Results are In: Thinking about Running for Local Office Workshop is a Success

Citizens who decide to run for a local office may often find the process to be confusing and demanding.  For this reason, Penn State Extension and county elections supervisors created the Thinking about Running for Local Office program,  which was presented in 19 counties in January and February 2011. The workshop was designed to make information available to citizens interested in running for positions in townships, boroughs, cities, and school districts.

The workshop has three components: an overview of local government, an informational session on filing requirements and tips for candidates which was run by a county elections supervisor, and a panel discussion with first-year officials.

A post-workshop evaluation was completed by 325 of the 432 citizens who participated in these workshops.  From their responses we can see that a majority of participants found the information they received very helpful.

"This was terrific.  I ran for office in New York state four times and held a town board seat and informational meetings like this were never available for candidates.  This has been a super experience."

The evaluation asked participants to provide feedback on their understanding of six different topics, both before and after completing the Thinking about Running workshop.  In all six, there was a significant decrease in "poor," "fair," and "average" responses and a significant increase in "good" and "excellent" responses.

"Before the workshop I had no idea what it took to run.  Now I have a guide, some knowledge, and know where to get help..."

When asked which aspects of the program were most useful, a majority of the survey respondents said the presentation materials were the most helpful.  Many reported that hearing about the experiences of current local officials was the most effective feature.  Other respondents listed petition information and organizational tools such as mailing lists and timelines as the most useful.

Overall, workshop participants found the information useful - about 92 percent of survey respondents reported that the program met their expectations.

"...I am a former elected official and it was spot on."

Thinking about Running for Local Office will be held again before the 2013 municipal primary elections.

written by Alyssa Bender