Elect a motorcycle-friendly candidate

Campaign season is a crucial time for candidates running for office. It is when candidates turn to you, the voter, to help get them elected. The best way to make a difference in the election process is to become informed, volunteer and vote. By volunteering your time and effort for candidates who support motorcyclists, you take an active role in protecting the future of motorcycling.

Donating a few hours of your time and encouraging your fellow riders to do the same could make all the difference the next time a motorcycle-related issue is considered. Local races and special elections will especially benefit from your involvement because they typically do not turn out a lot of volunteers or voters, so a little effort can go a long way.

As a campaign volunteer, you chose how you support a candidate and how often. Volunteering can be fun and rewarding. Listed below are additional tips, suggestions and information you can use to become an effective campaign volunteer and help elect motorcycle-friendly candidates.



Register to vote

Elections are determined by individuals who show up and vote. The best way to protect the motorcycling lifestyle is to vote regularly. The riding community needs informed voters like you to support the elected officials who pledge their support for motorcycling. If you are not already registered to vote, please click here and follow the four simple steps to register today. Your vote does count and you do make a difference!

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Identify motorcycle-friendly candidates

Want to know where federal candidates stand on key on- and off-highway motorcycle-related issues? If you are an AMA member, log into the Members Area to find out how they responded to the AMA’s Legislative Candidate Questionnaire. If you are not yet a member, click here to join now or call (800) AMA-JOIN (800-262-5646) for details. To access election information and a list of candidates running for statewide or federal office, click here. To see our friends in Congress, click here.

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Establish a relationship with candidates

The best way to influence motorcycle-related issues is to build positive relationships with elected officials before you need their help. The most effective time to build these relationships is when they are candidates, so get involved and volunteer for their campaign! It can be as simple as offering your knowledge and expertise should the candidate want a rider’s opinion on an issue, educating a candidate on motorcycle-related issues and the local riding community, or even helping deliver yard signs. Simply put, volunteering on campaigns for motorcycle-friendly candidates will help promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling.

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Word-of-mouth promotion

Positive word-of-mouth is a great mode of promotion. Simply talk to your friends and family about motorcycle-friendly candidates, and explain how important it is for the riding community to have friendly elected officials in office. You can also utilize social networks (such as Facebook and online discussion boards) to help get the message out and remind those to support the candidate with their vote on Election Day.

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Host a meet and greet

Want to get to know a candidate or learn where they stand on motorcycle-related issues? Host a club or group meeting with your friends and family and ask the candidate questions that are important to you in a casual and friendly environment. Use this opportunity to educate the candidate on motorcycle-related issues and offer yourself as a resource. If you like what you hear, volunteer to help their campaign. Helping a candidate when they need support is invaluable and will be remembered.

If you are interested in hosting a meet and greet, contact a candidate’s campaign office. If possible, try to identify how many guests will be attending, some general dates that fit your schedule, and a location where you would like to host the event (such as your home or business). If you support the candidate, ask those attending the event to volunteer on the campaign with you. Pick a day and an activity, and invite your friends to join you.

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Write a letter to your local newspaper editor

Write a short letter to the editor explaining why you support a candidate. This is free publicity and can shed light on an issue some voters have not yet considered. Some campaigns can provide you with talking points or draft letters to help get you started. For tips on drafting a letter to the editor, click here. To find and contact local or national media outlets, click here

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Administrative help

Campaigns need all the help they can get, and no task is too small. Stuffing envelopes, greeting supporters when they visit the office, and delivering yard signs are all tasks that need to be done. Volunteering 30-60 minutes of your time can make a significant difference in the outcome of the election. The more time you can volunteer, the better.

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Make phone calls

If you enjoy talking to people and are comfortable on the phone, this might be a good volunteer task for you. The campaign will provide a short script and a list of identified contacts to call. Scripts typically focus on a single issue, and ask only a few questions. If you get in a conversation with someone who does not share your values or does not like the candidate you support, remember that it is OK to respectfully disagree. Thank them for their time, and move on. Your energy is better spent elsewhere.

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Volunteer on Election Day or the final week of a campaign

Ask a campaign in advance what they need assistance with on the final day or week. Some activities may include driving voters to their poll locations, displaying yard signs on populated streets, and calling or going door-to-door to already identified supporters and reminding them to vote. Election Day is the final push for candidates, and any help you can contribute could influence the election outcome. Election success hinges on which campaign can turn out the most voters, especially in local races, where the winner can be determined by a single vote. Volunteering a few hours during the final day or week could result in electing a motorcycle-friendly candidate to office.

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Make a financial contribution

Financial contributions may not be as personal as volunteering, but, financial resources are a campaign necessity. No donation amount is too small and any amount is appreciated.

Typically, candidates offer fundraising events that provide an opportunity to meet the candidate as well as make a contribution. Every opportunity to meet a candidate is the perfect time to inform them of motorcyclists’ issues. If you need motorcycle-related information to help support your message during a meeting with a candidate, contact the AMA’s government relations department and let us know what you need by e-mail at grassroots@ama-cycle.org. We are here to help.

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Material distribution

Yard signs

Yard signs help build candidate name recognition and display visual support to onlookers. Help promote a candidate by putting a sign in your yard or in front of your business, encourage your friends and family to do the same, and/or help distribute signs to other supporters. Campaigns appreciate help in delivering yard signs to supporters who are unable to pick them up. In some communities, campaign signs are allowed to be posted on public land, such as high traffic medians, and on the sides of freeways. Check with the campaign office to verify appropriate locations.

Attend local events

Use already organized events as an opportunity to promote a candidate by distributing campaign materials (such as fliers, stickers and brochures) outside the event gates or in the parking lot. Community events can be county fairs, sporting events, parades, festivals, farmers markets, etc. Most campaigns have a list of local events, but they also appreciate suggestions.

Literature drops

Literature drops are the act of placing campaign material, usually a one page flier, on the front door of homes or businesses in your community. This is a great task for folks who enjoy being outside or do not feel comfortable speaking with voters.

Door-to-door

This task can vary, but it usually entails knocking on doors in a pre-identified neighborhood and asking the residents questions off a short script or handing out information and offering to answer any questions they may have about the candidate. Most campaigns will provide volunteers with candidate information or encourage you to take down names, phone numbers and questions so the campaign can follow-up. Volunteers are not expected to know everything, and most residents understand that.

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Campaign structure

Political campaigns have a lot of moving parts, and therefore, need a lot of help from staff and volunteers. Smaller campaigns typically rely on friends and family of the candidate, while larger campaigns hire staff and recruit volunteers. The structure of a campaign can vary; however, most tend to have the following positions:

  • Campaign manager: oversees the campaign
  • Scheduler: arranges a candidate’s agenda
  • Volunteer coordinator: recruits, trains and organizes volunteers
  • Treasurer / fundraiser: maintains accounting records, solicits contributions
  • Press secretary: communicates the candidates message

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Be an effective volunteer

When volunteering on a campaign, remember to always be polite. You are representing the candidate and the riding community. If you get in a conversation with someone who does not share your values or does not like the candidate you support, remember that it is OK to respectfully disagree, and move on. Your energy is better spent elsewhere. Never badmouth the other candidate(s). You cannot predict who will win the seat, and the riding community needs to have working relationships with all elected officials.

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Volunteer!
Contact AMA’s Government Relations Department Grassroots Team
grassroots@ama-cycle.org