Winning – A Practical Guide
Kansas Democrats are more unified than ever --- and candidates are filing across the state. We aim to break the GOP super-majority in Topeka and strengthen Governor Laura Kelly’s hand against extremism.
Winning takes work.
To sustain and elect these candidates on November 5th, it will take practical, smart work. This is where YOU come in.
Some practical steps to helping Candidates Win:
Share Your Politics & Values
Kansas nice and Democratic bashfulness – habits that are deeply ingrained. But pushing outside the comfort zone is the nicest thing you can do --- let the progressives in your family, friend and professional circles know you stand strong.
Time to get some steps in. (photo by Phil Scroggs on unsplash)
The right wing in Kansas never hesitates to push their views in the public sphere, acting as if they speak for all Kansans. It can be hard to recognize allies unless we all say something.
Be open about expressing approval for Medicaid expansion, public schools, reproductive freedoms, LGBTQ rights, and conserving our social safety nets. Find ways to let your nieces and nephews know your values. Crosspost political themes in your Facebook or social media. Put up a yard sign for Democratic candidates, regardless of what the neighbors down the street think.
Push a little further than you might have before.
As you identify those in your circle that share your progressive values, make a point of being their voting buddy. Speak openly about voting and ask them about their plan to vote. You would be amazed at how many of our fellow citizens didn’t develop the voting habit —- you can be the inspiration.
(Resources: The Voter Network for Kansas)
Make a Modest Donation
Republicans look to corporate PACs and special interests to underwrite their campaigns.
Democrats have a different engine – the grassroots. Democratic candidates are regular people. They are giving their time to make a difference They have expenses.
You do not have to be a big spender – the type of contribution you would make to a charity works in politics. You can give one time or set up for small monthly giving through election day.
Donate online – your candidate most likely has an Act Blue account.
If not, an old-fashioned check and the US Mail will work just fine. (Be sure to put your address, phone, email, occupation and employer on the check or in a note —- they’ll need that for reporting purposes)
Knock Doors and Make Calls
There, we said it.
Knocking on doors and making phone calls. These are the proven ways to make connection with voters. This is what your candidates are making plans to do --- and they need volunteers.
Voter contact is called the “Field Program” and is critical to success.
Candidates have examined their districts and calculated a “Win Number” - the number of votes they believe they need to secure victory. They have broken down their district into precincts and target voter groups and made goals for each.
Campaigns are looking to make contact with three groups:
(a) Active Democrats with a history of voting and making contributions --- the Early Supporters
(b) Persuadable Voters, who might swing our way once they know the candidate better; and
(c) Registered Voters who are likely to support Democrats but don’t always feel the urgency to vote. Getting their attention is called the “Get Out the Vote” Drive (GOTV).
Campaigns have a natural cycle.
Early Supporters are already being called. The Persuasion Phase will be the priority from June to September, while GOTV is the aim from August to Election Day. Candidates with a contested primary will get to do a quick version of this cycle by August 6th.
(Resources: Kansas Democratic Party, including Candidate Portal and Vote Builder Training; National Democratic Training Committee.
Hesitations
You may have some hesitation about jumping in. You are not alone. A few of the most common:
(a) No Democrats are running where I live. Democrats are running in more districts across Kansas than ever before. Contact Us if you’d like a tip on where to look. Phone calls, donations, and online support can be offered from anywhere. Weekend events may be just a short drive away. As we make connections, we grow the party - and make 2026 even brighter.
(b) I am not good at talking to people – is there something else I can do? Yes, there are other tasks for volunteers: event organizing, data management, social media, delivering yard signs and sending postcards. Whatever you can do, please offer. If you can do these tasks and stretch yourself to make some calls or walk some neighborhoods – even better.
(c) I won’t know what to do. Every volunteer has their first go at it. Most of the volunteers you meet will be new to this as well. Your candidate should welcome you, train and support you, and keep it as easy as possible.
(d) My uncle Tony is a serious Trumper - I don’t want to deal with that nonsense. Guess what, neither do we. Persuasion helps us find the people we can already bond with over basic values. Lists are built to focus on the target audience. We knock and call where it will do good - to get votes, not arguments. When we run across MAGA, we politely say good day and move on.
Democracy works when we work. Kansas Democrats have a chance to make a difference in 2024, just as we did in 2022.
Candidates await.
This volunteerism guide prepared by the Food and Farm Caucus with the aim of supporting our 2024 Democratic candidates across Kansas.