2013/2014 Strategic Plan

A list of objectives and tasks for the 2013/2014 campaign season. Make updates at our piratepad.

2013

Aug 2013

• Research 2014 election requirements (Lucia)
• Research what qualifies as an acceptable signature & other ballot access requirements
• Get a list of the colleges in Mass. and what their requirements are to start a Pirate group - see this tool
• Identify dates and requirements for 2014 Town & 2013 City elections
• Divide Mass. into 27 districts
  • 3 districts per US Congress seat
  • 1-2 State Senate seats per district
  • ~6 State Rep. seats per district
  • Colleges in each district
• Look for people to bootstrap each district
• Make How to Party videos
  • What is the Pirate Party?
  • Meeting people
  • Talking about the Pirate Party
  • What are swarms?
  • Organizing & sustaining a Pirate swarm
• Develop draft platform / planks ("pirate nights" might help - as a way to get people together and start discussing platform)
• Prepare a solid media strategy
• Live stream our IPMs so that ppl in western Mass can "attend"

Sep-Oct 2013

• Start College Swarms
• Revise platform / planks
• Make How to Campaign videos
  • What type of campaign
  • Starting your campaign
  • Building your campaign team
  • Researching your issues
  • Developing your message
  • Getting on the ballot
  • Fundraising
  • Meeting with media
  • Developing campaign materials / advertising
  • Voter identification
  • Get out the Vote (GOTV)
  • Campaign clean up
• Create candidate recruitment web site that:
  • lists where we currently have candidates
  • allows someone to search for their district:
    • register as a candidate. Registration must include:
      • how many people have agreed to support a Pirate & how many Pirates are in their district
      • their contact info
      • that they agree to whatever minimum requirements we set
      • drops them into a "how to run" page that they can bookmark
      • sends them an email thanking them, and telling them where on the site to go to start planning their campaign
    • register to support a candidate
• Recruit candidates
• Train candidates

Nov-Dec 2013

• Update campaign website so people:
  • can upload their campaign literature designs
  • suggest issue research
• Recruit candidates
• Train candidates
• Hold College Tour
• Finalize platform / planks

2014

Jan-Feb 2014

• Start College Swarms
• Recruit candidates
• Train candidates
• Add planks for new issues
• 2/1 - Have identified our candidates for State Rep./Senate and ideally, US Congress
• 2/10 - Create campaign web site
• 2/11 - Nomination papers available
• 2/25 - Last day for candidates to enroll as Pirates to run for State Legislative offices

Mar-Apr 2014

• Recruit US Congress candidates
• Train candidates
• Add planks for new issues
• 3/1 - Have identified our candidates for US Congress
• 3/4 - Last day for candidates to enroll as Pirates to run for US Congress
• Hold College Tour
• 4/29 - Last day to deliver nomination papers for State Legislative candidates to cities/towns

May-June 2014

• Add planks for new issues
• Pirate Conference?
• 5/20 - Towns must certify nomination papers for State Legislative candidates
• 5/27 - Last day to deliver nomination papers for State Legislative candidates to Sec. of State

July-Aug 2014

• Add planks for new issues
• Plan Voter Id strategy and train campaigns
• Update dates and requirements for 2015 Town & City elections
• Candidates meet to plan what issues they will tackle as a group when they get into office
• 7/29 - Last day to deliver nomination papers for US Congress candidates to cities/towns
• 8/19 - Towns must certify nomination papers for US Congress candidates
• 8/26 - Last day to deliver nomination papers for US Congress candidates to Sec. of State

Sept-Oct 2014

• Candidates meet to plan what issues they will tackle as a group when they get into office
• Add planks for new issues
• Focus on Voter Id
• Start College Swarms
• Hold College Tour
• Start identifying candidates for 2015 Town Elections
• Plan GOTV strategy and train campaigns
• Plan Boston-area Election Day party

Nov-Dec 2014

• 11/4 - Election Day
• Campaign review conference
• Winning candidates:
  • revise what issues they will tackle as a group while in elected office
  • learn procedures for office holders so they are effective
• Hold College Tour
• Start identifying candidates for 2015 City Elections
• Write bills to propose for the upcoming legislative session

Notes

On dates

• Lucia spoke to Ramon at Bill Galvin's office July 17th at 3:30. Ramon will also send an email with this information to EMAIL REDACTED
  • local offices Check with each town
  • District and county offices: Party or "Non-Party" dates are the same. (State Rep is a district office.)
    • Nomination papers state wide will be available February 11th at the latest.
    • To run for state rep one must live in the given district for at least a year prior to date of election.
    • "Non-party" candidates must be unrenrolled (that is not enrolled as D or R!) by February 25th..
    • Papers must be certified by towns by April 29th.
    • Towns MUST certify by May 20th at the latest, and we have to collect the papers and submit to BG's office by May 27th. Seven days!
  • state & federal offices
    • Must be unenrolled by March 4th to run "non-party". Residency requirements depends upon office.
    • Have until May 6th 5 pm to get certified in each town.
    • Town has until 27th to certify and papers must be at Bill Galvin's by June 3rd.
    • For non-party July 29th certification and to BG's by August 26th

On signatures/ballot access

Legible, matches voter record (name, address), candidates for local office as well as our candidates for state/fed. office can take signatures from every MA voter. For Dems, only Dems. and unenrolled count as valid sigs. Same for GOP and other ballot qualified parties. I think this is covered in http://www.masspirates.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CampaignToWin.pdf