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Electoral Advocacy Tips

Easy Ways You Can Raise Your Voice for Kids
Before and After the Election

Before the Election

1.  Find out who the candidates on the ballot in your area are and what offices they are running for.  Contact your local County Clerk’s office go to the Government Accountability website.

2. Visit candidates’ websites to see if they have taken positions on the issues you care about.

3.  Invite candidates to visit your program or community. Set up a meeting with local candidates to talk about the issues you’re most concerned about.  Prepare for the meeting by outlining your top issues, why the candidates should be concerned, how the issue affects people in the district, and what you hope the candidate will do when he/she is elected. Please email Sabrina Gentile if you would like more assistance in planning your event.

4. VOTE! Be an informed voter and vote regularly. One of the first things many elected officials do when they are contacted by a constituent is to check to see if that constituent is a voter. If you are not a voter, your advocacy messages may not have as much impact.

After the Election

1.  Contact your elected officials and urge them to support these children’s issues – You can contact the Governor and legislators by email, phone call or attend office hours.  Pick the issue that is important to you.  Speak from the heart and share your story with them.  Find out who represents you at http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx or call 1-800-362-9472.

2.  Sign up for the Wisconsin Council and Children and Families’ action alerts or e-newsletters so that you can stay updated as legislation or state budget items related to  advocacy priorities progress.  WCCF will let you know when statewide public hearings on the state budget are being held so you can attend and speak publicly about the advocacy priorities you feel most strongly about.  

3.  Add your elected officials to your newsletter mailing list – Let them learn about what your organization does, the people you serve, the successes you’ve had and the challenges you & your clients and community face. Click on these links for Assembly and Senate Email Directories.

4. Get to know your legislators’ staff – Let them know you can serve as a local resource on the issue you care about. View staff as your allies and the “gatekeeper” to getting information to the legislators. Click on these links for Assembly and Senate Staff Email Directories.

5. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper – Be concise, tell a personal story.  Try to stay under 250 words.  Legislative staff read daily and weekly papers regularly.

6.  Join with others – Join a campaign, recruit friends and co-workers, connect with a statewide group that works on your issue.  It only takes TEN (10!) constituents calling or emailing on the same issue for a state legislator to pay attention.

Download WCCF handout “Elect Candidates for Kids”. WCCF’s 4-page electoral advocacy piece containing much of the same information presented here in pdf form.

Download WCCF "Legislative Advocacy Guide". A new WCCF publication that has everything you need to know about how to advocate on your issue to your legislators and Governor, including information on public hearings and the state budget process.

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