To budget a village or school board race, start from the number of voters you need to reach, list what it takes to reach each one (doors, literature, texts, signs), price each line from real local quotes, and set the total against what you can realistically raise. Then check it against the one hard number in Illinois campaign finance that changes your paperwork: $5,000. If you raise or spend more than that in any 12-month period, you generally must form a political committee and file with the State Board of Elections.
Most local races in Illinois are won with modest budgets and a lot of door knocking. This guide walks through the steps, with example numbers clearly labeled as examples. Your own figures will come from your district, your printer and your volunteers.
For the rest of the campaign, from petitions to Election Day, see our guide to running for local office in Illinois.
Step 1: Know the $5,000 line before you spend a dollar
Under 10 ILCS 5/9-3, candidates, groups or individuals who raise or spend more than $5,000 in any 12-month period in support of or against a candidate or public question generally must file a Statement of Organization (Form D-1) with the State Board of Elections. A few details matter for budgeting:
- Your own money counts. Your contributions and loans to your own campaign count toward the $5,000.
- In-kind contributions count. Donated printing, a free hall for an event, or a supporter paying for your yard signs all count.
- The clock is short. The D-1 is due within 10 business days of crossing $5,000, or within 2 business days if you cross it in the 30 days before the election.
- Registering early means filing reports. A committee may register before it reaches $5,000, but once registered it must keep filing every required report until it files a Final Report, whether or not it ever reaches $5,000. Late filings bring civil penalties.
There is a second reason to know this line: political texting requires Campaign Verify, and candidates with no committee are not eligible. If you plan to text supporters, you need a committee with an EIN and a published filing with your election authority, even if your budget is small. Talk to the State Board of Elections or an election attorney if you are unsure which side of the line you are on.
Step 2: Count who you need to reach
A budget is a plan for reaching voters, so start with the voters.
- Households in your district. Your voter file, grouped by address, gives you this count.
- Likely voters. Local elections have low turnout, so most campaigns focus on people with a history of voting in local elections.
- Your supporter list. People who gave you a dated, written opt-in for texts during petition season or at events.
Example (illustrative, not data): a village with 3,000 households, of which a campaign decides to focus on 1,800 that include a regular local voter, plus 250 opted-in supporters gathered at the doors.
Step 3: List every way you will reach them
Write out each contact method and how many times you will use it. A typical local list:
- Doors: one or two passes through your target households, by you and volunteers.
- Literature: a piece for every door, plus extra for events and not-home notes.
- Yard signs: for supporters who ask.
- Texts: a handful of messages to opted-in supporters, mostly around early voting and Election Day.
- Mail: some campaigns send one or two pieces to likely voters; many local races skip it.
- Events: coffee meetups, a forum appearance, a kickoff.
- Online: a simple website or page with your positions and how to reach you.
Step 4: Price each line from local quotes
Get two or three quotes from local printers and sign shops. Prices vary widely by quantity, size and timing, so do not budget from a number you found online.
Example budget (illustrative numbers for a 3,000-household village, not real quotes):
| Line | Quantity | Example cost |
|---|---|---|
| Door literature | 4,000 pieces | $400 |
| Yard signs and stakes | 75 | $450 |
| Texting (see Step 5) | 1,500 messages plus 3 months of number | $105 |
| Canvassing app (see Step 5) | 3 months | $177 |
| One postcard to likely voters, printing and postage | 1,800 | $1,100 |
| Website and domain | 1 | $150 |
| Events and supplies | $200 | |
| Campaign Verify (real fee) | 1 | $95 |
| Example total | about $2,700 |
In that example, the campaign stays under $5,000, but it is not far off. Add a second mailer or a larger sign order and it could cross the line. If you are budgeting near $5,000, plan as if you will form a committee.
Step 5: Use real prices for the tools
Software is one of the few lines where you can use published prices instead of estimates. This is where the suite does part of the job.
Texting with CampaignCNX+. Price your texting from your supporter list and your message plan:
- Count opted-in supporters and the texts you plan to send each one. Example: 250 supporters times 6 messages is 1,500 SMS.
- Pick the plan that fits. Pay as you go is $0.06 per SMS ($0.15 per MMS), so the example comes to $90 in messages, plus $15 for three months of your number. Basic is $55 a month with 1,000 SMS; Pro is $225 a month with 5,000 SMS ($0.045 each after); Enterprise is $695 a month with 20,000.
- Add your number. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month, and nothing sends until it is bought.
- Add Campaign Verify at $95 per two-year cycle. CampaignCNX+ files your 10DLC or toll-free carrier registration for you and guides you through Campaign Verify.
For Illinois campaigns there is also an offer through January 31, 2027: 1,000 free texts with a month of Pro plus $149 white-glove setup (normally $299). Every account includes the two-way inbox, automatic STOP handling and quiet-hours scheduling. The details are on our page about political texting in Illinois.
Canvassing with Beacon. Starter is $59 a month ($47 a month billed annually) for 2,500 contacts; Growth is $129 a month ($103 annual) for 10,000 contacts and adds live GPS and geofence. Unlimited canvassers on every plan, so volunteers never add cost. Example: three months of Starter, as in the table above, is $177. Beacon has a 14-day trial.
A CRM, if you need one. For larger races or campaigns that want one record per voter across doors and texts, CoreCNX Starter is $49 a month for 5,000 contacts, with a 14-day trial. Many village and school board races can do without it; a mayoral race with a large volunteer team may not.
Step 6: Set the budget against what you can raise
Write down three numbers:
- What you can put in yourself, knowing it counts toward the $5,000.
- What you can realistically raise from friends, neighbors and supporters. Ask people you know first.
- What the plan costs from Step 4.
If the plan costs more than you can raise, cut from the bottom of the list (mail, events, extra signs) and keep the doors. Doors cost the least per conversation and are what most local races are won on. Our list of where local campaigns spend money that works goes line by line.
Step 7: Spend on a schedule
A budget is also a calendar. Most money in a local race goes out in the last eight weeks:
- Petition season and filing: clipboards, copies of blank petition forms, a notary.
- After filing: literature, yard signs, tool subscriptions.
- Early voting through Election Day: texts, a possible mailer, Election Day supplies.
Match the spending to the week-by-week calendar in our 12-week campaign plan for an April 6 race.
Step 8: Keep receipts from day one
Whether or not you ever form a committee, keep every receipt and record every contribution with the donor's name and address. If you cross $5,000, you will need those records quickly, and committees report contributions of $1,000 or more on a Schedule A-1 within 5 business days (2 business days in the 30 days before the election). The State Board of Elections' "A Guide to Campaign Disclosure" explains the reports in detail.
Start with the line you can price today
Your printer quote may take a week. Your texting cost you can work out now.