YOUR POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

Before you even begin thinking about getting involved in elections of any type, your first step should be to set up a political action committee (PAC). A PAC is the centerpiece of any effort to engage in political action, whether your local is small or large.

WHAT IS A PAC?

A Political Action Committee or PAC is a type of organization or account that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaign for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.

WHY DO WE NEED A PAC?

Legally and fiscally, a PAC is essential if you’re going to do anything in the election.

• From a legal standpoint, every area of political spending is subject to regulatory and legal review. Your PAC is your best protection.

• From a fiscal standpoint, a PAC provides that direct level of accountability, both to members and to the policy makers.

Think of your PAC as a your political “house fund,” like the ones you use to pay for necessary items around the stations. Your PAC makes it possible for you to participate in the political world to protect your pay, benefits, and working conditions.

WHAT IS THE PAC MONEY USED FOR?

Your PAC funds are primarily intended for use in elections:

• Direct contributions to local or state candidates

• Direct contributions to campaigns for local ballot initiatives aimed at securing local resources

• Independent expenditures in support of candidates or ballot initiatives

SETTING UP A PAC FUND

• Step One: The paperwork. The CPF Guide for Local Union Political Action Committees provides a detailed explanation of the process for setting up a PAC. You should get legal help with this process.

• Step Two: Approve a dues assessment: Start with $5 or $10 a month. The cost of coffee and a muffin. The money can add up quickly and it makes your local an immediate player.

Remember: Everything touching wages, hours and working conditions flows through elected officials. Getting involved in their elections is an important way to ensure your priorities are heard.

ENGAGE YOUR MEMBERSHIP

If you find yourself considering a campaign to sway politicians and the public, you first have to sway the most immediate - and most important - audience: your members. No matter how creative your negotiating or political strategy may be, it’s essential your membership buys into your strategy.

GETTING YOUR MEMBERS INVOLVED

Voters trust their local firefighters on safety issues. The more more you engage members with your local union ahead of time, the easier it is to mobilize them for campaign activities, such as a phone bank or precinct walking.

Start out with fun events that normalize participation. These events, such as BBQs and pancake breakfasts, improve your organization’s image and help to build relationships - both within the organization and the community.

Coax participation with incentives. Most of your members would be the first to kick a door in an emergency situation, but often feel uncomfortable to knock on someone’s door and ask for help themselves. Consider participation incentives – a challenge coin, or some kind of non-monetary reward.

Divide the labor. Set up an organizing committee to share the workload of organization. Get several well-respected members to get involved. Identify one person per station to maintain contact with members on political action (remembering restrictions on politics “on the clock”).

Establish internal communication channels. It’s important to stay connected contact with members several different times from different avenues. Text messages, phone calls, email, social media, the union bulletin board or all of the above.

Make it easy to get involved. Try to schedule activities that fit around your members’ schedules. For example, you can host a precinct walk for a candidate on a weekend morning. That way, your member can get a few hours of service out of the way before they even go home.

Get them while they’re young. Habits formed during probation often follow you throughout your entire fire service career. If you get probationary firefighters involved in political action at the beginning of their career, it will become a normal, expected part of the job.

ENGAGE YOUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS

If you are waiting until the sky is falling to call your allies on the city council, you’ve waited too long. It is essential that you maintain an ongoing relationship with the elected officials that make decisions about your pay, benefits and working conditions. You need to be at the table, or you’ll be on the menu.

HOW DO YOU BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS?

Stay connected. Have monthly/quarterly coffee with your friends on the council. Having regular interactions with your elected officials is an effective method to build a relationship with them.

Establish personal relationship. Make sure to be positive & talk about things other than work. If you do this effectively, they will enjoy talking to you and you can build a friendship.

Maintain contact even when nothing’s going on. Cultivate them in good times as well as in bad. If the only time they see you is when you want something, you’ll always be a problem, not a helper.

Help with their interests and projects. Most local elected officials are engaged in community projects throughout their districts. Volunteering your local’s time and money will go a long way in establishing a solid relationship with your elected officials. Offer to assist with your council members’ community events.

Host a fundraiser. Elected officials need money for their reelections, if you can become a regular source for some of those funds your local becomes an essential part of their reelection plans. It is hard to bite the hand that feeds.

Invite them for a ride along or host Fire Ops 101. If they can see and understand what your job is really like they will be more likely to support requests for the personnel and equipment you need to protect the community.

WORKING WITH ELECTEDS: DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Learn how to count votes. If you have five city council members you may need to focus on three to get your issue passed. This is especially effective if you have district elections.

Cultivate potential swing votes. If you have council members who are “on the fence” on your issues, work hardest on building relationships with them. Especially true if you didn’t endorse them last time.

Understand those who are not your allies. Research the elected officials if you do not currently have a relationship with them: for instance, who endorsed them early in the campaign when they ran originally? Who gave them financial support during their election? What are their favorite community organizations they support?

Scope out the movers and shakers. Give them your facts and listen to their concerns. In many instances there will be a few elected officials who heavily influence a number of others. If you can win them over they will often bring their friend to your side as well.

Prioritize your issues. When you are communicating about an issue with elected officials, don’t throw the kitchen sink and don’t try for the 20-run homer. Prioritize what you need vs. your full wish list. Even your best friends won’t be able to support you every single time.

Stay well informed and accessible. You should expect that your friends will call you to get your input on issues that affect your members. Being well-informed and truthful will increase your credibility with elected officials, friend or foe.

Every day, elected officials make decisions that affect your members’ lives and livelihoods. There is no substitute for being able to count to a majority on your city council, board of supervisors or special district board.

IT STARTS WITH A PLAN

As firefighters, you’re familiar with incident plans: develop strategy, divide resources, identify the attack points and implement the plan. So it is with a campaign.

Identify realistic goals: Your long-term goal in local political action is always to have a friendly majority – preferably a super-majority. But if you’re starting in the hole, create realistic expectations. You’re not going to go from 0-5 to 5-0 council in one election. Shoot for turning over one seat, or maybe two. Play the long game.

Situational awareness: What are other firefighter locals in your area doing? What are other unions doing? Are they working against you? Can you identify allies to increase your chances of success? Politics makes strange bedfellows: so even if you have disagreed in the past, building alliances over common interests no matter who they are - is important. Never burn a bridge.

Who’s who in the race: Identify all potential candidates or measures on the ballot. Depending on who or what is on the ballot may enhance or hurt your chances at the polls.

Identify potential partners/coalitions: Identify groups or individuals who support your candidate or issue. Use all the resources at your disposal.

Evaluate your chances of success: While we always try to stand by our friends, tilting at windmills can get expensive. Polls can help but so can looking at past elections and registration, even in non-partisan races. If a council district is 85% Republican, a candidate flying a “We Love Bernie” flag probably isn’t going to fly with voters. You can research past elections results online through the County Registrar of Voters.

Get your PAC locked and loaded: Do you have enough money to run an effective campaign? You should look at the Fair Political Practices Commission (F.P.P.C.) or local reports available through the city or the county to see how much was spent on similar elections in the past. If you do not have enough you may consider increasing your PAC dues. Reaching out to other firefighter locals and unions for financial support is a good option but remember you will need to return the favor.

CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT

If you have open seats on your board or if you have outright hostile members, it may be time to recruit your own candidates.

• Firefighters: Try to identify firefighters or their family members who live in your jurisdiction to run for office. The CPF and the I.A.F.F. can provide a list of all union firefighters that live in your community to use for recruiting candidates. No one understands our job better than a firefighter or family members.

• Retired firefighters: Retired firefighters are outstanding possible candidates. They make especially good fire board members – in these contests, they can have a special advantage.

• Other labor-friendly candidates: If no firefighters are available, reach out to other labor unions in your area to see if they have members in the area who are interested in running for office. These candidates will be more likely to look at issues from your perspective.

• Opinion leaders who are longtime supporters: As firefighters, you have occasion to deal with many in the business or activist community. Cultivate your friends and see if any are interested.

MAKING AN ENDORSEMENT

One of the most valuable things you can give a candidate is your firefighter endorsement. The positive public image firefighters have makes yours an endorsement that is coveted. An endorsement is an essential element to your political action in candidate races.

Developing an organized, professional and credible endorsement process is important – not just for those you support, but for those you may not endorse. If you do this right, you could ultimately wind up making more friends down the road.

EVALUATING CANDIDATES

Every candidate will tell you they love firefighters. They’ll hip-check each other out of the way to get pictures with you. But “the love” isn’t enough – you need to know they will stand up for you and your members if they’re elected. Whether you’re just starting out getting involved in elections or have been doing it awhile, you need to evaluate candidates on your terms, not the candidate’s.

Firefighter issues: Where does the candidate stand on your core issues – pay, benefits, working conditions, retirement, staffing and resources? You want candidates who will be there for you on these issues.

Past support: One of the core values of firefighters – in politics and on the job – is that we stand with those who have stood with us. When evaluating incumbents, their record on firefighter issues and accessibility to you is a foundational basis for support.

Experience: In some cases, there’s no real record for a candidate on firefighter issues. In these cases, their past history – with other labor partners, allies or even personal connections – can be illustrative. Important note: Don’t rely too much on personal connections – “he’s a great guy” is not enough. Get commitments.

Candidate quality: No matter how strong a candidate is on your issues, they’re no good to you if they have zero chance of winning no matter how much you help them. While the issues come first, a candidate’s “vitals” – money, endorsements, background, name ID, etc. – should always be taken into account.

CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS

Key to a credible and professional endorsement process is interviewing the candidates. A simple questionnaire is not enough – you need to look candidates in the eye and get them to answer your questions.

Interview everybody. A credible process demands a willingness to interview all viable perspective candidates. Even if you don’t like them, and they don’t like you, the interview provides important information. If they refuse to meet, any lack of communication is on them – at least you made the effort.

Conduct pre-interviews. It is useful to meet with candidates more informally prior to the formal endorsement interviews. You can let them know what your issues are, what you’ll be asking them and give them a chance to educate themselves ahead of time.

Pre-interview questionnaire: When you’re reaching out, send a pre-interview questionnaire for them to give you at the formal interview. This is not a substitute for an interview – it’s just a way for you to get some background and information on the record. The pre-interview questionnaire should include:

• Contact information, including a private cell phone number

• Name of their political and fundraising consultants (if any)

• Brief biography – a couple of paragraphs

• Past labor affiliation, knowledge or support

• List of endorsements, especially other labor unions

• The amount of money they have raised, have on hand, and plan to raise

• Top three priorities should they get elected

• Their views on high-priority issues, such as pension security

• Their plan for winning the election

• Their relationship with other members of the governing board for which they’re running

• What your support means to them

THE INTERVIEW

Meet the candidates at your union hall, or on your home turf. You should have as many of your board members as possible. Space them out so they’re not running into each other, and give yourselves plenty of time for discussion after each.

Interview questions: If you don’t send a pre-interview questionnaire, those questions are a good starting point. Beyond the basics, focus in on your priority issues. Get them to be specific on core issues like pensions, workplace safety, health care, fair pay, staffing, etc. Get them on the record on your specific local issues – staffing, a local initiative, training … whatever is your priority.

Be as thorough as possible. When talking with the candidates, be respectful but persistent. Don’t let them avoid your questions. If they weasel around it, ask again. Most importantly, try to get commitments on your issues. Nobody is ever going to be 100%, but commitments on your priorities are important

When you make your choice … call everyone you interviewed and let them know. It’s hard, but by being courteous, you’re establishing a professional relationship, which you may need if they wind up winning. Who knows … you may support them in a future campaign. Also, write a letter to the successful candidate announcing your endorsement and what makes them a strong candidate – something they can quote in a positive voter contact.

ORGANIZING YOUR CAMPAIGN

So you’ve picked a candidate (or candidates). Now how are you going to get them the win? More importantly, how do you put the firefighter imprint on their campaign and their victory, while properly using your strong image and your members’ dues money.

DECISION ONE: WHAT KIND OF CAMPAIGN ARE YOU RUNNING?

There are two primary ways to get involved in a local or state election; coordinated with the candidate or an independent expenditure. You can do either or both, but there are important legal and tactical differences between the two. (details are in the CPF Guide for Local Union PACs)

Working with the candidate’s campaign: You can contribute directly to your candidate’s election campaign. Write a check from your PAC to theirs or make an in-kind contribution.

• Direct contributions to candidates are subject to local campaign contribution limits. If your locality has a $500 contribution limit, that’s all your PAC can give.

• You can have firefighters volunteer their time for phone banks, precinct walks, etc. but basically anything that has monetary value (an in-kind mailer, etc.) counts against that limit.

• You must know your locality’s campaign finance laws and reporting requirements (see the local PAC Guide).

• You are allowed to coordinate with the campaign on volunteer activities, campaign events, news media outreach, etc.

• The lower the limit, the less of an impression you’re likely to make. You’re still “the firefighters” but your financial impact isn’t as pronounced.

Independent expenditure. A campaign run independently of the candidate – either by one group or a coalition – that acts in support of that candidate.

• Independent expenditures are not subject to campaign contribution limits. You can spend as much as you want in the effort.

• IE campaigns are also not restricted in in-kind participation.

• An IE campaign, and its participants, may not coordinate this campaign with the candidate (thus the name “independent”).

• IE campaigns allow you to control how your image is used and what issues you wish to emphasize in your support.

• Because they are not subject to campaign limits, IE campaigns can potentially have much wider visibility and impact. You could make the difference between winning and losing (something most candidates remember).

You are not forbidden from giving directly to a candidate and participating in an IE. HOWEVER, you must have a firewall between the two efforts. Nobody who is involved with the IE may speak about the race with anyone involved directly with the candidate. Read the Local PAC Guide carefully and consult a lawyer.

BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN

Just as with the candidate selection process, building your campaign requires research, pragmatism and energy. For purposes of demonstration, this guide is built around an IE campaign run by a local union – the campaign that has the greatest potential impact and is the most comprehensive.

Research and strategy: Identify extent of campaign, the type of campaign and the likelihood of opposition. Are there other groups involved in the race? Where do the opinion leaders stand? District (or in at-large elections, citywide) demographics, geography, partisan ID. Reach out to your partners – CPF’s political action team, local allies.

Organizing your campaign: Many hands make light work. Divide up responsibilities -- communication, field, coalition building. NOTE: If you are running an independent expenditure, designate one member of the board as the candidate liaison and make sure your IE doesn’t talk about the campaign or the candidate with that individual. They are “behind the firewall.” (see the PAC guide for details)

Establish a budget: Estimate the amount of printing/mail/digital/voter outreach costs you expect. Consider using CPF’s political, communications and media services teams as resources. Be realistic about what kind of help you can expect from others – cops, labor, your local, etc.

Set priorities: If you’re backing more than one candidate, or are involved in a ballot measure as well as a candidate race, prioritize the most beneficial or important to you and your members. Allocate the budget accordingly.

Coalition building: Reach out to as many organizations as possible to build support for your candidate. Groups to consider are law enforcement, other local unions, teachers, building trades, political parties community groups. Even if they don’t contribute money, a broader coalition anchored by firefighters can have advantages over going it totally alone.

Member engagement: Nothing is more powerful than a firefighter speaking directly to voters in support of a candidate. Encourage your members to volunteer on the campaign. As indicated above, consider incentives – a challenge coin, or breakfast or lunch after a precinct walk.

COMMUNICATING WITH VOTERS

You’re all organized … locked and loaded. Now all you need to do is get people to vote for the right candidate(s). That means getting the word out to voters about whom you’re supporting and why they’re the right choice for public safety and the men and women on the front lines.

RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP IT POSITIVE

Although candidates will always take your money, the true value of the firefighter endorsement lay in the overwhelmingly positive image firefighters enjoy with the public. Staying positive in your campaign taps into that heroic image – it is your true currency with voters.

When you go negative in a campaign, you’re no longer the respected heroes. Instead, you become just another group of politicians. And you know how the public feels about them.

What does it mean to “stay positive”?

• Focus on your core public safety message: First and foremost, you are about protecting the public.

• Talk up your candidates, don’t talk down opponents: “Our candidate will keep you safe”, not “Joe will let your children die.”

• Avoid personal attacks: No matter how tempting, don’t personalize a campaign. The issues are public safety and standing with first responders.

• Don’t get down in the mud: Do not let your image be associated with mudslinging, name-calling or personal scandal.

Control the use of your image. Candidates and consultants will often try to get you to carry a negative message for them or will put your logo on hit pieces. This is bad. It is imperative that you maintain control over how your firefighter brand is used … your image, your likeness, your logo.

• Insist on final approval of any voter communication that carries your name, logo or image.

• Be sure your candidates understand that they are never to use your image on hit pieces.

• Let opposing candidates know in the interview process that you intend to stay positive and won’t participate in hit pieces.

Politics means playing the long game. Those who oppose you today may be allies tomorrow. If you burn the bridge today you may not be able to work on areas of mutual interest in the future. In the process, you may also tarnish the image that makes firefighters a force beyond their numbers.

RULE NUMBER TWO: NO POLITICS ON THE JOB

As public employees, firefighters are forbidden from campaigning for a candidate while on the clock. Any use of employer resources in an election – uniform, equipment, locations – is not permitted. You can be fired for violating these laws. If things are especially nasty in your town, you can even be prosecuted.

What does this mean for firefighters?

Don’t … campaign in department uniform. Whether in person or in a photo, anything that shows your department’s name, logo, insignia or markings is out. Also out is a department T-shirt (union T OK), helmet or turnout coat, if it is issued by the department.

Don’t … campaign at the station or on the rig. You are forbidden from campaigning on station grounds. Ditto for using your department’s rig for a candidate photo, video or event. A fire engine at a campaign rally can only be there for an official public safety purpose.

Don’t … use your fire department identification. Fire departments are forbidden from endorsing a candidate. If you say you’re “with the fire department” or campaign under your official ID, you can get yourself and the department in trouble. For campaign purposes, you are “the firefighters” not the “fire department”.

Don’t … use department email, equipment or time. That means official computers, email addresses, social media channels, equipment on the rigs. Do any political activity off hours or on union time.

Don’t … let candidates get you in trouble. “Can I use an old station photo from before the campaign?” Not if you’re in uniform or you were on department time. Remind your supported candidates of the rules.

GETTING THE IMAGE WITHOUT THE GRIEF

Of course, one of the great advantages of the firefighter endorsement for a candidate is that “money shot” – candidate next to “America’s heroes.” Fortunately, there are ways to get the firefighter “brand” out there.

• Generic non-department attire: An unmarked uniform shirt with a generic badge, unmarked turnout coat or helmet. CPF can even loan you the gear and we have it all if you are shooting video or stills through Media Services.

• Personally-owned gear: If it belongs to you (and you can prove it), you can use it so long as there are no visible departmental names, logos or insignias.

• Union attire and equipment: The best, and safest, way to get the brand. Of course, union T-shirts, polo shirts or gear with the union Maltese are permissible. Union-owned equipment – helmets, turnouts, uniform shirts – are also OK (the only logo visible should be the union’s). CPF can help here, with union-branded helmets.

• Use your union’s name to brand: “We’re your Vacaville firefighters” or “Supported by the Pasadena Firefighters.” It’s plenty good enough.

PAID MEDIA

The primary means by which candidates effectively communicate with voters is by using paid media. No matter the form, they are basically advertisements, designed to sway voters. Sometimes, they try to convince you to vote for a candidate. Often, they try to convince you to vote against a candidate.

Paid media covers a wide range of products – basically anything you print, publish, mail or broadcast falls into the category. If you’re involved in an election – especially if you’re running an independent campaign, these are the ones you need to consider:

Direct mail
The most widely used – and often most effective – form of voter communication in most local races. Direct mail allows you to target your message directly to voters you need to sway. With voter data, you can identify people by where they live, how often they vote, party preference. You can tailor your message verbally and visually, and it goes right to people’s houses. If you are involved in a competitive campaign – especially in an independent expenditure – the bulk of your budget should go to direct mail.

Precinct walk material
This would include brochures, door hangers or other material designed to be handed directly to voters by people out in the field. Like direct mail, this material allows you to create a visual and verbal message advocating your candidate. Since you don’t have the USPS cost, it is less expensive than direct mail IF you have the “people power” to get them out (more about field operations below).

Campaign signs/bumper stickers
Campaign signs pop up like dandelions during campaign season. They are a great way to send a simple message and also build a candidate’s name ID. For firefighters in candidate races, it is usually as simple as “Firefighters Trust Jane Doe”. Maybe with a helmet or logo. It’s old school, but signs work. Bumper stickers are used less often than they used to be, as are buttons, but they are still around.

Online advertising
Modern campaigns are increasingly allocating a portion of their budget to online advertising. Online advertising includes search ads, social media advertising, video “pre-roll” and online advertising. The most effective means of advertising online is through video. Video is king (and queen) online. NOTE: In order to run political advertising online, Facebook and Google Ads require organizations to verify their status as U.S.-based entities. These links will take you to more information on how to become verified. FACEBOOK GOOGLE ADS

Television
More expensive and less targeted than mail, TV is a tool that can have a huge impact, if you can afford to get it on the air with enough repetition. Broadcast TV is most expensive, and in a small race that can be inefficient, since you wind up talking to a lot of voters that can’t participate in your race. Cable TV is a better value – less expensive and easier to target geographically and by station format.

Radio
Radio is still a widely used and cost-effective means of communicating with voters. Less expensive than TV, you can get more repetition and also target advertising to particular listener demographics, through formats and time slots. With the rising popularity of podcasts, people are going back to the radio.

OTHER MEDIA

News media
In a candidate race, the candidate attracts most of the focus. The firefighters’ role is primarily to speak favorably about them (a “validator”). You may be asked by a candidate to be a surrogate on your core issues, write a letter to the editor, sign an opinion piece on their behalf, issue a news release or appear at a public event. On the other side, you may be asked to defend a candidate who has been attacked or is the subject of a scandal.

• Best practices: Keep tight control over how your name and image are used by candidates. When asked to be a surrogate, stay on public safety. Most importantly, don’t let a candidate drag you into the mud. If they ask you to “go after” an opponent, or echo a hit, just say no.

Social media
Your social media channels are your most important and visible public face. They can be used to inform about your choices in the election, but they can’t and shouldn’t be taken over by a candidate or candidates. (A ballot measure campaign is a somewhat different story – see next section).

• Best practices: Post on social about your endorsements, and feel free to share positive things a candidate has done for your interests. But don’t turn your feed into their feed. Keep the focus on your image building, events and core issues outlined in the “Politics Between Elections” section.

FIELD OPERATIONS

No matter how much media a candidate does, there is no substitute for talking directly with voters. Elections are often won and lost in the field – especially local races. As with communication, “retail politics” is something you can do either on your own or in conjunction with a candidate. And there is no better messenger than firefighters.

With more and more voters choosing to vote by mail, field operations take place over the full stretch of the campaign. Indeed, they should start the month before Election Day, when absentee ballots are mailed.

Precinct walks
A neighborhood firefighter talking with voters is one of the most effective ways to send the message about why your candidate is best for public safety. In most cases, a precinct walk is a matter of dropping off material (a “walk piece” or door hanger).

• Organizing a precinct walk. Precinct walks are usually organized either by candidates or more often by their supporting groups (including you). You can get data from the registrar on who has and hasn’t voted. Consider organizing walks around shift changes to encourage participation. CPF can help guide you through organizing a precinct walk.

Phone banks
Another good way to engage support and get out votes for your candidates. As with precinct walks, often you’re leaving a message, but people listen to firefighters. In the run-up to election day, phone banks are used especially heavily. In general, it is easier to work through campaigns or coalition partners on phone banking, but sometimes you may even want to organize one yourselves.

• Organizing a phone bank. Traditionally, these are organized at a location with a bunch of phones – often at a union hall. Increasingly, these efforts can be undertaken via cell phone – you can even get a “phone bank in a box” with cell phones. Do not use your work cell phone to make phone bank calls. Click here to read CPF’s Phone Banking 101

Get out the vote (GOTV)
Once you have identified voters who support your candidate or measure you need to ensure that they vote. GOTV is basically “all of the above” – precinct walks, phone calls, even driving people to the polls. Again, it’s wise to think of GOTV not just as a last-minute effort but a month-long process. As with phone banks, working through the campaigns is easier, but you can organize your own GOTV effort. Click here to read CPF’s GOTV 101.

AFTER THE ELECTION IS OVER…

If you win … reconnect with candidate and celebrate. After the election your candidate will often be overwhelmed by the number of issues before them and the number of new “friends” they have. It is important to keep in close contact with them and ensure that they remember who their true friends and supporters are.

If you lose … try to establish connection with winner. This is where staying positive can really work in your favor. If your campaign material is not personal but professional, it will be easier to establish a relationship should you lose the election.

 Even as the economy has improved, local public safety budgets have struggled to keep pace. More and more locals – and local governments – have been turning to local initiatives to augment their budgets. These measures – local sales taxes, parcel taxes, utility taxes – are on the upswing.

Invariably, these local measures turn on public safety’s participation, and firefighters are at the top of the list. If you are involved, there’s a better chance of winning, especially since you are likely to be the primary funder. That gives you power, and the standing to exert considerable control, from drafting the measure to the operation of the campaign.

IT STARTS WITH A PLAN

When you find yourself looking at a ballot issue election, the most important single step you can take is to figure out what it is you really want. First and foremost, you need to know exactly what it is being asked of your citizens, and who’s asking.

Preventing further cuts vs. expanded services. Many locals find themselves facing deep reductions if there isn’t more revenue. Nonetheless, it is tougher to win if it is only about how “the sky is falling.” In any tax measure, it is always good to ensure some kind of improvement in service. If voters feel they’re getting something more for their money, it can only help.

General tax vs. dedicated tax. General, non-dedicated tax increases require only a majority vote. The downside, from your perspective, is that there’s no guarantee that any of the money will come your way, even if they run on the backs of firefighters. Taxes earmarked for a particular purpose – i.e. public safety – require a 2/3 vote. Tougher to win, but easier to ensure that fire will get the benefit of the increase.

Citizen initiative vs. ordinance. More and more local governments are putting their own local tax measures on the ballot by council vote. Sometimes they come to you ahead of time, other times they do it themselves then beg for your help afterward. You don’t have to just take what they are giving – they need you to win. The other option is doing it yourself via citizen initiative. This is obviously more expensive and difficult – you have to run a signature gathering campaign and an election campaign. The advantage is that you are in control and the dividends are bigger and more secure.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN…

Turn up your image building. Use the tools outlined in “Politics Between Elections.” Start ramping up the positive firefighter messaging. Mix in some voter education about the challenges you face.

Get your facts together. Gather the information to make your case – call volumes, run times, EMS responses … everything about the issues you’re focused on. Getting voters to dig into their pockets is hard – you need to be sure they know why.

Research your voters. Study past election results, demographics, partisan makeup, feelings about public safety. If you can afford it, polling and focus groups can be hugely beneficial. If the local agency is on board, they may even pay for it (more on that later).

Shore up your alliances. Keep in close touch with your allies on the council or board. Ditto with your traditional allies in labor or the community (doing them a good turn can’t hurt). Keep them looped in and get them on board. If possible, build – or cultivate – connection with law enforcement. They are a natural ally.

Engage your members. Keep the members informed about the situation with the city, funding, etc. Their buy-in is critical.

Fund your PAC. Ballot campaigns are expensive. Usually firefighters are the primary funders and you need lots of communication to get people to yes. Consider asking for a PAC dues increase or assessment.

DRAFTING AND QUALIFYING YOUR MEASURE

If your local agency has put the measure on the ballot there are plenty of ways to influence the process (See “Working with Partners” below). But if you are leading the campaign, you need to know what it takes to get it on the ballot and win.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD BALLOT MEASURE?

When it comes to a tax increase, the details can vary based on a range of local factors – demographics, partisan makeup, views of local politicians, etc. But there are a few common elements that can be found in most successful ballot campaigns:

• Public safety improvements. People believe fire, EMS and police are essential services. They want them to be fast … especially EMS response.

• Knowing where the money’s going. Voters want to know the money’s going to their priorities. This is where you as firefighters are critical validators.

• Accountability. Language creating those assurances – audit requirements, oversight panels improve chances of success.

DECIDING WHAT TO GO FOR

Be specific: “No cuts” just isn’t a good enough answer these days. You need to be able to justify every position, every fire station, every engine company. That way, you have an answer for whatever the other side throws your way.

Be realistic: It’s tempting to shoot for the moon in a ballot proposition, especially if you write it. But if you get too greedy, you’ll lose, and, in the process, alienate your natural allies among other public employee groups.

Get a guarantee. If you can’t draw a direct line between the tax increase and improved services, the chances of losing increase. What’s worse, even if you lead the coalition to victory, you have no special claim on the revenue. If possible, write this into the ballot measure.

• Note: Dedicated taxes require a 2/3 vote, which can be a harder hill to climb with voters. If you choose to go with a general tax (with a lower threshold), try to get policy makers to publicly commit to supporting public safety.

Know your audience. What sells in Berkeley may not sell in Merced. As firefighters, you are in daily contact with the members of your community, which gives you a better sense than most about what’s on people’s minds. Calibrate your pitch to reach the largest number of voters.

If you can possibly swing it, consider a poll. A poll can help you determine whether your voters will go for any kind of tax increase. It will also help you develop messaging and find ways to counter opposition messaging.

Know your opposition. Assess who might be likely to work against you. In ballot measures, it’s always easier to get a No than a Yes. Gauge the level of opposition from anti-tax groups, hostile politicians, opinion leaders, etc. If you can, try to cultivate them.

Look for win-win scenarios. In setting your goals, think about ways where everybody wins. A big tent not only helps you win your election, it will help you in the long run and help you gain credibility as a positive force in the community.

SIGNATURE GATHERING

If you are running your own, you will have to allocate a portion of your budget for signature gathering. Using your members to gather signatures (off the clock and out of uniform, of course) reduces the expense but it is likely you will need to collect some portion of them through paid signature gatherers.

ORGANIZING AND RUNNING YOUR CAMPAIGN

ESTABLISHING A BUDGET

Identify the extent of your involvement in the campaign and the likelihood of opposition. Estimate the amount of printing/mail/consultant costs - reach out to the CPF for help. Include signature-gathering costs. Make a realistic assessment of the amount of help you can expect … from local members, coalition partners, etc.

COALITION-BUILDING

It’s easier to build and maintain a ballot coalition if you have laid the foundation with as many potential allies as possible. When budgets get tight, local governments often try to pit people against each other - firefighters vs. cops, firefighters vs. libraries, etc. You can head this off by reaching out them and building relationships.

• Cultivate local business leaders: Believe it or not, local businesses can be natural allies of public safety.

• Reach out to neighborhood associations: Neighborhood residents have the biggest stake in public safety. Reach out to community organizations: Cultural organizations, political party committees, etc. Listen to their concerns.

• Firefighters in your area from other departments: Firefighters and retirees are powerful validators. CPF can provide mailing lists of members who live in the targeted area.

SETTING UP A CAMPAIGN

While you can run the whole show out of your PAC, it is can be preferable to set up a separate “Yes on Measure X” committee. It adds to the cost but can be an effective venue for a coalition. CPF can help advise on the best course.

COMMUNICATING WITH VOTERS

The primary means of communicating with voters in a ballot campaign are the same as those in a candidate campaign: Paid and earned media, field operations, GOTV. There are some distinctions, however, in the level of involvement.

MESSAGING

The messaging and imaging should be positive, but urgent.

• Emphasize the stakes, but also how service will improve.

• Emphasize EMS as well as fire response – polling shows voters respond better to fire and EMS than fire alone.

• Emphasize accountability.

• Emphasize local control.

MAIL AND BROADCAST ADVERTISING

Ballot measure campaigns have more restrictive and specific disclosure and disclaimer requirements. You need to make sure you are following these requirements. The same rules on using public resources apply in ballot races. That means no uniforms, no fire stations, etc.

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE

If you are running a ballot measure campaign, you need to have a campaign website. A campaign web site:

• Gives you a place to send voters to get more information

• Provides a venue to gather names and contact information of possible supporters for voter outreach

• Serves as a possible landing point for fundraising

• Gives you separation from your own ongoing branding and online media

As part of its Media Services, CPF can help you get off the ground and incorporate a web presence into your campaign. Find your next political microsite here at www.ffprint.org

ONLINE ADVERTISING

Modern ballot measure campaigns almost all include a digital component. This is where many will see your message or go for more information.

How to use online ads: Digital advertising should always be a supplement to traditional campaign tools – never the only game in town. Digital advertising should be used to draw people to your campaign and echo messaging seen in mail and in paid media.

Where to advertise: Facebook and GoogleAds are the best ways to extend your message online. Both can be targeted to specific subsets (search habits, demographics, etc.). Both have toughened their requirements for political advertising, requiring verification. You can also work with a digital media buyer to target specific web sites and/or video “pre-roll”. This can be more expensive and in smaller races less cost-effective.

Best practices: Branding, images and messaging should all reflect your mail, web and video. Video is king and queen of online advertising. Even if you’re not running a TV spot, consider creating a digital video.

NOTE: In order to run political advertising online, Facebook and Google Ads require organizations to verify their status as U.S.-based entities. These links will take you to more information on how to become verified. FACEBOOK GOOGLE ADS

SOCIAL MEDIA

As with digital advertising, social media plays a more prominent role in a ballot campaign.

• Consider separate campaign social channels. This keeps your local’s social channel from coming to look like a campaign site. It also helps keep flame wars off of your page.

• Use channels to educate voters about stakes.

• Encourage sharing of your material by partners.

EARNED MEDIA

If you’re running the show, you will need a more well-formed news media strategy than in a candidate election.

• Identify a “communications” contact/committee to handle news media and earned media.

• Develop talking points, opinion pieces, letters to the editor and other materials.

• Reach out to sympathetic reporters, encourage stories spotlighting the issues.

• Show up at council meetings, pitch the issues you face.

• Consider a staged media event, involving your partners, elected supporters.

FIELD OPERATIONS

Local elections, especially ballot measures, can live or die on direct voter contact. Walk precincts every weekend of the campaign, concentrating on high-traffic areas or areas where likely supporters congregate. Techniques are same as with candidate campaigns – precinct walks, phone banks, text banks, GOTV.

WORKING WITH PARTNERS

Often times, you are asked to join a coalition being organized by someone else. As mentioned, often these days, it’s a local agency that is putting this on the ballot. Your first task, of course, is to ensure that the end result lines up with your objectives. Assuming that’s happened, there are some tips for how to be effective participants without selling your soul.

• Get involved early. If your local council or board is looking to put a tax measure on the ballot, you need to be at that table from the get-go to make sure fire gets its share. Usually they’ll come to you, but if they don’t, get connected through your friends. If they’ve hired a consultant, find out who it is and whether they are hostile to fire.

• Encourage polling. When cities and fire boards look at tax measures, they will often commission polls through their consultants. While these publicly-funded polls can’t test specific language, they can test voter attitudes toward their public services, taxation and many other critical interests. These polls can determine the likelihood of success and frame the debate. Best of all, you don’t have to pay for them.

• Where possible, be a team player. Once you decide to join in, try to do what you can, within the limitations of your resources. Obviously, the greater the impact on your members, the larger stake you have and the more you will be inclined to do. But ultimately, you want your partners to view you as constructive participants.

• Use your influence wisely. If you’re involved early enough, you can have a tremendous impact on how a measure is drafted and, thus, what it will do for your members. Negotiate effectively but remember always that it’s somebody else’s train you’re riding.

• Become part of the campaign executive committee. If there is a central campaign governing board, be sure you’ve got a seat on it. If not, do what it takes to make sure you are in the inner circle. Money talks – the more financial skin you have in the game, the more influence and control you have.

• STAY POSITIVE. You are the guardians of the firefighter image. The value of that image lay in staying positive. Do not allow your name to be used for a negative attack.

• Remind the campaign of the resources you have at your disposal. This includes CPF and IAFF campaign resources, as well as your group’s ability to turn out precinct walkers, etc.

• DOCUMENT EVERYTHING YOU DO. This is especially important if your local government leadership is involved in the race. You need to be able to show your city council how much you did, and when you did it. This will help carry through the campaign relationship.

Remember: In most cases, they need you as much as – if not more than – you need them.