Q&A for How to Win a Student Council Election

I suggest you join the debate club at your school to practice your public speaking skills.

No, it is not. All that you need is confidence and a relaxed manner to put people at ease. If you're nervous, that is normal. Just smile and make eye contact with people in the audience while you're speaking.

Practice in front of a mirror, or in front of a few close friends. This helps build up your courage, and prepares you for actually talking to people while you're campaigning and/or making speeches.

That may happen. Go out and make posters and meet people at recess. Most importantly, introduce yourself in a way people will remember.

It doesn't matter if you hand out anything. As long as you show the students you're worthy of the job, you can count on them for voting for you.

Get to know a lot of people as quickly as possible. Make friends and find out what people are looking for in a student representative. Build your platform around the issues that are important to your fellow students. It might be a good idea to run for treasurer or secretary or something if you're new, you might not have much of a chance at student body president.

Look up something that rhymes with your name, or try finding ideas online.

Yes, as long as your school and school election rules allow it.

There is always next year. Learn from your mistakes and try to improve for next time. Make sure to congratulate the person you were running against.

Give out virtual items, like a free sticker pack for Instagram. Also, talk to the students about what they want in a student council representative and incorporate what they say into your speeches.

You could say you want to stop bullying, or change the options in the cafeteria to healthier foods. Try to think about your school and what could be improved there.

Try using something that rhymes with your name. Often Pinterest has good ideas.

Practice in front of a mirror, or in front of a few close friends. This helps build up your courage, and prepares you for actually talking to people while you're campaigning and/or making speeches.

Find something that resonates with your audience. Figure out what people want to change about your school and talk about that.

Try to list all of your accomplishments and be super nice and respectful, especially to your opponent. If a lot of people don't know you, put yourself out there and talk to them. Find out what your classmates want to change about the school and use that when you're designing your campaign.

You can't; if there were a guaranteed way, all parties running would use it. Just follow the steps and speak to people, letting them know who you are, what you stand for and how you can help them.

Respect them, stay friendly, and say what you will do that is different from them. If you are often with your friends, people may associate you with them, so make sure to stand out. Above all, never be mean to your friends. You're allowed to disagree, but make sure you do it in a polite way. You'll lose both your friends' respect and many votes if you act hostile.

Don't stress it. Still continue to do your best and if they say anything rude against you, then they could get disqualified, so they can't do that. Continue to talk to people and be kind, but don't talk rude about the bully either. If you do end up working together, you might find they are quite a different person when you're both forced to concentrate on what actually matters, leading the school well.

Think about what problems the school has. Ask them about what they want done, and try to do it for them. They will respect you and continue to talk to you because you helped them. Even if it isn't a problem, you could say that there could be a party every month for those birthdays or something.

Don't stress it. Write (or type) what comes from your heart and be straightforward. Don't focus on making it long; just make it good and interesting and remember people don't want to stand around hearing a long speech anyway. Have a sense of fun about you, as being secretary is super fun and isn't an overly large amount of dedication.

Get to know as many people as you can. Be kind, and you’ll make many friends before you know it. And don’t believe the “elections are just popularity contests” myth. Give the people what they want, not just what you want.

Take it one step at a time. Start by convincing your friends you can do it. Then, work on eye contact, posture, and inner confidence. You’ll seem friendlier and more positive that way. Even if you don’t make many friends, people who aren’t your friends can vote for you too. Work on making your poster appealing. Keep in mind, you don’t need as much social skills to text.