Pres Daniel introduced R Murray as our speaker this morning.
R Murray shared with us from his experience: Election Campaign Management
R Murray spent 6 terms as a local Councillor in Trenton.
He worked and managed both Provincial and Federal Election campaigns for others.
R Murray said the one goal is to get your candidate elected. However, that takes a significant support system behind the scenes.
Typically local municipal elections are low key, no particular party affiliations. In past they didn't use lawn signs, it was door knocking and pamphlets.
Provincial and Federal campaigns are different. Goal to get your candidate elected.
It is about getting the vote out. So you have to identify your supporters.
1. phone calls
2. door knocking
3. mailings
4. pick up and drop off at polling stations
R Murray's first campaign was in 1980 for a seat at Trenton Council. He knocked on doors and distributed pamphlets.
On a campaign there are two major tasks - 1 identify supporters, 2 get them out to vote.
Biggest mistake is to assume you won, because then you slack off. R Murray has used this to the advantage of his candidate. Opposition was from Trenton so assumed he didn't have to work hard at home. Opposition lost as Murray's team focused on all areas of riding. He said you need to be aware of opponents strategy, actions, plans. R Murray shared fun story of opposition planning a cavalcade that would go past his riding office location, so Murray gathered all supports at the office so when cavalcade went by they outnumbered them substantially on the street making a lot more noise and waving flags etc.
Some candidates get involved in the planning and management of the campaign to a large degree, while others do what manager tells them.
Campaign teams need a lot of volunteers. Need scrutineers at polling stations, need to monitor voters for supporters and make sure supporters get out to vote. This may mean picking up voters and driving them to polling stations.
He has been involved in a judicial recount. Very tense, takes days and the waiting and not knowing. General rule is that vote has to show the intent clearly.
The main task on election day is to get the vote out. It is a lot of work.