This is an old website for the 2022 election. Please visit the main Rob4Missoula.com website for current info.
Thanks for your interest in helping out! It really means a lot to me.
There are a number of ways you can help to ensure that my campaign is a success, and that we can maintain science-based candidates in our local government. Some ideas are below.
The Most Important Thing
1. Vote!
Vote!
Voting is the most important tool you have as a resident of Missoula County, or whatever county you reside in. It is your tool in order to have a say in how our local government is constructed. If you do not vote, you are allowing others to make the decision for you, and it may not be a decision you agree with.
Local elections normally have small turnouts unless they are particularly controversial or high-profile. I admit that I'm guilty of failing to vote in local elections at times in the past - it's easy to feel that certain issues don't affect us, or that our vote doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. But this is wrong - every vote counts, and many times elections are decided based on a handful of votes.
Please take the time to cast your vote on or before May 3, 2022 when the trustee election occurs. You should have received a ballot by mail shortly after April 13 if you were registered to vote this year. Ballots are accepted until 8:00pm on May 3, 2022. Note that this election is an all-mail election, so if you are not registered in time you may need to appear in person to register and pick up your ballot.
It is not too late to register! You can register late in-person by visiting the Missoula County Elections office before noon on May 2. See the FAQ page for more info.
If you haven't visited them yet, see the About Rob and Why MCPS? pages for more information on why I'm a good choice for the Missoula County Public School board. If you don't live in High School District C, you can read about the Other Candidates as well.
Get The Word Out
2. Tell Others
Talk to others about the issues
While voting is important, you can do even more by encouraging others to vote. Even if you're not comfortable disclosing who you voted for, you can explain the importance of voting, the current issues this election, and why you think it's important that these things should not be ignored.
If you're comfortable telling others who you're voting for or why you think a particular candidate (like me!) is a good choice, it can go a long way towards multiplying the effect of your vote. People that think similarly to you may simply need a push from somebody else to get involved. You can do the same for candidates in other districts or other local offices if those candidates also align with pro-science views.
Want a Yard Sign?
Thanks for your interest in a yard sign - however, because the 2022 election is over, yard signs are no longer available.
Help Out With The Campaign
4. Volunteer
Volunteer for a campaign you agree with
Talking to somebody you're comfortable with about voting is one thing; talking to strangers is another level of commitment. However, reaching out to people in our community who may not be aware of the school board election or the candidates is another important step in furthering the campaign, and in making sure that the community has a representative say in the local government through getting more people out to vote.
You can help by talking with others in your community or in groups you're a part of (where appropriate), creating flyers or other promotional materials to distribute for any candidate you support, posting on social media and in comment sections whenever the topic of local elections or the school board comes up, and even going door-to-door in your neighborhood and talking to your neighbors about your preferred candidates and why you think others should vote for them. Whatever method you choose, please do so safely, respectfully, and with care not to litter, trespass, or otherwise cause offense to those you are trying to persuade.
If you're interested in volunteering, please reach out and let me know so that we can attempt to coordinate coverage areas between different volunteers in order to maximize our efforts. Feel free to create promotional materials of your own, or use anything found on my website. If you create any materials on your own, feel free to send them to me and if they look good I'll post them for others to use too!
Start Your Own Campaign
5. Run For Office Yourself
Run for office if it makes sense to do so
Last but not least, the biggest commitment you can make to your community is to run for local government yourself. When candidates run unopposed, the community doesn't really have a choice in who receives a position on the board. Having options is good for Missoula, as we've seen after the unopposed appointment of Michael Gehl to the school board and the disruption he has caused in the position (for more information, see the Why MCPS page).
While it is too late to run for the school board, there are also a number of positions on other school boards in the surrounding areas. Many of these positions do not yet have any candidates filed as running for them. If you're not interested in the school board, there are other local government positions which you may be interested in running for as well - see the Missoula County Elections website for more information.
Realize, though, that if you are elected, the responsibilities of the position may be a big commitment. You will likely be required to attend meetings and other events regularly, and many smaller local government positions do not offer any compensation. This is the case for the MCPS school board - the position is on a volunteer basis, but the reward is providing a service to the public and having a direct say in the policies of our local education system.
Thanks again for stopping by!