2014 Midterm Recap: Study Up So You Can Start Preparing for 2015 Advocacy!

I’m sure you’ve been hearing a lot about the election results since polls closed on Tuesday.  In case you missed anything or got lost in the masses of news stories coming out, we’ve highlighted the key takeaways from the House, Senate, and gubernatorial races all in one place.

Major takeaway:  Republicans had a really good night on Tuesday.  They won enough seats to take control of the Senate back from Democrats for the first time in eight years and expanded their majority in the House.

More specifically, in the Senate…

• On Tuesday night, Republicans picked up 7 seats in the Senate previously held by Democrats (Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia).  They only needed 6 to take control of the Senate. 
• New Hampshire and Minnesota were predicted to be tight races and incumbent Democrats managed to hold their seats in both states.
• In Kansas, Republican incumbent Pat Roberts held onto his seat in what was projected to be a very tight race against Independent candidate George Orman. 
• Georgia held onto its Republican Senate seat in a race where many thought, prior to the election, it would go to a runoff.
• The Alaska Senate race has not yet been called, but Republican Dan Sullivan, is currently holding onto a slight lead over incumbent Democrat Mark Begich, so Republicans could pick up another seat in this state.
• Louisiana’s Senate race has been forced to a runoff, which will take place in December.  It will still be a tight race, but many are saying that Republican candidate Bill Cassidy is projected to beat out incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu.
•  Mitch McConnell managed to hang onto his seat in Kentucky over Democratic candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes.  He is expected to be elected the new Senate Majority Leader by Senate Republicans in January.
• A total of 34 states had Senate races this cycle.

Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives…

• All 435 members of the House were up for reelection this year.
•  Republicans controlled the House this past Congress, and while not all races have officially been called, Republicans have clearly increased their majority in the House by at least 10 seats.

And the Governors’ races?

• Races for governor took place in 36 states this cycle.
• Republicans picked up 4 gubernatorial seats from Democrats in Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts.
• Democrats only picked up Pennsylvania, with Democrat Tom Wolf beating out incumbent Republican Governor Tom Corbett.
• The race in Alaska is still too close to call, with absentee ballots expected to continue to trickle in for the next week to 10 days.  As of now, Independent candidate Bill Walker has a slight lead over incumbent Republican Governor Sean Parnell.

Regardless of your feelings about the outcome of this election, it's now time to start thinking about how to prepare your advocacy strategy for the 114^th Congress.  Stay tuned on our blog for some upcoming tips to begin planning your advocacy activities for the next month and the next year!

Election Day is Here! Have You Voted Yet?

Today is the big day…Election Day!!  Have you voted yet?  If you have, good job and congratulations!  Hopefully you’re proudly wearing your “I Voted” sticker for everyone to see.

If you haven’t made it to the polls, yet, it’s not too late!  Need to find your polling location?  Want to figure out how to register to vote at the polls and what documentation you need?  Check out your state’s Board of Elections website for all this information and more.  You can also check out CanIVote.org, an awesome site where you can plug in your state and they’ll bring you straight to your state Board of Elections site, so you don’t even have to take the time to run a Google search.

Bottom line, get out to the polls today and make your voice heard!  This is an important midterm, and with Republicans and Democrats fighting hard for control of the Senate, your vote really can make a difference.  In an election that’s still such a toss-up, it’s worth taking the time to stop by the polls on your way home from work today.  So find your polling location, go vote, and tell everyone you know to do the same!

Tomorrow is Election Day. What’s Your Plan to Vote?

Have you ever seen people walking around in past years with an “I voted” sticker and felt a little twinge of guilt because you didn’t have one?  I know I have.  Tomorrow is Election Day, and these midterm elections have everyone on the edge of their seats.  If Republicans win six seats, they can take control of the Senate, and races in key states like Arkansas, Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Kansas remain incredibly tight.

While there are always going to be some people who choose not to vote because they believe their vote doesn’t matter or because they don’t like any of the candidates, I really do believe our country’s relatively low rates of voter turnout stem from two primary facts:  (1) people have hectic schedules on Election Day, and (2) people simply aren’t aware it’s Election Day.

These days, between work, school, kids, family, and everything else we participate in or help out with, our time is both limited and valuable.  I, for one, know that breaking my daily routine can completely stress me out.  One simple way to be sure you’re ready is to create a clear voting plan for yourself on Election Day.  Block out an hour before work, during lunch, or after work to go vote and actually write it in your calendar.  Figure out ahead of time how you’ll get there and what information (like ID or proof of residence) you will need to bring with you.  Incorporating voting into your day as you would any other event outside your normal routine makes you much more likely to actually go vote on Election Day.

In addition to our crazed schedules, many Americans who would like to vote don’t do so simply because they forget it’s Election Day.  Living in Washington, it’s a little hard to imagine not knowing when elections are (seriously, people here actually make plans in advance to go to bars on election night to watch the returns), but for the rest of the country with lives that don’t revolve entirely around politics, tomorrow will be just any other Tuesday.  So, in addition to making your plan to vote, see if you can also remind at least three other people it’s Election Day.  Post a link to local polling locations on Facebook, tweet about how excited you are to vote, and tell your family and coworkers to stop by the polls as well.  Simply reminding people about the elections will help mobilize those who are want to vote but may have just forgotten.

Regardless of your political beliefs, this election is an important one, and getting people to vote, especially in states with tight races, will undoubtedly have an impact on the outcome.  So make your plan to vote tomorrow and tell everyone you know they should do the same.  And once you’ve done this, in addition to feeling like a proud, civically-engaged American, you’ll get to be the one walking around the office or the grocery store or down the street smugly wearing that coveted “I voted” sticker and making everyone else feel slightly guilty if they haven’t yet made it to the polls.

Episode 33 - Getting Out the Vote

Host Craig Price calls the Advocacy Hotline to talk to the guru, Stephanie Vance, about ways to get out the vote this election day.

This week’s question: What are some good strategies to get out the vote?

 

If you have questions about politics, advocacy or influence, be sure to email questions@advocacyhotline.com. Also visit Stephanie's website http://www.advocacyguru.com to learn more about how you can be a more effective advocate or how you build long-term relationships with legislators and their staffs.

Check out this episode!

Episode 32 - Choosing the Right Candidate

Host Craig Price calls the Advocacy Hotline to talk to the guru, Stephanie Vance, about ways to choose the right candidate for you.

This week’s question: what should we know about candidates for office before we go to the polls?

 

If you have questions about politics, advocacy or influence, be sure to email questions@advocacyhotline.com. Also visit Stephanie's website http://www.advocacyguru.com to learn more about how you can be a more effective advocate or how you build long-term relationships with legislators and their staffs.

Check out this episode!

Episode 31 - Engagement

Host Craig Price calls the Advocacy Hotline to talk to the guru, Stephanie Vance, about getting more engagement with your association.

This week’s question: what do you need to do to get people engaged with your association?

 

If you have questions about politics, advocacy or influence, be sure to email questions@advocacyhotline.com. Also visit Stephanie's website http://www.advocacyguru.com to learn more about how you can be a more effective advocate or how you build long-term relationships with legislators and their staffs.

Check out this episode!

Episode 30 - Associations

Host Craig Price calls the Advocacy Hotline to talk to the guru, Stephanie Vance, about the role of associations.

This week’s question: What do associations do and how can they help my cause?

 

If you have questions about politics, advocacy or influence, be sure to email questions@advocacyhotline.com. Also visit Stephanie's website http://www.advocacyguru.com to learn more about how you can be a more effective advocate or how you build long-term relationships with legislators and their staffs.

Check out this episode!