The elections are over, and you won. All of those months, or even years, of ground work have paid off.
The elections are over, and you didn't win this time. You’re feeling slightly frustrated in the beginning but you’re confident that the best is yet to come.
No matter which of the above scenarios describes you, should you just stop your efforts right then and there and go home, or do you keep campaigning?
Surprisingly, many people choose to stop campaigning after the election is over. Since voting is done, they think their job is done too.. However, this could not be further from the truth! The work has just begun. This blog post will discuss why you should continue campaigning even after elections.
The people need to know you're still there for them!
Though your opponent may not be a threat, you must keep campaigning for the people. The people need to know that you are still there for them and that you have not forgotten them just because the campaign is over. You need to show them that you are still fighting for their cause and still working on ways to improve their lives.
Only by continuously campaigning can you hope to achieve these goals. So don't give up, even if the going gets tough! Make sure to invest in a Citizen Relationship Manager (CRM) to continue making regular contact with your supporter and donor database, and even go door to door to convince new people to support you. It's never too late!
Work on keeping your reputation high!
Even if you enjoyed the public's favor and won the election, you need to remember that constant work on your reputation is very important. The public has a short memory, and though you were fairly elected now, your reputation may decrease as time goes on, due to some mistakes, anti-propaganda, or a whole load of other things.
Continuing a campaign helps keep the positive image of the politician. It also allows you to show your constituents that you still care about their concerns. You need to show them that you are not stuck in one place after election results and that your hard work continues. So keep organizing phonebanking and door-knocking actions (canvassing apps like Qomon are particularly helpful with this!), because there's still plenty of opportunities to win ever more support and grow your voter base!
What if I told you there was still hope?
Another reason you should keep campaigning even after the elections are over is that there is always a chance that the state could overturn the election. If your candidate lost by a close margin or even if they won but not with enough votes to form a coalition, then the election could be overturned. In which case, it would be essential for you to keep campaigning so that your candidate has a lower chance of winning.
Even if the election is not overturned, the new government may be unpopular. If that's the case, it might be necessary to launch a campaign to remove them from power. Either way, it's important to keep campaigning so that you can ensure that the government is democratically elected.
Is the battle over for your competitors?
One of the main reasons you should keep campaigning even after the elections are over is because your opponent is still there. Some people may have decided to vote for you this time around because they were not fond of the other options, but it is time to secure that relationship.
In the meantime between elections, you should strengthen the relationship with those already committed to your party and build new ones with those undecided/leaning voters who gave you a shot. It is time to prove to them that they were right when they decided to trust you with their vote. Voter relationship software programs can be great for managing these relationships with your voter base, so consider investing in one during your time in office!
What about new elections?
Well. You lost or won the battle this time. But no one (usually) is elected forever. Your country will hold different elections almost every year, and you need to warm up the necessary audience for that. No one will be ready to vote for you if you keep silent throughout the next 3-4 years and suddenly appear just before voting day.
Also, you need to show your opponents that you are actively preparing for the next elections. Remember that your opponents will not take you seriously if you give up now. By continuing your campaign, you aren’t letting your opponent ‘off the hook’ by letting them go unchallenged throughout their time in office. You need to show them that you are committed and that you will not give up even if you lose one battle.
The campaign must go on!
All in all, there are many good reasons why you should continue campaigning even after the elections are over.
Remember, it's all about the journey, not the final destination. Win or lose, you need to ensure that you have done your best and fought for what you believe in. So keep up the good work, and never give up!
