Welcome to the 2024 Election Readiness Center, where you can find resources to help you stay on top of the policy conversation, understand lawmakers’ priorities, and lock in policy wins both before and after the election.
Election years present an extra challenge to public affairs teams. Before the big day, the election dominates much of the conversation, and it can be difficult to direct advocates’ and even lawmakers’ focus to the issues moving in the legislature. At the same time, it’s crucial to prepare in advance for any potential shifts in party control so that after the election you can spend your time building relationships with incoming officials.
In other words, election years mean public affairs professionals have more to get done in the same amount of time. The resource linked below, the Election Prep Playbook, will help you build a smart, cross-departmental plan so that you can continue to drive policy change throughout the year.
Stakeholder mapping is relevant to every team during an election year. Federal and state lobbying teams need to understand where the locus of power has shifted, which lawmakers champion their priority policies, and who they need to build relationships with. Grassroots teams face the same task, but they also need to map lawmakers’ relationships with their advocates.
Running a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) program for employees or members is a common and impactful way for organizations to promote civic engagement. They typically involve educating the audience about the importance of voting, helping them register or checking if they’re already registered to vote, and providing information about where and when to vote.
What benefit does a GOTV program have for you? GOTV programs boost employee morale, enhance your brand image, and show advocates that their voices are important. They allow organizations to participate in elections in a nonpartisan way—by providing resources for voting, organizations can encourage voters to take part in the democratic process without necessarily advocating for a specific outcome.
People—whether they’re your advocates, your employees, your members, or even consumers—look toward the organizations they are members of to provide accurate information about the election. A thoughtfully-planned, multi-channel GOTV campaign will allow you to not only support people in exercising their right to vote, but also educate them about your organization’s mission and goals. Watch the video to learn more about how to plan a successful campaign, so you can start having an impact now.
Much of federal affairs hinges on building relationships with officials, understanding lawmaker priorities, and positioning your organization as an issue expert. Those tasks are just as pivotal during an election year—especially after November, when organizations across the country will be scrambling to understand where party control has shifted, who the new faces are, and what issues may be newly prioritized or deprioritized.
To stay effective before and hit the ground running after the election, you need to get organized. The below resources will help you understand where to focus your energy now, plus how to size up and engage with new lawmakers when the time comes.
Many eyes are on the presidential election, but that doesn’t mean state level campaigns—or legislating—slows down. The 2024 election will decide 11 governorships in addition to legislative races in 44 states. According to the National Council of State Legislators, that’s 78% of the country’s state legislative seats that are up for election (excluding special elections).
Facing stiff competition from national-level election news, state lawmakers up for election will be looking for ways to show their impact on the state and the community. Keep this in mind when you’re reaching out with a policy ask to state lawmakers who are up for reelection. For example: can you accompany your ask with a site visit and a photo opportunity?
You can take a slightly different tack when engaging with state lawmakers who aren’t up for reelection. They will have more bandwidth to move policy forward, so make sure you’ve identified these lawmakers, understand your relationships with them, and understand their policy priorities.
When crafting your post-election engagement strategy, plan to proactively share information about your issue areas and your impact in each lawmaker’s state or district via a policy reputation calendar. This can help position you as a resource to new state lawmakers from the outset, and start your relationship off on the right foot.
“[It’s] extremely important to make sure that people not only focus on federal, but also focus on other branches, like state and local. Because at the end of the day if you’re not going to be able to maneuver in the federal space, there’s an opportunity to move within the state space… These local races are becoming national.”
— Raul Alvillar
Government Affairs Principal, Porter Wright
Election years are of prime importance for PACs. Much of the country is paying more attention to politics, and that includes members of each PAC’s eligible class. With more people focusing on the election, PACs can get their message out and tell their stories. They can host more events, receive more contributions, and pay out more disbursements. Ensure you’re positioned to harness the moment to make an impact in 2024 and beyond with the below resources.
Michael Kennedy increased his organization’s PAC participation by reaching out to and working with employee resource groups. Their strategy:
Getting prepared for the election will always be easier if you have the right tools for keeping track of information, relationships, and tactics. The following solutions can help you accomplish your pre- and post-election goals and stay as prepared as possible.
Understand lawmaker priorities and stay ahead of the curve with immediate alerts for new policy and dialogue that matches your issues. Connect with all the right lawmakers, staffers, and officials thanks to Quorum’s built-in contact directory.
Easily track state bills and regulations, engage with officials, and report on team efforts across all 50 US states and territories.
Move the needle in every municipality. Track meeting agendas and minutes for council, committee, and board meetings for local governments and school districts across the country.
Never let a stakeholder fall through the cracks again. Save contact information, engage, and report on interactions all in one place with the Quorum’s public affairs CRM.
See the full picture of your grassroots, GOTV, and public affairs efforts. Build a stronger, more engaged community to move people and policy—all with user-friendly tools that let you stand up a campaign in minutes.
Raise more funds, disburse more strategically, and ensure compliance with Quorum’s industry-leading PAC solution. Grow your PAC with peer-to-peer functionality, professional services, and built-in solicitation tools.
