A political campaign is a series of activities undertaken to support or oppose a particular viewpoint. In democratic societies, election campaigns are common, but there is also political campaigning on particular issues in non-democratic societies (for example, to protest the treatment of minorities). Often these campaigns are tied to a political party.
Campaigns have different responsibilities and jack-of-all-trade roles but, in general, they require project and budget management, fundraising, volunteer organizing, and voter engagement programs. The staff of a campaign is usually split into these areas, and typically the largest campaigns will hire two or three paid staff members to handle these responsibilities together: a campaign manager or general consultant handles the first set of responsibilities; a finance director or call time manager handles the second set, and an organizer or volunteer coordinator focuses on the third.
Candidates will often go door-to-door in their area and will have a stand on the high street or in a local community building. They will be happy to discuss their views with you and will ask for your vote. They might even host a public debate with other candidates, called a hustings, where you can attend to hear their arguments and see who has the best ideas for your local community.
Political parties will also put adverts on social media and in newspapers. It is important that these are clearly labelled so you know who is paying for them. They will also often have a manifesto that lists all their policies and priorities, which is published in the lead up to an election.
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