Thank you!

This is a great starting list from @Doctor_Satan@lemmy.world to questions I had about running for office, because it does seem overwhelming:

Definitely good questions. I couldn’t find any “Beginners Guide to Running for Office”, so I sat up for a while chugging coffee and reading a whole bunch of local election board websites and other related sources, and this is what I came up with. This is by no means a comprehensive list or plan, but I tried to break down the main components of running for a local office in the most general terms possible, so it could be applied more broadly.

Preparation

Figure out which office you want to run for, where you think you can make the most difference with your skill-set in your community.
Research the responsibilities of the office you’re seeking. Attend school board or city council (or whatever) meetings to see how they operate. Take lots of notes or record it if allowed.
Identify key issues in your community, your potential opponents, and the demographics of your district.
Clearly articulate why you’re running and what you hope to achieve. This will be the foundation of your campaign.
Check your local election board for eligibility requirements like residency, age, filing deadlines, and paperwork.
    Here’s a portal to all state and local election offices - https://www.usa.gov/state-election-office
    Leon County, Florida Supervisor of Elections has a great breakdown that should give you a general idea of the necessary requirements, deadlines, and paperwork - https://www.leonvotes.gov/Candidates-Elected-Officials-and-Campaign-Finance/How-to-Run-for-Local-Office

Campaign Team

Campaign Manager: Appoint someone to oversee operations. Preferably someone with some political savvy and/or managerial experience.
Treasurer: Appoint someone to manage finances and ensure compliance with campaign finance laws.
Volunteers: Recruit a team of dedicated volunteers for canvassing, phone banking, and event support. The number of volunteers will vary, depending on the size of your campaign, but there’s no such thing as too many.
Advisors: Network with local community leaders and activists who share your vision, and listen to them. They have their ears to the ground, and can offer critical advice on what your community needs.

Campaign Strategy

Set a budget and determine how much money you’ll need for materials, advertising, and events. Focus on grassroots fundraising. This seems to be the most difficult part with no clear answer, so look into the campaign financing of previous candidates running for the same office to get an idea of how much it’ll likely cost.
Develop a clear, concise message that resonates with voters.
Identify your base and tailor your outreach to their concerns.
Map out key milestones like filing deadlines, debates, voter registration deadlines, and Election Day. Set realistic goals to accomplish by those dates.

Build Your Brand

Create a professional logo and a memorable slogan that reflects your values. Say what you want about Trump, but “Make America Great Again” and “MAGA” are a great slogan/logo combo. It’s simple, clear, and easy to remember.
Build a simple website with your bio, platform, and contact info. Use social media to engage voters and share updates.
Print flyers, yard signs, and business cards to distribute in the community.

Community Engagement

Knock on doors to introduce yourself and listen to voters concerns.
Show up at community gatherings, fairs, and town halls to build visibility.
Organize meet-and-greets, town halls, or fundraisers to connect with voters.
Seek support from local leaders, organizations, and activists to boost your credibility and visibility.
Volunteer at homeless shelters, food banks, and other places. Even just a day here and there can make all the difference. Engage with employees, customers, and residents about your campaign. Listen to their concerns, and offer viable solutions.

Fundraising

Focus on grassroots fundraising by asking friends, family, and community members for small contributions.
Set up a donation portal on your website and promote it on social media.
Keep detailed records of all donations and expenses to comply with campaign finance laws.

Messaging

Send press releases to local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations to announce your candidacy and major events.
Participate in candidate debates and forums to showcase your platform.
Post regularly about your platform, events, and endorsements. Engage with people in the comments.
Send postcards or letters to targeted voters highlighting your key issues.

Get People to Vote

Help eligible voters register before the deadline.
Encourage supporters to vote early or by mail if available.
Organize volunteers to remind voters to cast their ballots and offer rides to the polls if needed.

Again, this is by no means a comprehensive, foolproof plan. I didn’t include many resources, because requirements, deadlines, and paperwork all vary by state and county. These just seemed to be the most common points I picked up from a number of sources, and should at least give you an idea of how and what to research further.

Personally, I have no ambition to run for office because I’m already 50 and don’t want to add to the pool of geriatrics running this country. We need to hand the torch to young people. That said, I will help any way I can if someone younger wants to run. Speech writing, phone banking, logo design, or pretty much anything else, I will gladly offer my services for free.

Maybe try just running for local office. The people at your local government office will be more than willing to help you navigate the process, in my experience. Check with them and see what local offices are coming up on the next ballot. The time to register and get the ball rolling is now.

Absolutely agreed. First thing we have to try is to make the party reform themselves. AOC and Bernie have the formula already - the DNC needs a massive push. Like a concerted pressure campaign.

It's not going to be easy but fighting a lawless MAGA with Dems who seem to be stuck in 2012 would be much more difficult. At least now we have some hope because at least these two are out there building the support.

Not true. The system suppresses third parties. It doesn't stop them. Parties fall in the US just like everywhere else. When was the last time you spoke to a US whig? Or a Jeffersonian Republican? The system in place when those parties fell was exactly the system we have now. It just takes a massive popular effort and a period of severe political turmoil where the country is heavily divided along party lines and a large portion of the country feels entirely disenfranchised (ideally about a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 split between the two parties and people fed up or greater). Happened at the revolution. Happened at the civil war. Happened at the great depression. Guess where we are now? Don't let yourself fall for the lie that the party is eternal. We're on the knive's edge now. It's time to push

Despite what the media wants us to think, both parties are wildly unpopular with their own voters and are primed for collapse. Literally all of the conditions historically needed for social revolution have been met

I think this is probably the only time a whole third party could spring up. The heavy handed approach of oligarchs has caused this.

Reforming the party is the same as making a third one because what you're reforming is oligarch interests. Corpo Dems don't want that. That's calling for a party split

So did Trump. None took him seriously.

The Republicans are never going to lose again anyway. I am strongly suspicious of the outcome of the last election; there's enough evidence to warrant at least an independent investigation of the voting software in states with abnormal down-ballot voting. The Democrats no longer have a shred of power to pursue any opposition; they have that up when Kamala walked away from the discrepancies and Biden made no effort to investigate in his remaining time.

I do agree on principle that, with FPTP voting, you need to vote strategically for the least bad person who has any chance of winning. The game has changed, now, though. Republicans have stacked the courts and gerrymandered their states, ensuring no chance to investigate attempts to defraud elections. The Democrat party has been utterly impotent in combating this, and demonstrated an appalling incompetence at ensuring the the system remains incorrupted and uninfluenced by foreign interests. They've actively participated in Corporate influence with Citizens United and the Patriot Act. I voted Hillary, but fuck her for supporting that shit.

If there's a next election, and if there's a party with reasonable polling numbers comparable to the D party, I might vote for them. Otherwise, I'll vote D again.

But: the time to split or reform the party is now. Not at the general election, but now, while there's time to lay the groundwork and build momentum. Because overthrowing a dictator is going to take a lot of momentum, and the D party has none of it.

This is exactly the message. I'm certain that's what AOC's point was.

I think for name recognition and not scaring off Americans who run in fear from the s word, maybe it should be called the Progressive Party?

not with this level of education and apathy. you make a new party, for everyone who's heard of it, there's going to be a thousand who haven't, and even if they see your name on the ballot and like you they'll just vote dem because they're gonna think that's what they should do.

remember that Google search for "did Biden drop out" peaked on election day, lots of people found out only when they saw the fucking ballot.

I never said anything about this being insignificant. I just said go do it in DC. Shut the fucking city down with people