Are you standing for election in the Union Congress elections? Here are some tips to get your electioneering going
“In my opinion the most important thing is to tell your coworkers and as many PAM members as possible that you are standing for election”, Javanainen says. Photo: Timo Aalto
Kaisa Javanainen, who was successful in PAM’s previous Congress elections, tells how she became one of the top ten vote-winning candidates.
Kaisa Javanainen’s 3 tips for Congress candidates:
1. Use your networks at work and in your own time.
2. Be yourself.
3. Boldly start discussions, even if you’re a bit nervous.
Kaisa Javanainen, who has worked at the Veljekset Keskinen department store for almost 16 years, was one of the big vote winners in PAM’s previous Congress elections in 2015. She has since retired, but is happy to share with this year’s candidates the recipe that brought her large numbers of votes:
“I mentioned the Congress elections and voting whenever I was with people employed in PAM sectors, both at work and in my own time”, she says.
Javanainen comes from Alavus. As a resident of a small locality she naturally got opportunities to have a chat with friends and neighbours when she was out and about.
But bringing up the subject of the Congress elections wasn’t easy for Javanainen either, even though she had close-knit local networks. That’s why she attended the candidate training session that PAM organised in Seinäjoki, which gave her a confidence boost for her electioneering.
Persistence paid off for Javanainen, who says that face-to-face discussions with friends, coworkers and people you know are the key factor for success in an election. In her talks Javanainen noticed that many people were unsure what the Congress is and what decisions it takes. So when starting a conversation, she says it’s a good idea to sense whether the person you’re talking to knows what the Congress is.
Having pointed out to your listener that the Congress is important, voting in the elections begins to seem more real. Although Javanainen usually met with a positive reception during her campaign, there were some negative reactions too. But you shouldn’t be put off by these.
“I can see that it isn’t everybody’s thing. If that happens there’s no point banging on about it. It’s better to move on”, Javanainen advises.
“The main thing is to be yourself and be easily approachable. And it’s worth putting some effort into advertising, if at all possible”, Javanainen continues.
How do you reach voters?
1. Update your details in the Congress election candidate gallery, which opens for candidates on 4 March.
2. Think about where to advertise your candidacy, who to and how.
3. Study the list of tips for candidates, where you’ll find tips for making a good advert and a list of free programs to help you get the most out of making candidate adverts!
4. Tell as many people as possible that you are standing. Your closest coworkers, friends and family members are the easiest place to start!
On the PAM Congress website you will also find all the key dates of the Union Congress, information on the progress of the elections and much more material that will come in handy in your election work.