After building a large base of voters through an effective registration campaign, the next step is to ensure voters in your network are informed voters. Providing information about candidates in a non-partisan manner can be helpful as people go to the polls. Sample ballots and descriptions of any referenda up for consideration can also be useful.
To gather information from candidates that you can distribute to registered voters, consider surveying candidates about their positions on your issues, host a candidate forum event, or ask questions at town hall meetings they are hosting on the campaign trail.
Voters are not the only people who need to be educated. Very often, candidates for public office are misinformed about the nature of housing problems, and they can benefit from learning more about your work. It is acceptable for a nonprofit organization to host candidates for site visits or meetings with your membership or your residents as long as all candidates for a particular office are invited for the same opportunity. Many candidates, including current office holders, will value the opportunity to interact with a group of concerned voters. Providing information and data sheets to candidates is also helpful, again as long as the information is provided to candidates of all parties and affiliations.