Questions to Ask Yourself before Volunteering for a Campaign

A resident of York, South Carolina, Maurice Leverne Huggins works in child protection services. When not at work, Maurice Leverne Huggins gives motivational talks to youth and volunteers at political events.

If you are thinking of volunteering for a political campaign, the first step is to find one that suits your skills and interests. To do that, you have to consider these questions:
- How much responsibility are you comfortable handling?
- Are you geographically flexible?
- How much time will you be devoting to the campaign?
- Do your values align with those of the candidate in question?

If you have little political volunteering experience but want plenty of responsibility, opt for a small campaign, possibly at the local level. Larger campaigns have larger teams in which it will be tougher to secure senior positions, whereas small campaigns are more accommodative of newcomers, making it easier to rise in the ranks.

If you are geographically flexible, you can support a candidate from a different county or state. If not, work on campaigns closer to home.

However, even with local campaigns, mobility is an issue. Would you be okay traveling with the candidate, canvassing the county or municipality, and doing fieldwork? Or would you prefer to work from the campaign’s headquarters?

Time is another critical element. Volunteer work at a campaign is not payable, so your participation will depend highly on how much free time you have to give outside of your professional roles and family engagements. Join campaigns that give you the flexibility to participate part-time if you have full-time work.

Finally, volunteer for candidates whose values mirror your own. You can read about candidates’ values on their campaign websites. It is much more fulfilling to campaign for someone you believe in. 

How to Get Involved with Political Campaigns and Voter Outreach

A case manager and human services specialist with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Maurice Leverne Huggins supports children and families by assessing risks and taking steps to improve their safety and overall well-being. Outside of her work, Maurice Leverne Huggins enjoys volunteering for political events, and served as an assistant campaign manager in a recent sheriff's race in South Carolina.

As people become interested in politics, they might wonder how to get involved in local level campaigns even if they have only a small amount of time to offer. Campaign volunteers often ease into the work by signing up for a door-to-door canvassing shift or calling prospective voters to raise awareness about the candidate, a job called phone banking. Campaigns often provide printed pamphlets for canvassers and scripts for phone bankers, so volunteers can begin by just reading information aloud until they become more comfortable speaking about the candidate or issues.

If you aren't interested in working on a particular candidate’s campaign, you might consider volunteering for election-related work by joining a voter outreach organization, such as a local chapter of the League of Women Voters (LWV). Community engagement organizations like LWV help register voters, host debates among candidates, and work to educate voters about certain ballot initiatives.