Yes! And I think it’s worth taking every chance you get to do so. This will be much more of an online Election than any of our past Elections, but there is a human connection that comes with meeting people face-to-face, which can build trust far more quickly than any amount of online campaigning.
According to the official candidates’ guide, there will be a Meet the Candidates event at Beau Sejour on Sunday 20 September at Beau Sejour. Get that date in your diary now, and watch the Elections website for more information.
You might be invited to various hustings events. These will probably take a very different format to previous hustings – it isn’t going to be possible to have a hundred candidates sitting at a table, taking turns to be quizzed by voters. But it will still provide an opportunity for you to engage with voters on a subject of interest.
I think the only hustings being advertised so far is the GDA’s Disability Hustings, which will take place on the evening of 16 September. Look out in the media (traditional and social) for other hustings being announced over the next couple of weeks. When you have formally submitted your nomination, you will probably receive formal invitations to all sorts of things, but if you can spot them coming up sooner, you can plan that time into your diary.
There has been a general assumption that parties might also organise their own events for voters and candidates to meet, which you’ll probably take part in if you belong to a party.
Even if you are standing as an independent, there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider organising events of your own (if you have the time and budget to do so), or grouping together with a few other candidates to do so.
(If you can’t fit in a face-to-face event of your own, but you want to do something, what about doing some kind of Q&A session for voters via livestream, and recording it so other people can access it later?)
Finally, there is always the option of going door-to-door. I don’t think that can be the main part of your campaign this time around – there just isn’t time to reach enough voters that way – but it can be a really positive part of it, if you’re able to fit it in.
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