The Cost of a Campaign

How much does a campaign cost, anyway? 

Direct mail is a must for local candidates. 

Benjamin Katz, blogger for CompleteCampaigns.com, says the going rate for winning a campaign is about $3 per voter. "Many campaign professionals recommend communicating with each potential voter six times," said Katz, meaning each contact costs 50 cents.

Candidates can reach out to voters in several ways, but the most effective are usually direct mail and door-to-door outreach. Each requires some printed material for voters, which adds up over time.

Yard signs are another expensive tool. 

Another big expense for campaigns is yard signs. Ben Donahower, author of Everything You Know About Campaign Signs Is Wrong, suggests multiplying the number of voters by the voter turnout and then dividing that number by eight to estimate the number of signs needed for the campaign.

To give you an idea of how much campaign materials cost at the local level, consider the two bloggers' equations for Adair County.

Adair County had a voter turnout in the last presidential election of 68% - which leaves us with an estimated 12,000 voters for this election. That means that at $3 per voter, a candidate hoping to reach every single voter would need to raise $36,000.

Of course, candidates realize they don't need to contact each and every voter. This number just gives us a rough idea of how much a campaign can potentially cost.

Thoughts or questions about these numbers? Let us know by leaving a comment below!