It’s Election Day. You’ve made it and now you’re helping to execute on get out the vote. The outcome is in voters’ hands now, but you still need to prepare for whatever happens tonight.
One of three things is certain to happen: you win, you lose, or we don’t know. Preparing for these certainties should not be left for the end of the night. In each case you’ll need statements, emails, texts, and social media posts. Take the time now to prepare these before polls close.
Plan For A Win
This will be the easiest content to write, but make sure you put your supporters, volunteers, donors, and voters in the spotlight. You wouldn’t be there without them. That’s why it’s important to get the news to them first, as soon as possible.
Someone who invested time or money into your campaign shouldn’t be finding out about victory from a third party. It’s good form to hold on anything until your opponent concedes.
If You Lose
Better to write this now and not need it than having to do it in the midst of your disappointment. Thanking your supporters is also key, but the blame and responsibility for the loss shouldn’t be shifted to anyone else (even if it’s true).
The worst move here is to go dark and stop communicating. Even if you didn’t win, you and your team worked hard and that deserves recognition.
Too Close Or Still Counting
With the expansion of mail-in voting, it’s getting more difficult to ascertain election outcomes on election night so you may find yourself in a case where you don’t know if you won or lost. You still should provide your supporters with updates about what you do know and set expectations about when they’ll hear from you.
If you know that election officials will stop counting at a certain time and resume in the morning, build your plan around that. Supporters will also be interested in learning what, if anything they can do to help, so have details about ballot curing and deadlines ready if applicable in your state.
Conclusion
Win, lose, or draw, tonight is the culmination of a lot of hard work on your part, but also from your supporters. After polls close, have clear plans in place to keep them updated on the outcome.