Elections ACT Factsheet – Campaigning

Introduction

As an elected candidate you will be a spokesperson for the students of your school. To be elected you will have to convince the students of your abilities, your commitment and your ideas.

• your school has a set of rules for elections you must abide by as a candidate
• a candidate can represent a party or stand as an independent

Parties

A Party is a group of people with a set of shared beliefs whose purpose includes the election of candidates to a representative body. Parties may have:

• a platform - a broad statement of the aims of the party
• policies - proposals for putting the party's aims into practice
• promises - commitments to take action if elected

Independent candidates

Independent candidates do not belong to a party and have an opportunity to formulate policy, platforms and promises on their own.

Advertising

Advertising is used to tell the voters what your promises are and how to vote for you.

Think about:

• fundraising - you may need to pay for your how-to-vote cards, posters and letters
• how-to-vote cards - to show the voters how to fill in the ballot paper with your name no.1
• letter drops - to tell the voters what you will do if you are elected
• posters - to remind the voters when the election is on and who to vote for
• meetings and rallies.