Presentation from Sylvia Bishop and Pam Swanigan

• Democracy is threatened (in Delta, all committees that can have public input all gone, Delta council meetings are twice a month and are at 4pm, we see around the world, voter suppression and low voter turnout).
• Candidates who run should have a “fire in their belly”, a reason to run. 
• Having a reason to run is more important that having a reason to win; in the act of running, democracy is promoted, otherwise democracy is degraded.
• It is better to focus on what you would get out of running than what you would get out of winning. You are not only more motivated to run, and more likely, you will feel more gratification no matter what the outcome is.
• When preparing to run, make a list of friends, acquaintances, professional contacts, anyone who can donate and help you with jobs and can donate their time and support.
• Check electionsbc.ca  and delta.ca for rules about getting nominated,  rules for fundraising, rules for spending, etc.
• You can run a campaign for as little as $0. There is no part of the process that requires the candidate to pay fees. The money to operate a campaign can come from donors, solicited and unsolicited.  The money can be used it to run several newspaper ads (helpful and expected, but not actually necessary), make a bunch of lawn signs, and print hundreds of flyers. You should aim to raise $10 000 but please  check the limits as to what you can spend according to electionsbc.ca rules. Build a budget for your spending.
• Candidate must be aware of the issues in all three Delta communities.
• Use social media and online ads.
• Must be a good listener, be willing to find out more and then follow up.
• You need time to run a campaign, and you need to have good time management skills.
• When knocking door to door, ask are you happy with where you live, or is the current council on the right track?