Manitoba Stronger Together

Campaign Planning, Compliance & Practical Readiness

Purpose:

This worksheet helps you evaluate whether you are actually ready to run a lawful, organized, and sustainable municipal campaign — not just motivated to do so.

This worksheet is for your own use unless you choose otherwise.

Section 1 — Early Preparation & Readiness

1. How early did you begin preparing seriously for this election?

☐ Less than 3 months out
☐ 3–6 months out
☐ 6–12 months out
☐ More than a year out

How has this timing helped or hindered you?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. Which areas do you feel most prepared in?
(Check all that apply.)

☐ Understanding the role
☐ Understanding local issues
☐ Legal awareness
☐ Personal time management
☐ Emotional readiness

Which areas need more attention?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Section 2 — Registration, Rules & Verification

3. Do you know exactly where and how to register as a candidate in your municipality?

☐ Yes
☐ Somewhat
☐ No

What information do you still need to verify?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

4. When you are unsure about a rule, what is your instinctive response?

☐ Ask an official source
☐ Ask someone who has run before
☐ Look online or on social media
☐ Guess and move forward

Which response best protects you and your campaign?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Section 3 — Pre-Registration Discipline

5. Which pre-registration activities do you feel most tempted to rush into?

☐ Public promotion
☐ Advertising
☐ Fundraising
☐ Organizing volunteers
☐ None

Why could rushing this step create risk?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

6. How confident are you in clearly distinguishing preparation from campaigning?

☐ Very confident
☐ Somewhat confident
☐ Uncertain
☐ Not confident

What would help increase your confidence?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Section 4 — Campaign Financing Awareness

7. How comfortable are you with campaign finance rules and record-keeping requirements?

☐ Very comfortable
☐ Somewhat comfortable
☐ Uncomfortable
☐ I need more guidance

Which aspects concern you most?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

8. How likely are you to accept “help” without clarifying whether it counts as a contribution?

☐ Very unlikely
☐ Somewhat unlikely
☐ Likely
☐ Unsure

What steps will you take to avoid accidental violations?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Section 5 — Team, Planning & Discipline

9. Do you have a realistic plan for who will help you — and in what roles?

☐ Yes, clearly
☐ Partially
☐ Not yet

Which roles are still unclear or unfilled?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

10. How well does your current campaign plan fit your actual time, energy, and financial limits?

☐ Very well
☐ Somewhat
☐ Poorly
☐ I don’t have a clear plan yet

What adjustments are needed?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Section 6 — Public Presence & Momentum

11. Which public-presence tools do you feel pressure to adopt — even if unsure they help?

☐ Signs
☐ Social media
☐ Video
☐ Website
☐ All of the above

Which of these genuinely supports trust rather than appearance?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

12. How comfortable are you saying “no” to supporters or volunteers when ideas don’t align?

☐ Very comfortable
☐ Somewhat comfortable
☐ Uncomfortable
☐ I tend to avoid it

Why is this skill essential?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Section 7 — Election Day & After

13. Have you thought about how you will conduct yourself on election day — regardless of outcome?

☐ Yes
☐ Somewhat
☐ No

What does “grace under outcome” look like to you?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

14. Are you prepared to transition immediately into governance — or back into civic life — without bitterness or triumphalism?

☐ Yes
☐ Mostly
☐ Unsure

What mindset shift may be required?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Final Reflection

15. What is the greatest practical risk to your campaign right now — legal, organizational, or personal?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

16. What one action can you take in the next two weeks to reduce that risk?

____________________________________________________________________

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Closing Note

Campaigns fail quietly long before they fail publicly —
usually through fatigue, shortcuts, or assumptions.

This worksheet is not about perfection.

It is about preparedness, discipline, and responsibility.