Running a successful ballot initiative
Jim Borghesani is the communications director for the Yes on 4 campaign, which successfully pushed for legalization of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts. Contact him at jim@regulatemass.com.
10. Test your message. Focus groups will help you determine if the starting message is the strongest message. Effective messaging involves creativity and science.
9. Buy advertising time as early as possible. Booking TV and other media time early gives you the best value for your dollar, as time gets more expense later in the cycle.
8. Line up effective surrogates. Think about your audience, and bring in surrogates who reach them. If your key voter base is young suburban mothers, make sure you have young suburban mothers as surrogates.
7. Localize your surrogates. Newspapers and radio stations like to have local residents speaking for or against an issue. Try to line up a surrogate for every media market.
6. Build a three-week closing plan. The public and the media home in on campaigns in the three weeks before Election Day. Have your story lines and best pitches ready.
5. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of collecting signatures. Ballot initiatives only move forward if they get enough signatures. Hire a firm or make sure your volunteers are trained and coordinated.
4. Create a coalition. Find as many organizations, groups and notable individuals as possible who are willing to lend their name and efforts to your initiative.
3. Utilize social media and keep content fresh. Facebook and Twitter are excellent message-delivery platforms. Apps like Hustle and Snapchat can help turnout, especially among younger voters.
2. Pitch letters to the editor and opinion pieces. Encourage volunteers to submit these to their local papers. Having a template of desired messages helps.
1. Don’t get tripped up by technicalities. Initiatives are scrutinized by the attorney general’s office. Make sure to stay within constitutional bounds and don’t go beyond the scope of your primary goal.
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