tips on raising your and and asking

“As a citizen, you need to know how to be a part of it, how to express yourself – and not just by voting.”

Sandra Day O’Connor

Tips on Raising Your Hand -- and Asking the Right Question

The best preparation is to assume the elected official or candidate (including elected officials who are running again for office) will not want to answer any question related to their major campaign donors. Also assume that the elected official or candidate has received training on how to dodge questions. So be prepared — here are some tips for asking the right question.

Prepare before you arrive at the event:
- Prepare your question
  - Check out the video of Kamala Harris being asked whether she would refuse campaign contributions from corporations and their lobbyists — that single question caused Harris to change her position and commit to rejecting corporate PAC money.
  - Here’s a link to a sample question — and the database information you’ll need to prepare your question
  - Prepare and write out your question on a 3×5 card or piece of paper — and bring it with you to the event
  - At home, practice asking your question out loud so you can be easily heard and understood … you may also want to prepare and practice a follow-up question asking for more details
- Come as a team of two or more (if possible)
  - One member of the team could ask the question
  - One member of the team could use an iPhone to record both your question and the candidate’s response
  - One member of the team could write down the response
- Arrive at the event early
  - Arrive early so that you and each member of your team can get a seat up front and in the middle — so that you will be in the elected official’s or candidate’s line of sight and your hand will get the candidate’s attention when you raise it
  - Have your question ready and at your fingertips
Ask your question early — because the elected official or candidate may leave for some other event
Raise your hand in the air first and quickly — as soon as the first opportunity arises (for example, when the elected official or candidate is finishing their stump speech)
Raise your hand high so that it can be seen
Smile in a friendly way when raising your hand
Ask your question in a respectful tone – be calm and reasonable
- You may want to start by thanking the candidate for something … perhaps saying something like “Thank you for your service to the community …. (and then ask your question).”
- Be prepared to immediately but respectfully follow up if the candidate dodged your question (or if you want more details) — perhaps starting with “But, please, you didn’t answer my question … “
Don’t give up: If you don’t get the opportunity to ask your question in front of other voters, position yourself on the elected official’s or candidate’s exit path — then shake the candidate’s hand in friendly way and, while still holding the candidate’s hand in a friendly way, ask your question.
Be prepared to speak to the media
- Try to find members of the news media at the event
- Stand next to them and strike up a conversation
- Stay on message and express your views on the corrosive impact of big money in politics
Share what happens at the event with others
- Post the video of your question and/or your comments on Facebook and other social media — and share via your email lists
- Let us know what happened — send us the link to what you post on Facebook or other social media
Reflect on what you learned — think about how it went and how you could be more effective the next time. Share your “lessons learned” with others.
Sample question and campaign contribution databases: Click here for a sample question you can adapt to your situation — and for access to the databases with information on the major campaign contributors to federal and state candidates (information you can use to formulate your question).
Additional resources, some of which we relied on for the above advice:

Tips on Raising Your Hand -- and Asking the Right Question

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