The Forge

Guides worth running on.

Plain-English answers to the questions candidates actually ask, written by the team that builds campaign websites for a living. No fluff, no jargon, no gate.

Vote Here sandwich board sign outside a polling place

July 19, 20269 min read

How to Run for Local Office: The First-Timer's Guide

A step-by-step guide to running for local office for the first time: filing, your Win Number, message, fundraising, door knocking, and GOTV, with free tools for each step.

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard

July 19, 20267 min read

What Makes a Good Campaign Website? 9 Things That Actually Matter

The 9 elements every effective political campaign website needs: a clear why, a donation link that works, speed, SEO, email capture, 10DLC compliance, and full ownership.

Political yard signs planted along a roadside

July 19, 20266 min read

How Much Does a Campaign Website Cost in 2026?

What political campaign websites really cost in 2026: template builders vs. custom builds, hidden monthly fees, what drives price, and the questions to ask any vendor before you sign.

Sheet of red, white, and blue I Voted stickers

July 19, 20265 min read

When Should You Launch Your Campaign Website?

The right time to launch a campaign website, working backward from your announcement and filing deadline, and what to put online before you're ready to go public.

Lawn signs on a residential street during an election campaign

July 19, 20266 min read

The Door-Knocking Kit: What to Wear and Carry When You Canvass

Everything a candidate or canvasser should wear and carry for door knocking: shoes, clipboard, lit bag, power bank, blister care, and weather gear, plus the field habits that make the miles count.

A cozy stack of well-read books on a table

July 19, 20265 min read

The 5 Best Books to Read Before Running for Office

The five books worth reading before you run for local office, from Catherine Shaw's The Campaign Manager to the field experiments in Get Out the Vote, and what each one actually teaches.

Vote Here sign with an election official outside a polling place

July 19, 20265 min read

Election Day Supplies: The GOTV Checklist for Local Campaigns

What to buy before the final 96 hours: poll greeter gear, volunteer comfort supplies, charged phones, and the logistics that keep a get-out-the-vote operation running all day.

Prefer tools over reading?

The Run for Office hub has the free Win Number calculator, the launch checklist, the 17-page Campaign Starter Kit, and the full gear list. All free, no gate on the tools.