ABSTRACT
Your elections department is a great resource, and the personnel who work there are your allies. The department is listed in the phone book under “elections” or “county government.” These are the staff people who actually run the elections, but they are there to help candidates as well. Call the director of elections and make an appointment to meet him or her. In large counties, such as mine, there is a separate staff member for candidates. That woman was invaluable to me when I ran. Candidates may not always be easy to deal with, as they are highly visible while constantly under pressure. The elections department staff is prepared to deal with all the personalities and issues that they encounter, because they want elections to run smoothly for the candidates as well as the voters. If you start your campaign early, the elections staff will have more time for you, before they have many other candidates to deal with.
