Your last few days

Sounds ominous, doesn't? Your last few days. Not on this earth, but on the campaign trail. The election is in one week. You know a lot, maybe most, of the electorate has voted. At least those of them that  will vote that is. Turn out is presumed to be low in these off-year, down ballot primary elections. But if the race is hotly contested, if there are many candidates, and if you are not leading in the polls by double digits (and frankly, even if you are -  anything can happen now!), this is no time to slack off.

Keep phone banking and walking those last precincts, or return to the ones you might have missed, or where no one was home. Plan your GOTV activities carefully. Know where all the polling places are located, and which precincts vote where. Make sure you get the list of consolidated precincts from your County Registrar of Voters, or City Clerk. Numbers do change, many precincts vote in the same location, and you want to be in the right place at the right time on election Day.

Line up your "yes" voters for last weekend calls, and to check the polling place on election Day. If they haven't voted, you'll need to call and remind them, gently, to cote. Even if they are absentee voters, they can walk their ballot in to any polling place (at least in California, if you are in another state,check your jurisdiction's rules), and they can mail their ballot right up to election day so long as they arrive in three days. Best to get those ballots in early, just in case.

Watch what the competition is doing. Any last minute attack ads that need to be addressed? Be prepared. If you have a few signs left over, plan to have some eager volunteers to "honk and wave" on election morning and commute time, to remind people "oh yeah, today's the day."

Plan a modest party on Election Night to watch the returns come in (most will be posted on line as they are counted) and thank your volunteers. If you make into the General election in the fall, you want these volunteers to be with you all the way. Make them feel special and appreciated.

Election Night Cookies - Yum!

Win or lose, if you've given it your all, you will feel rewarded for a job well done, new friends made, and groundwork laid for whatever you choose to do next.