Want to help decide who controls Congress this year? Here’s what to do in California
Getting involved in a political campaign usually takes only one click.
Click to give $5 to a candidate’s effort. Click to sign up to help explain to people how to register to vote. Click to aid Democrat or Republican parties.
The California primary is June 7. To vote, you must be registered by May 23, though you can register to vote on primary election day. Mail-in ballots will be sent to every registered voter in early May. The top two vote-getters for each office will move on to compete in the general election Nov. 8.
Voters will choose candidates for a dozen state executive offices, including governor and lieutenant governor. Also on the ballot are U.S. senator, member of Congress, state senator and Assembly members, plus a long list of local offices.
Among other important decisions, these elections will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the United States House of Representatives after 2022.
If you care about a certain party or candidate assuming office, or are simply passionate about voter participation, there are a series of steps that you can take to mobilize yourself and others.
Here are five ways to get involved right away:
Help a political party
The state’s Democratic Party has a page where you can sign up, and promises someone will get back to you shortly.
The state Republican site is somewhat more specific about your potential activity. It asks if you speak other languages and if you’d like to be a team leader. And it asks if you’d like to join a coalition.
GOP spokeswoman Ellie Hockenbury explained that by checking coalition boxes that interest you, party officials can help select what sort of opportunities and events are available to you.
“For example, if we are having a young Republicans phone bank night in your area, we have the information of who had an interest in that coalition as a great lead,” she said. “If you check the ‘women’ box, we may reach out to you to volunteer for some of our great women candidates in your area.”
If you don’t check a box, a field staffer in your area will contact you for other opportunities to help, which may include phone banks, door knocking and voter registration.
People can also call volunteer organizations and political parties, but be warned: When you call, you’ll probably get a recorded message. They’ll call you back, but using the Internet is a lot more convenient.
Help a candidate
Helping individual candidates takes a similar route. Go to their campaign website and see what aid their team is asking for.
For example, one of the states’s most hotly contested primary races is in the 3rd Congressional District. The district includes the counties of Placer, Nevada, Mono, Sierra, Inyo, Plumas and Alpine and parts of Sacramento, El Dorado, and Yuba.
Among the candidates:
▪ Republican Kevin Kiley. His site has a tab at the top of the website for volunteers. The site says people are needed for “calling, texting, knocking on doors, and much more.”
▪ Republican Scott Jones. Go to the “get involved” tab on his website. It suggests supporters can volunteer at home or at the headquarters.
▪ Democrat Kermit Jones. Click on the volunteer tab on his website and the campaign says it’ll offer several opportunities to get involved.
▪ Democrat David Peterson’s website has a form at the bottom of the home page where people can sign up to volunteer.
Give money
The easiest way to give money is to pull up the website of your favorite candidate or political party. Most have on their website’s front page boxes you can click to donate.
Click on the state Democratic Party site and the boxes appear. You can give as little as $5. Click on the state Republican party site and then click on “contribute.” A new page will come up with boxes that invite you to give as little as $25, but a blank box allows you to give less, or more.
If you want to give more to a party or candidate, remember there are limits.
It’s complicated, so check the Federal Election Commission website for details.
Organize social media initiatives
Getting the word out about candidates’ platforms, timing of elections and party agendas could impact who shows up to vote. Social media is a breeding ground for ideas as more and more people turn to platforms like TikTok and Instagram for information.
Generally, the more you post, the more engagement you get. Using entertaining videos or captions that resonate with a wide audience can attract people to a candidate or idea.
Gather a group of people to share, like, subscribe and comment on your posts about a party or candidate to spread information quickly. Follow a candidate’s social media pages for examples and share their message to your network.
Start a school group
Bolstering political engagement on your college campus can encourage students to vote. And it can sway peers in the direction of a candidate.
Join one of several national and state groups or start a chapter of one. Or, create your own group entirely.
The College Democrats of America have chapters throughout the U.S., including California, that register students to vote and encourage both activism and participation in government.
The California Young Democrats, which engages people aged 13 to 35, has over 100 chartered clubs across California.
The College Republican National Committee has a form to connect students to their nearest chapter. People can join the group’s Volunteer Strike Force for its grassroots campaign network.
The California College Republicans have chapters across dozens of schools. The organization has a form to start a new one if a school is not on the list.
This story was updated at 9:47 a.m. Pacific Time on May 11, 2022, to include a social media video.
This story was originally published May 8, 2022 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Want to help decide who controls Congress this year? Here’s what to do in California."
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