Unpopular kid running for class president in high school.

[Anonymous]

My DS is in 9th grade and is running for class president for the 9th graders. I think would be great for the role but I sometimes think school elections are more of a popularity contest and he is not popular at all. He is in a couple clubs but surprisingly, there aren't any other 9th graders in these clubs so he has mostly been meeting kids in older grades.
Any advice on how he can have a fair shot? There are many other kids also competing and at least 2 of them are very popular.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s hard to win if you aren’t well known. If he wants to win, he’s got to get out there and make more friends.

[Anonymous]

It sucks but it’s 100% a popularity contest. Your kid sounds awesome. I hope he wins.

[Anonymous]

He could rig the election, like Biden.

/s

[Anonymous]

Not much he can do.

Just make sure you tell him what a rock star he is for going for it anyway.

[Anonymous]

He should make a funny and endearing speech.

[Anonymous]

This is tough, OP, and I feel for your DS but - this is a good lesson in life. Great that he is running and you should encourage that, but be there to pick him up if and when he loses. Yes, many elections - even real Presidential elections - are referendums on the candidates' popularity. That's just how it works. Along with having good ideas about how he would represent his classmates, he needs to build a team of supporters (aka friends) who can help him win.

Maybe he tries it this year to see how it goes and then really works on better positioning himself to run again in the 10th grade?

[Anonymous]

He should hold a rally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sucks but it’s 100% a popularity contest. Your kid sounds awesome. I hope he wins.

+1

[Anonymous]

Tell him to be himself and be genuine. Don’t just give a speech with the usual boring promises. Try to say something students will remember. If he can pull off humor, that’s great. Catchy posters are helpful.

It’s very possible he won’t win and it’s a popularity contest in most schools but that’s not a reason not to run if he wants to try. Good luck! Tell him to have fun with it.

[Anonymous]

Let him run. He probably won’t win but that too is a good learning experience. If he doesn’t win be supportive and cheerful about it. I was the unpopular kid who ran for student council in middle school and got like maybe two votes probably? It was good for me to have the experience of losing and realizing that the world didn’t come crashing down.

[Anonymous]

I was surprised to learn that the people that won 9th grade elections at my daughter's school were not the "popular" ones. In fact many of them were magnet kids who didn't even go to middle school with anyone. They did, however, put a TON of effort into the campaign. They actively used social media, made funny posters that were everywhere, had speeches that were a good mix of humor and actual substance, etc.

Middle school elections were absolutely about who you knew going into it. HS is a little different.

[Anonymous]

Most kids aren't involved and don't care at all about this. It's great your child is engaged and passionate, but just so he realizes - no one else cares.

[Anonymous]

He needs to stand in front of the school every morning and shake as many hands as possible as kids arrive. Have three friends around him with signs with his name (only, no slogans) Name recognition is everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He could rig the election, like Biden.

/s

You really don't trust our democracy!?!?!?! That is the first step toward totalitarianism. Read any history? Probably not, our communist public educational system is horrible for an OECD nation. It's all hopeless. Go Dictator on the horizon! Boo, whoever takes office.