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How
many times have you heard the story of a community losing a transit
election despite polls that show the vast majority of people support
public transit? One of the
most difficult elections to win is a transit tax election.
Between 1998 and 1999 there were 29 transit elections of various
types nationwide. Eighteen failed. However,
in 2000, 70% of similar referenda passed (see chart).
What is turning the tide in favor of transit? First and foremost,
campaigns are getting smarter and campaign leaders are following some
basic principles.
Each
election is different. Campaigns
to support transit programs with rail systems are different than all-bus
election campaigns. Communities
which already have successful transit programs need a different campaign
strategy than communities without a long history of transit support.
However, there are some basic principles that apply to all transit
campaigns:
Focus
on winning. Simple, right?
Too often, people confuse planning the best transit system with winning an
election. Opponents often
know little about transit; but they do know how to win elections because
they understand which negative issues resonate with the voters.
Transit supporters must do a better job of understanding what
voters want from their transit system; but they must also be able to
answer the question every voter asks, “What is in it for me?”. That is
why the next principle is critical.
Survey
early and often. You must know what the public is thinking, not only about
your plan, but about all the issues which might impact the election. In Tempe, Arizona, for example, early polling showed that the
community loved bus pull-outs. But transit operations people hated them.
The plan that ultimately went to the voters had numerous bus
pull-outs and the election passed with a 54 percent majority.
Raise
funds early. Adequate funding is critical to a successful election.
In many campaigns money comes in too late to purchase television
and radio spots, both of which need long lead times.
It is also critical to know the fund raising laws, which can differ
from state to state. The
amount of funding needed for a campaign will depend on the size of the
community, the campaign approach to media buys and many other variables.
However, whenever possible, fund raising should begin six to nine
months before the money will be needed.
Keep
it simple! Despite all the publicity surrounding an election, most people
will make up their mind on how to vote during the last week of the
campaign. A confused voter is a no vote, so the wording of the ballot
must be clear and simple. Remember: The majority of the people you are
asking to approve funding for a transit system will never use the system.
Again, your communications strategy must answer the question,
“What’s in it for me?” Of course, the answers are numerous and could
include the importance of choice, or economic development, or
environmental protection, or something as self-interested as “getting
other people out of their cars so I can drive faster.”
Use
the three keys to a successful election. These three keys are similar to a
three-legged stool: take one
leg away and you will stumble or fail.
The keys to success are:
·
Finding Champion(s)
·
Employing Professional
Political Consultants
·
Developing Grass Roots
Support
Champions.
These are the people in a community who are household names with
credibility and have nothing to personally gain from the success of the
election. Ideally, you will
have many champions but it is critical that a well-known public figure
leads the campaign. Ideally,
champions are not currently serving elected officials who would have to
put their political futures on the line.
However, in cities like Charlotte, North Carolina, and Phoenix,
Arizona, voters overwhelmingly approved new transit taxes with seated
mayors and councilmen as the strongest
champions.
Professional
Political Consultants. To win
an election you should secure professional help; it is sure that your
opponents will. The best team
is a combination of local consultants who know how to win “issue”
campaigns in the community and “outsiders” who have won transit
elections in other jurisdictions. The
key is experience with issues: transit campaigns are very different than
elections to public office. You are selling an idea, not a person, and in
most cases, it is an idea with which relatively few people in the
community are familiar. As important as hiring the right consultants is
listening to them. Too often campaign committees, which by their nature
attract strong-willed and opinionated individuals, overlook or undervalue
the advice of their campaign managers. It is the job of the consultants to
incorporate the experience and influence of the local leadership into a
campaign strategy that reflects local values and tested techniques.
Grass
Roots Support. Successful
elections are built from the community up.
Neighborhood groups, the business community and community
organizations like the League of Women Voters should be involved in
creating the plan, not just selling it. Grassroots initiatives can be time
consuming and messy, but the communities that have tried to take shortcuts
have failed. There is nothing harder than building grassroots support
after you’ve snubbed the community and failed with the first ballot
attempt.
Even
if you follow all the keys to success, there is a good chance the transit
election will not pass the first time.
Transit election issues are complex and it is easy for opponents to
succeed with a “no new taxes” message. Therefore, there is one final
ingredient that every successful election must have…a little luck!
Alan Wulkan is a Senior Vice President and
Transit Program Area Manager with Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade &
Douglas, Inc. He is nationally recognized for his work on legislative
issues affecting the transit industry and speaks to local and national
audiences on transportation issues. Alan can be reached at wulkan@pbworld.com
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