Candidate Interactions
Circle members have asked about how to interact with candidates during this election cycle.
So here are a few things to keep in mind:
The Policy Circle is an educational 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and cannot as an organization from endorse candidates and make financial contributions to campaigns. This means that the member-only website cannot be used to endorse candidates or for fundraising.
However, Policy Circle women have a mind of their own and are encouraged to express their support for candidates as individuals, just not in the name of The Policy Circle.
As outlined in The Policy Circle’s Core Principles and Membership Agreement, The Policy Circle member-only website should be used for education on candidates and the issues. The membership website cannot be used to publish fundraising events, candidate endorsements or to solicit members to advocate on specific legislation.
Candidate Interactions
First find out who are the candidates in your district and engage with those candidates as individual citizens. Ballotpedia.org is a great resource to learn about all the candidates in your area.
Circle members have a unique opportunity to learn more about the candidates who are running to represent them. For example, Policy Circle members can invite candidates to participate in circle meetings and take advantage of the roundtable discussion model to express their view and hear about the candidate’s perspective.
Additionally, circles can share educational information about election activities involving candidates. For example, Policy Circle women can post an event from their circle page inviting multiple circles to an upcoming candidate forum.
What can I post on The Policy Circle website about candidates?
Posts and events that inform and educate on election activities are permissible such as:
- Mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 6 for Election Day!
- Candidate[Name] for the state legislature will join our next Policy Circle discussion
- Meet Candidate [Name] to discuss Artificial Barriers to Growth
Posts and events that direct any level of support for or against a candidate are prohibited:
- Come to an event in support of candidate [Name]
- Join me in voting for candidate [Name]
If you ever have a question about whether a post acceptable to publish on The Policy Circle website, please contact The Policy Circle beforehand.