Candidate's Support Services
Every candidate needs the following support services.
Mailing List Twitter Discord
Training, a web site, announcement and discussion email lists, curated access to the voter database, voter registration data import and ballotpedia data export, social media content, a Zoom account, a branded online store, secure social media access, secure online group voting, and help with video creation. We need a funded organization which is legally allowed to provide such services.
Candidate training: covers why it is important to run, local or national races, engaging allies, state laws, registering with the secretary of state, raising funds, book keeping, and reporting, creating a web site, selecting software, WordPress, Ghost, Nation Builder, Green Maps, Mailman, Discourse, Loomio, and other platforms. Local, state and national voter databases, segregating voters into voters, fans, supporters and volunteer.
Web Site: Every declared candidate needs an instant web site, where they can securely add and edit content. Same for local parties, same for state parties, even ones which have closed down (Kansas?), or are out of date. And not just in the US. A global web site should link to national web sites which should link to state web sites, which should link to the local candidates and parties. In 2020, 139 out of 188 Green Party candidates did not even have a web site. While the corporate funded parties can afford to hire a developer for every candidate, the progressive grass roots parties a better solution.
Discussion Lists: Mailman list server is brilliant software, literally perfected over decades. But it requires a large expensive server to run. Some central organization should provide such services free to those who need it. While we are at it, we could also offer Discourse and Loomio hosting.
Announcement Lists: Candidates also need announcement lists.
Data. One candidate complained that gp.org locked up their database of state voters, in order to generate funding for their employees. And that the Howie campaign also refused to share their database for that state. Every candidate should have controlled access to the database of local, state or national voters to send out such announcements. They should get free services, but then be required to contribute back their data, under agreed terms and conditions.
Voting Software. Elders caucus's secret vote counting was ridiculous. Really we need to provide each group with something like Loomio, which has reasonably trusted voting software. There must be other similar packages.
Data Import: Many states have voter registration lists we should be importing and sharing with candidates.
Domain Name: Every declared candidate should get their own sub domain, until such time as they get their own top level domain.
Data Export: We should export the data to sites like BallotPedia to make sure that they list all of the Green Candidates.
Zoom Account: We should provide a zoom account to those who need it.
Secure Social Media Access: Frequently individuals are granted access to a social media account, they then change the password, and post whatever they want. We should provide secure access, so that the infividual can post, but not change he password. Twitter already supports this.
Donations Page: Every legally registered candidate should receive an instant donations page, much like the Democrats have Act Blue. This should be elegantly integrated into their web site.
Online Store: Every progressive group should get an instant branded online store, drop shipped, and filled with products. And they need the option to add additional products to their store.
Curated News: Since the media censors us, we need to become the media. A great way for candidates to get attention is to pubhish curated newsletters. All quite easy to do.
Mastodon Server: Trump and the republicans have Truth Social, based on Mastodon, we progressives need our own social media servers, ones without censorship. It is easy to do on Digital Ocean, but it does cost $25/month for a 4 GB server.
Election Results: Every candidates should be able to log in, and update the results of their election as soon as they know. Won/Lost and optionally what the vote totals were. If they fail to do so, the state party, or even a national person should be able to log in and update the data
With GreenMaps.US, I already provide a national map, state maps, and local party and candidate instant websites. But I have reached the limits of what I can do alone. Time to create a legal organization and work with others. Please join the email list, or join the Discord server.
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This Map is a volunteer effort, separate from the Green Party.