Making Afterschool an Election Issue
Get Candidates on the Record
It is important to ask candidates about their position on afterschool. This is your opportunity to get the candidates on the record and an opportunity for the candidates to express their views. Asking the candidates questions about afterschool in public settings will help to make it part of the political conversation and get candidates to take a formal stand on the issue (when typically they might not have afterschool policy written up as part of their platform).
If a candidate goes on record as being supportive, it will help you hold them accountable after the election. You can also use candidates’ responses to a survey to share an objective view of the candidates with afterschool supporters. For example, re-printing candidate responses—and noting who did not respond—can show advocates who the real afterschool champions are without the survey organizer taking a side.
