Introduction
Managing the Political Resources Program is all about being adaptable and having an exceptional understanding of voter values. Unlike many programs, Political Resources deals with multiple projects, which may be related by nature, but are not related in process or policy. Early in the year, you may be trying to update rosters and get contact information for city or county officials, but as we approach the election you may be working on ballot measures and voter registration. The point is, as a manager of the Political Resources Program, you are tasked with managing multiple projects at one time, which presents some challenges.Managing the Political Resources Sub-Department
One of the first qualities every staff member in the Political Resources Sub-Department should understand is the body of work the sub-department is responsible for. Understanding this will help keep the sub-department well organized and prepared for juggling upcoming updates as well as a few other more regular tasks. Below is a list of general tasks the Profiles Sub-Department is responsible for:
1. Maintaining our database of localities by updating their website, votes, finance, and committee urls.
2. Maintaining our database of local officials by using locality and other 3rd party websites to update rosters of officials, their districts, leadership, and contact information.
3. Updating voter registration information on an annual basis.
4. Finding and entering ballot measures for every state election.
5. Updating local election offices on an annual basis.
2. Maintaining our database of local officials by using locality and other 3rd party websites to update rosters of officials, their districts, leadership, and contact information.
3. Updating voter registration information on an annual basis.
4. Finding and entering ballot measures for every state election.
5. Updating local election offices on an annual basis.
Prioritization of Political Resources
One responsibility of staff managing Political Resources research is prioritizing the various projects under its jurisdiction. Given Political Resources is frequently a “when time allows” project, prioritization of the time spent ensures that the program is managed and projects are completed in an orderly fashion.The priorities for working through Political Resources are as follows (these priorities are for both election and non-election years):
1. Voter Registration information.
2. Ballot Measure information.
3. Local Election and State Campaign Finance Offices
4. Political Party information.
5. City/County Officials.
2. Ballot Measure information.
3. Local Election and State Campaign Finance Offices
4. Political Party information.
5. City/County Officials.
Managing City/County Includes, but is not limited to
- Every other year, update cities covered based on revised population estimates.
- Update the URLs of localities on a yearly basis
- Make sure each localities' roster and officials' information is updated at least once a year, and in accordance with that localities' elections. Updates should focus on those city/counties which Just had an election or will have an election in 1 year - do not update city/counties that will have elections in the near future. This would be a waste of time, since the officials will likely be changing sooner than we can update those lists.
- Add localities, offices, and districts as needed
- Track vacancies and monitor for roster changes
- Maintain and monitor tracking sheets
- Report on progress to your supervisor on a weekly basis
