How to advocate during an election year
Part 1 of 3: an election year changes what government stakeholders can — and want — to engage on. Here's how to stay visible without misreading the room.
An election year changes the rules of engagement. Government and opposition stakeholders are focused on the handful of issues that will resonate with voters, and everything else moves down the priority list. Being present still matters — you just need to be sensitive to how limited everyone’s bandwidth is.
This is the first of a three-part series on advocacy through the election cycle. This post covers the run-up to the election; part two covers the caretaker period once the campaign is underway, and part three covers what to do once the result is in.
Stay visible, without asking for much
Keep engaging with both government and opposition MPs — not because you need something right now, but because you have something to offer. That might mean a ticket to a fundraiser, lunch with a staffer, or just a coffee. Small, low-pressure gestures go a long way during a high-pressure lead-up to an election. The one thing to avoid is going quiet. Staying visible now makes it far easier to re-engage once the result is known.
Start your red book/blue book thinking early
Government departments prepare a “blue book” and “red book” ahead of every election — briefing documents that support a smooth transition, whichever way the result goes. Getting your own version of this ready is one of the most valuable things a GR team can do during election year, and it’s detailed enough that it gets its own guide in part two of this series.
Consolidate what you’re seeing, in one place
As election day nears, MPs ramp up announcements and campaign promises across traditional media, social platforms, parliamentary speeches and the campaign trail. Watching it in real time matters less than mapping it to the right people and issues as it happens — that consolidated view is what makes your post-election engagement fast rather than reactive. A monitoring tool like Pulse keeps all of it in one place instead of scattered across your team’s inboxes.
Don’t forget the public service
As the election approaches, departments move into caretaker mode. Public servants can’t take part in political activity, but they often have more time to engage, just as MPs and their staff become harder to reach. That makes this a good window to build or strengthen relationships with your public service contacts — come prepared with a concise overview of your organisation and how your priorities intersect with their portfolio. Relationships built now tend to pay off after the election.
