A common complaint from voters is that political parties only pay attention to “the people” ahead of an election. While that’s not a fair criticism of all political actors, it does tend to be true when it comes to the platform development process of political parties.
The Policy Generation and Implementation Cycle
Part of the reason why has to do with our election cycles. The period immediately following an election is about implementation if you win and retooling if you lose. It isn’t until the halfway point or later in an election cycle that the parties turn their attention back to voters and stakeholders to generate ideas for what should come next.
While stakeholder organizations often pay big money to lobbyists to catch the ear of elected officials between elections, politicians are most receptive to them in the period immediately before a campaign. They know that this is when active listening can pay off in the voting booth.
Three Major Elections
We’re now entering that second phase at the federal level in Canada as the parties put together their election platforms. The Liberal Party of Canada is in a unique position where its policies won’t be set until it selects a new party leader. That new leader could be forced into an election immediately or within six months, should the fixed election date hold.
While an election should be more than a year away in Ontario, the sitting premier continues to muse about calling a snap early election. And though Toronto’s mayor was only elected in a by-election a short time ago, more than half of that position’s original mandate has already concluded, meaning the mayor will face another election next year.
Having the country, its largest province, and its largest city all headed to the polls sometime in the next 20 months means this is a golden opportunity for advocates to catch the attention of political leaders and their staff. Politicians and staff at all levels are actively looking for ideas they hope will get them re-elected.
Getting the Advocacy Ball Rolling
Organizations that are on the ball politically are already putting together their pitches. This week, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) launched a non-partisan pre-election advocacy push called “Vote like your quality of life depends on it.” The campaign advocates for increased municipal funding, for the Province of Ontario to pull its weight in addressing issues like the housing shortage and homelessness, and for more investment in municipal infrastructure. It’s a really effective campaign and expertly put together.
Before Christmas, I worked with an environmental organization to prepare their election pitch to parties for the upcoming federal election (whenever it takes place). They had done a lot of the leg work already but were looking for an experienced political eye to provide feedback on how to make their ask as effective as possible for partisan audiences. Doing this work before an election is called will put them at the front of the line when it comes to getting the attention of political parties.
Election Advocacy Approaches
There is still time to influence the platform development process. When I served as one of the primary authors of an election platform in 2022, we started writing three months before the election was called and did not finalize the document until hours before its launch.
Few people outside of partisan politics (and often within it) understand the complete policy process. While a lot of input is taken from voters, stakeholders, and party members, only a handful of people make the final decision on what goes into the final document. And that decision is often made at the very last moment. Which means there’s almost always more runway to be heard.
Organizations looking to make an impact during this election cycle should put together a wish list of items they would like to see governments prioritize in their next mandates. They should follow this with a rollout that communicates this wish list to party decision-makers and the voting public alike. The rollout doesn’t need to be expensive or robust.
Here are some examples of what an election advocacy rollout could include:
- A single-page handout highlighting the wish list
- A broader policy document (2-10 pages) establishing a narrative on key issues
- A questionnaire for political parties on key issues, whose answers you can publish
- Social media graphics highlighting the wish list
- A landing page or micro-site making the case for the wish list (ex: AMO)
- An op-ed to run in local or national media
- Supporter kits that include key messages, social media assets, lawn/event signage, etc.
Ahead of the 2019 federal election, I worked with a group of environmental organizations who wanted to make that campaign all about the climate crisis. We used a number of these tactics and made a plan to deploy them over the course of the campaign. By planning ahead, we were able to break through the election noise and win significant earned media attention. That election, more than any other in Canadian history, was a climate election.
During another recent election, I got involved with Basic Income Now, a campaign effort by major advocacy organizations whose shared mission is to establish a basic income in Canada. While this group deployed all of the examples above, the one I remember the most was the campaign’s signage. I saw it pop up countless times in my own riding in people’s windows and on their lawns. The more visible an organization becomes, the better chance they have at influencing political decision-makers.
Getting Started
To learn how Lightbulb Narrative can help your organization ahead of upcoming national, provincial, and municipal elections, reach out to us at solutions@lightbulbnarrative.com. We love this kind of work and would love to help you advocate for a better world.
Theresa Lubowitz is the owner and founder of Lightbulb Narrative. She has over a decade of experience delivering high-quality strategic advice and communications support to leaders in government, business, and the non-profit sector.