audience of potential donors. For this campaign because the candidate is a former teacher, I would have the campaign reach out to the Minnesota Teachers Union and Education Minnesota for financial support. I think that by having the backing of these organizations gives validity to the candidate running in a family dominated district.

Based on the analysis of past spending breakdowns, I think that it would be wise to dedicate around 30% of campaign expenditures on advertising, including yard signs, posters and t-shirts/buttons/stickers. This would also include money for the website and a campaign video for the website. It is important to have the candidates name and campaign issues recognized for the voters of this district, especially in precincts with a high percentage of undervotes. Many voters in a general election do not vote in down ticket races because they do not know about the candidates who are running or they dont have enough information about the issues each candidate supports. By having a lot of advertising the name-recognition of the candidate will be increased and would help increase the amount of voters likely to vote on the State Representative race. I would next designate 45% of campaign expenditures to campaign literature. This would include direct mailings with information about the candidate, door hangers, and fliers. These direct mailings would increase the amount of people who are informed on the issues that the candidate supports. Because many people vote a straight party line especially in down ticket races, it is important for voters to be informed on the issues that impact them and which candidate supports those issues. Because the candidate that is running in this campaign is socially liberal and fiscally conservative it will be important for the voters of this district to know the difference between him and other Democratic candidates. 20% of campaign expenditures would be specified for postage and delivery. The last 5% of campaign expenditures would be donated to general expenses such as parade candy or wooden yard sign sticks.

Part Three: Publicity StrategyTheme and MessageThe theme for this campaign would be education reform, infrastructure improvement, and decreasing small business taxes with the main message focusing on Its about the community. The message for education reform is acknowledging that Minnesota schools are failing right now. Students in Minnesota are consistently ranked near the bottom in the nation for proficiency in math and science. For our children to succeed in an increasingly technologically driven world, we need to increase students abilities in math and science. By reforming the education system in Minnesota to place a higher focus on these subjects with more specific instruction and an increased amount of teachers, students will be able to achieve at higher levels of proficiency in these subject areas. Minnesota also needs to increase the quality of teachers. To do this we need to make teaching a more attractive career to college students who are highly qualified, that would either leave teaching or not teach in favor of a higher paying jobs, by increasing teacher salaries. Doing this, young professionals who are currently deterred from entering the teaching profession because of low salaries, they will be attracted to the profession, increasing the quality and quantity of teachers.

The message for infrastructure improvement would start with stating that the Plymouth area has been left out of the current public transportation projects and the avenues for public transportation are lacking in this district. At the juncture of two major highways (494 and 55), district 43As road conditions are decreasing at an alarming rate. To increase the amount of public transportation in the district, we need to have Plymouth be more proactive in promoting the city as a spot that needs the transportation for commuters that travel from Plymouth to the Minneapolis city center. Also to increase the quality of the roads, the district needs to more active in stating that as the intersection of two major highways the roads need to be more efficient and better quality.

The message for decreasing small business taxes would start by recognizing that the current high business taxes deters companies from investing within this district. Plymouth depends on businesses locating their headquarters in the city for diversity of industry creating a resilient economy. Also, companies often give back to the community they reside in with financial support and active charity work. To attract businesses to the area we need to decrease the financial strain of starting a new company by lowering small-businesses taxes on income for the first three years. We also need to reduce the fee on small-business licensing, to make it more profitable for more businesses to start. By putting these measures in place, this district will become a more attractive place to start a new business and this will in turn stimulate the local economy and produce more jobs for the population in this district.

All three of these issues all relate to the welfare of the community and if these changes are implemented than our community will be better for it. I think that by having issues that are at the core of the community such as jobs for local people, better education for children and safer driving conditions are something that people can connect with on an emotional level and that would lead them to truly believe in a candidate.

SloganThe slogan for this campaign will be Building for the Future. I think that this slogan works well with the theme and message of the campaign because it is centered on the idea of building a stronger community. The strength and growth of the community is key to the future and success in the future. Without a strong business center and educated citizens to hold those jobs the community will fail. This also builds the connotation that the current leadership is not building for the future, that they are stuck in the past. It presents an image to the voters of moving forward with new ideas for a better future. I also think that the candidates prior experience as a teacher and football coach can be worked into the literature of how he has been building the future professionals of the community.

MediaFor a campaign brochure I would stress the three main issues that the candidate is passionate about, education reform, helping small business and improve infrastructure. I think that by putting 2 or 3 bullet points of what would be enacted if elected for each issue would show the voters that the candidates does have ideas he wants to implement and what those ideas are. It is important for the presentation of these issues to be short and concise because if they descriptions are too long the voter might stop reading before getting to the actual solutions or wont comprehend what the message is. In the brochure I would also include the experience of the candidate as a person of integrity and trust in the community. Based on his experience as a teacher and football coach in the community, the candidate has a deep personal connection to the people of the district and really cares about the welfare of the district. Hitting this point strong would offset the fact that the candidate does not have any actual legislative experience as the incumbent does. To reinforce this view of the candidate in a leadership position within the community I would place photographs of the candidate coaching the football team or teaching a class. Both of these photographs would present a well-put-together candidate that is a commanding force of leadership. The last thing that I would include in the brochure would be a statement from the candidate himself. I think that by doing this, it shows that voters that the candidate is in-touch with the community and will continue direct connect with the voters.

In addition to the traditional campaign brochure I would have a website put together that would include biographical information about the candidate with a video of the candidate on the homepage speaking about way he is the best person for the job, information on the positions the candidate has a each issue, endorsements, a page for volunteers and a page of how to get in contact with the candidate/campaign. In addition to those main pages I would include a link to follow the candidate on Twitter, a link to the candidates Facebook page and a button for donations. I believe that because of the relative wealth and amount of younger to middle-aged persons in the district the webpage would need to look like it was well thought out and be extensive in the content that it covered. I think that the expectations of the voters in this district is to have a website that easy to use but to also have a lot of different mediums of coverage such as videos of the candidate speaking at local events or a video of the candidate talking about the issues. I think that it is also important to focus on different types of social media to increase awareness for the candidate and the events the candidate holds. This attention to social media would be useful to reach the voters who are younger in this district and would help to increase the awareness of the candidates website for information. Also having a dedicated Facebook page with a summary of the candidates stance on issues would help with younger voters who are on Facebook daily and if they can receive notifications from the campaign through a webpage they check daily it is much more likely that they will be informed on where the candidate is and what he stands for. A Twitter account would be useful for the candidate to use as a source to locate where the candidate is and for them to tweet links to articles that mention the candidate or mention an issue that the candidate supports.

Precincts that I would focus heavier media influence especially increased direct mailing and yard signs would be precincts in which the vote was split in previous elections with a high undervote percentage and also in precincts that have historically gone Democratic. These precincts include Medicine Lake, Plymouth P-01, P-02, P-06, P-11, P-15, P-16 and P-17. I think that by focusing on these areas of the district that have populations of voters who do not vote in elections at all or voters that do not vote in State House races, yard signs and campaign literature are key to having awareness of this race and the candidate himself. By having a neighbor full of yard signs, a person who is driving toward their house is looking at these signs and is more likely to be curious about the candidate and their message and actually participate in the political process.

Part Four: Getting Out the VoteVoter turnout in this district is usually very high, hovering around 75% in presidential election years. I would instead, focus on getting out the vote for people who dont usually vote in down ticket races or the undervote population. To expand the number of people who are aware of the candidate and the State House race, it is important to increase the visibility of the candidate to the people of the precinct. Increase direct-mailing and yard-signs should be used in these precincts in hopes that by knowing the candidate and what he stands for, people will be more inclined to vote. In order to target the 10 to 15 percent of the total number of votes (2,495-3742), focusing on precincts with high undervote rates and those that were spilt pretty evenly between the two parties would be advantageous. The districts I would prioritize would be Medicine Lake, Plymouth P-01, P-02, P-06, P-11, P-15, P-16 and P-17. Putting focus on these precincts, who have a large population that vote but not in down ticket races, is key to increasing the likelihood that they will vote in this election for this race.

Having the candidate personally involved in the get out the vote effort is key to having constituents feel cared about and connected to the political process. I think that it would be beneficial for the candidate to be making phone calls and knocking on doors personally, to have that connection with the voters. I would not have the candidate standing in front of a highly trafficked area handing out fliers because this would be perceived like a Boy Scout selling candy bars, he would not be taken seriously. I would instead keep the candidate in situations were he would be perceived as a leader in the community.

VolunteersI would first make contact with the Minnesota DFL to tap into their resources of volunteers. On their website volunteers can sign-up for any type of election and I would then ask them to send a list of potential volunteers that would be willing to work on a State House race and contact those people individually to see if they would be a go fit for the campaign. Because the state party has more recognition then the candidate on a whole state level, their website attracts more attention and more likely volunteers. This results in a larger pool of volunteers for the campaign to solicit help from. The next source I would look at would be volunteers from the Minnesota Teachers Union or small business owners. I think that these groups are highly organized and can easily find people to help with the campaign, especially if the candidate has endorsements from these organizations. Another source for volunteers would be a booth at the Minnesota State Fair. This is an event that is not limited to just the district population, which means that people who live in outlying district that want to volunteer for another district can sign up easily. This larger pool of people means that the chance for volunteer registration would increase. I would also have an option for people visiting the website to sign up to volunteer. Having people who visited the website and then volunteered means that these volunteers are loyal supporters who stand with the candidate on the issues.

I would utilize these volunteers in a couple of ways. One use would be for canvassing and door-knocking purposes. Within the months leading up to the election the volunteers would take to people in the district about the candidate and where he stands on issues. In addition to just talking they would leave fliers or door-hangers (if the person is not home) with the voters. This increases that chance that the person will be aware of the candidate and the election in general. One week before the election the volunteers would, in addition to talking about the candidate, would focus on general get out the vote efforts and remind people of their polling place and the times that polling place is open from. Another use for volunteers would be phone banking. Volunteers would call people of the district and would in essence share the same information as the canvassers and doorknockers. One additional use for volunteers to increase getting out the vote would be to write handwritten postcards to the constituents of the district, with words about the candidate or general voting information.

Phone BankingThe state DFL party has a system of phone banking that allows volunteers to access specific calling sheets and call those people from the comfort of their home. I would utilize this tool in this campaign and have people from their cell phones at home or at campaign headquarters make phone calls in support of the candidate. I would also use local small businesses such as a dentist office or doctors office for larger phone banking efforts. The phone banking would focus on the above mentioned candidate traits and strengths and also about general voting information such as polling place location and hours of operation. Absentee BallotsMinnesota does not allow early voting in elections and only allows people to obtain absentee ballots through a legitimate excuse, which include military member, out-of-state during election and disability. This limits the amount of leverage a campaign has over using absentee ballots because they cannot encourage voters who do not have a legitimate excuse to register for the ballot. Special OutreachYoungTo reach out to the youth vote in this district I would focus on registering the part of the population that does not currently live in the district, i.e. college aged students. By sending out postcards with reminders to vote, to their home addresses, college aged voters are more likely to be informed about the election and register for a absentee ballot. Minnesota also allows voters to register on the same day as the election and because youth voters are not typically registered before Election Day, emphasizing this fact through electronic and print media would increase the amount of youth voters who werent registered and werent planning to or who didnt have time to register to vote before hand. I also think that reaching out to this group of voters, who traditionally do not vote by use of social media, would bring awareness to the campaign. Through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the youth vote can be informed about the issues that campaign supports and the positions the candidate holds. This results in youth becoming more invested in a candidate that matches the same ideals they hold and thus increases the likelihood that they will participate in the political process. Social media is also viewed and used much more frequently by this group of voters than direct mailing or phone-calls. This means that a campaign that adversities using these media to target the youth vote with have a better chance at reaching these people more frequently.OlderTo reach the older population in this district and to increase voter turnout I would organize volunteers to drive people to the polls. Many older people have a hard time driving and getting around and having another person who is encouraging and providing that needed service will increase the amount of this population that will vote on Election Day. Along with driving people to the polls, I would have volunteers register the elderly with disabilities, those in nursing homes and hospitals for absentee ballots. This would be a section of the population that would not traditionally turnout during an election because of the physical limitations they possess. Having people to register them for absentee ballots raises the amount of people voting in the election and increases the poll of voters to vote for the candidate. Lazy but LoyalTo reach out to this population of voters I would focus on heavily canvassing those areas with as much personal contact as possible. When a person they know tells voters about a candidate, the voters feel a bigger personal connection to the candidate, because they feel like the candidate cares about them and their neighbors. In the same vein I would also focus direct mailing and phone-calls to be as personal as possible. I think that these lazy voters need to be energized by the belief in a bigger message or something that is emotionally binding. By having the candidate write a personal postcard or having a phone call from a well-known neighbor about issues concerning the community and the welfare of the future state of that community these voters are more likely to participate in the election.