Can Voters in Safe Seats Influence Election Outcomes?

Absolutely! The exciting thing about our electoral system is that the power really is in your hands. You might be in a safe seat, but you never know what could happen on the big day. And there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the political process to help things go the way you’d like.

Let’s break down all the different ways people can get involved in this wonderful thing we call democracy.

Voting!

First thing’s first: if you’re in a safe seat, please vote! Even if it feels like you won’t get the outcome you want. Your vote has real power to help your preferred candidate, and there are plenty of benefits to voting for your preferences in the order you want to.

Make your vote count!

Volunteering

If you want to go above and beyond voting on the day, you might consider volunteering for your favourite candidate. Most candidates will have opportunities to get on board and help out with their election run. Some of these often include:

• Sticking a placard in your window or front yard
• Going door-knocking in your electorate (you can usually do this in groups with other people!)
• Jumping on the phone lines for your candidate to help promote campaign events and talk to voters about their policy platform
• Handing out how-to-vote cards on election day at a local voting booth

The best way to find out how you can help is by getting in touch with your favourite candidate’s office or team. Their website is usually the way to go with finding contact details.

Don’t feel like you need to know how to do any of these things before you do them – any activities a candidate has on offer should come with training. And never underestimate just how powerful it can feel to join a community of like-minded people fighting for the same outcome (it feels absolutely grand, trust us!).

Lastly: although there are usually more opportunities to volunteer for someone in your local electorate, there is nothing stopping you from volunteering for a candidate in a seat other than yours. That candidate in another state who you really want to get in? Reach out to their team and see what you can do to help!

Prioritise conversations with folks in your electorate

If you want to shift votes in your own community, consider whether there are opportunities to talk to your mates, co-workers, family, sporting team members – anyone you know – about the upcoming election and what’s important to you.

Maybe the people closest to you aren’t aware an election is coming up. Maybe they are but plan to vote the same way they always have. These are great opportunities to strike up a conversation about what’s important to you, and (if you feel comfortable) letting people know why you’re supporting the candidate you plan to vote for.

It’s also a great opportunity (nudge, nudge) to let them know about Build A Ballot and the ways we can help them do their research into candidates and parties, so they’re voting in line with their values on election day. WOOH! Informed democratic decision making!

Donate

Acknowledging the depths of this cozzy livs crisis we’re in, and that it’s a privilege to have spare cash to donate anywhere, let alone to political campaigns – donating is always an option IF it’s accessible for you.

You might consider donating to the campaign of the candidate you want to see win in your electorate, but you also might consider donating to other groups you consider politically engaged in the fights you want won (like to us, for example…). It’s up to you!

Either way, when donating we encourage you to look up the candidate, party, or group’s donation policy and whether they have any information on how they plan to use your money. Transparency is important, and you should know how your cash is going to be used!

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