where will they come? You will want to know how many votes to shoot for in every ward and precinct in your district. To estimate these, find a candidate that was like you in ideology. It does not matter if the candidate won, but it helps if they didn?t finish a distant last. Attempt to identify a candidate who has run within the past four to six years because the issues and numbers of voters will be more comparable. If you can?t find a comparable candidate, you can identify ballot question results that are aligned with your personal philosophy (tax measures, environmental protection initiatives, school bonds, etc.). For your comparison candidate or question, calculate what percentage of the vote total came from each precinct. Then, take these percentages and apply them to your overall vote goal to determine your goals for each precinct. Message Are you aware of the issues that concern your neighbors and other members of your community? To find out what issues are important to your community, read the local section of the newspaper, listen to local talk shows, and talk to your colleagues. Do the issues about which you are concerned coincide with those of the community? You will only be successful if those issues are aligned. Decide the issues upon which you will base your campaign. These should be decided based on your strengths and commitment. 1) Can you afford to commission a public opinion poll? You can usually find a political science or statistics