TIME LEFT TO FEB 24 ELECTION

We want to help you run for local office in your local suburb, village, city, for offices like the local school board, local village/city trustee, mayor, library board or other position.

Tips on Running an Election:
(This list is evolving)

1 - get your paperwork together

2 - solicit volunteers from friends, neighbors and family to help

3- appoint someone to help you

4 - Prepare a Publicity/Communications Strategy:

A - Define four points you believe must be addressed in your campaign and int he election. Write them out, put them on an index card and repeat them over and over again.

B - Put together a "Media Kit" that includes:

- A Black & White Photo 5x7 is good, professional looking headshot not you with pals, etc.

- A statement about why you are running for office, the office you are running for, date of election, community, etc. But, most importantly in a few sentences, describe WHY you feel you are the best candidate and why you are running.

- A page (300 words max) that gives your bio starting with a sentence describing your most important achievement or character or job, etc. Not a resume, but written (single space) on one sheet that describes who you are, what you have done, any past experience, and your family. Add contact information

- A Page listing your Issues: You can expand a bit on your four or five bullet points. These are what you believe are most important in the election.

- Pick a media person, an assistant -- a media person who takes calls, acts as a buffer to find out what the media wants BEFORE you answer their questions, and then passes th einfo on to you.

- Make 30 copies (you'll give these to the media in your district (mainly local newspapers) and also to organizations who might send you requests to answer their issues questions (answer them all, friends or foes -- be honest and fair and DON'T EXAGGERATE).

- Call your local media editor and identify the reporter assigned to cover your race. Introduce yourself.

- Send one press release each week to the local media by mail and email. Dliver them if you have to. (See info on how to write a press release below)

C - Develop a Calendar for each week from now until the election and identify important meetings by community groups, events, etc and plan on being there, participating and handing out material

D - make up an ID Badge that you wear that has your name TYPE IN CLEAN PRINTING ... not small but easy-to-read. Wear it and don't be shy.

E - Design an inexpensive web page where people can get all of yoru media kit info, to volunteer, to contact you, to list your public apparences, events etc. Make yourself known.

F - when you are at an event, goup to EVERY PERSON and introduce yourself. It helps to hand out a flyer. You can make a simple half-page flyer with your information, web site address and your points, and ASK THEM TO VOTE FOR YOU.

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5 - Get Legal advice for an election law attorney. It's worth spending a $100 or more to do this. We'll help as much as we can.

6 - You can colicit money BUT you must have a political committee that is filed with your local county clerk. It is NOT hard to do. You can set up a checking account for the committee and use your social security number. The money raised and spent will cancel itself out and not cause problems with your personal income taxes. You have to file some forms, state of organization, and then a listing of what you collected and who you collected it from, money you put in (as a loan), and who you spent it on. Anything over $150 has to be itemized. Everything under can be lumped together.

7 - Don't be shy about asking, friends, fasmily, everyone for money. There are businesses that do not like the incumbents and they might help.

8 - Read up on your district. Do some research. Know the issues.

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Ask our Election Law Attorney

EVERY FRIDAY: Election law attorney Dennis Brennan will help answer your questions about the procedures for running for office, and offer tips on doing it right on my radio show every Friday at 8:05 AM beginning the Friday after the election on Nov. 7.

You can call in with your questions and get guidance to help you get your candidacy off the ground and help you focus on addressing issues.

Call 708-493-1530 with your questions during the Election Campaign Help Segment on WJJG 1530 AM Radio, every Friday at 8:05 am.

Brennan's web site: www.dennisbrennanlaw.com

Important Election Dates:

In many suburban communities, the consolidated election IS the main election. If someone receives 50 percent plus 1 vote (or more), they win. But, if no one receives 50-plus-1, then the top two vote-getters face off in the April 7 election.

District 135 Orland Park School District Filings
(This information applies to most local school districts where elections take place April 7. Visit your local school district office to obtain the necessary forms and filing information.)
Read story on District 135 Filings?

Some Filing Resources:

The Cook County Clerk's Web Site is very difficult to navigate and find information, but if you are persistent, you can find things. We've sorted some of it out for you here:

Database of Election Results for each Village, office, etc.

2009 Campaign Calendar (PDF) View?

2009 Candidate's Guide (PDF) View?

2009 Local Election Handbook (PDF) View?

All of the Forms You May Need to File for office (PDF) Views?

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How to write a Press Release

Press Releases are a form of communications written in a very specific manner to provide the fundamentals of an event or public action to the media in a clear and concise manner.

Here is the format:

Typed. Double spaced. No longer than 400 typed words total. Paragraphs should be no longer than 3 sentences each and that's too much! Write for a newspaper not a magazine.

FORM

This is how the format should look:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ...............CONTACT PERSON
DATE ...............................................CONTACT TELE
........................................................CONTACT EMAIL

TITLE OF RELEASE 10 WORDS MAX

[BODY OF PRESS RELEASE]

STYLE

This is how the content should flow

After the Title, you will begin with your first Lede Sentence. This is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your release.

The Lede should NEVER be more than 22 Words in length.

It should clearly explain what you are talking about.

HINT: I suggest you write everything out first -- spill it out of your brain and put it on paper and then come back and reformat the release to this style and structure. It's easier.

Write the Lede sentence. Make it the first paragraph. Don't start by patting yourself on the back. Go right to the MOST IMPORTANT POINT you want to make. Don;t make the editor reading it have to go through all the BS about yourself before learning what the point of the release is. You can put your praise about yourself or your organization latewr on in the release.

LEDE -- 22 words, summarizes the topic

2nd Paragraph (2-3 sentences max) -- explains who you are, why this is important, and answers the Who, What, Where, When and Why in a coherent sentence.

3rd Paragraph -- This is often a QUOTE from you that explains what you just said in an intelligent manner and a clear manner.

"The property tax is oppressive and regressive and should be repealed," said (your name or person's name).

4th - 8th Paragraph. Provide background about who you are, the organization. Add another Quote.

Quotes are what you offer to editor to use. Quotes make news come alive, like a photograph.

End it with contact information that includes your name, full address, title, group name, email, telephone and web site.

Finally, I am one to talk, but make sure you re-read your release carefully and make sure there are no spelling errors. The worst is a name spelling error. have a "second set of eyes" re-read your release.

(You can distribute the release in several ways: by email directly to the News Editor at the newspapers and TV stations, or through PR News Wire or Business Wire. These are services that distribute your release professionally to the media at a cost -- $150 to set up an annual account, and about $150 to send 400 words to EVERY news outlet in Chicagoland and Illinois. $800 to send the release to EVERY news outlet in the entire country.)

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How to write a Letter to the Editor

The keys to a good press release are:

- Brevity
- Clarity
- News worthiness (relevance)
- perspective

Most Letters to the Editor should not be longer than 250 words. That's about 3 paragraphs.

Sounds hard to expres an opinion in 3 paragraphs but if you can, you can publish often.

The key is to eliminate all the adjectives, rhetoric and useless prepositional phrases. Keep your sentences simple.

The lede or first paragraph should be right to the point and explain clearly what you are talking about. The first lede sentence should NEVER be more than 22 words.

If you can't write a sentence that captures the heart of what you are trying to say in 22 words, don't blame the system or the media. Blame yourself.

Don't use a hammer to criticize when cleverly phrased sentences can do the job. Don't call people names, don't use bad words, and don't attack anyone. The media will publishs ome of that (not the bad words) but very rarely.

Email your LtE to the Letters Editor. You can usually find that ont he newspaper's web site, or by going to the Letters section in the newspaper.

Reference the story that you are referring to that was published, or the issue that is being addressed that you want to chime in on.

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