Campaigning During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Now more than ever, NALAF remains committed to providing New Americans and endorsed candidates resources to run and win during these unprecedented times. 


This page serves as a resource for candidates and campaign managers. All materials  listed are free and designed to meet the challenges our communities are facing during coronavirus. While this page is constantly evolving and more resources are added on a regular basis, we encourage you to reach out to us at info@nalaf.org, if you have any suggestions or additions. 

Campaign without leaving your couch! Tips for making digital campaigning engaging:

  • Ask questions online and allow people to answer. Stay tuned to the chat feature as people talk while you do.

  • Call out members and their comments and answer live. Videos can really spice up a call!

  • Share your screen, and play one to switch up who is talking and how. 

  • Also, you playing a video during a call might help those who are too intimidated to watch it on their own.

  • We highly recommend that you also jazz up calls with easy graphics and charts.

  • Simply share your screen and while you are talking, flip through slides, flyers or documents.

  • Gather your super-influencers into a team and use their connections to exponentially launch critical messaging fast in your district. 

  • To run a virtual fundraiser or rally, get someone who is a good emcee personality on your team and pair them with the candidate. Then, release the information about your broadcast to your audience, and promise fun. Booking a musician or promising a song or dance can really help your rally votes or raise funds.

Highlights & tips from our webinar “Campaigning During COVID-19”:

  • Up your digital presence. It's not a replacement for face-to-face contact, but it’s what we need to do to keep our communities safe in this time of social distancing (see our digital campaign tips section)

  • Start participating in mutual aid networks in your district

  • Do a community wellness check phone bank. Keep messaging positive and solutions oriented. Focus on how you are meeting the challenges with solutions, not what you can’t do.  

  • Field can still be a group activity! Phone bank or text bank together while on a video call. 

  • Recruit volunteers to write postcards for you, using a neighbor-to-neighbor contact plan. 

  • Become a resource for your community on COVID-19 and develop a resource guide for your community on how to access testing, food, unemployment, and other guidance.

  • Educate your community on how they can safely vote during the pandemic.

  • Consider no-contact lit drops using gloves and masks.

  • Translate up-do-date election information and get it out to your communities.

If you are a NALAF endorsed candidate and do not yet have access to a recap of our March 23rd webinar “Campaigning During COVID-19”, email info@nalaf.org, and we will share you on the Google Folder with the recording and presentation slides.

jon-tyson-GdczycaOnug-unsplash.jpg

Additional Resources

Explore resources from NALAF events and our partners.

Additional Research: 

  • H.R. 1 polling from Public Citizen and End Citizens United Action Fund

    • Even in the current COVID world, voters continue to care about political corruption and money in politics, ranking them as the top issues after health care and the economy.

    • Fully one-third of voters are not sure which party to trust more when it comes to dealing with political corruption and money in politics. Among independents, that spikes to 56 percent. Voters overall who do pick a side give Democrats just a 6-point advantage at the outset.

    • After respondents learn more about HR-1, Democrats move to a 12-point advantage on dealing with corruption, and make gains among independents on nearly every issue.

    • The full HR-1 package is equally as appealing as the individual components tested—dark money and voting rights—among Democrats and independents. Separating the issues does not strengthen the messages among key audiences.

    • If Democrats take up reform as a first priority in the next Congress, independents trust them substantially more to then work on issues like health care, taxes, & jobs/economy.