Political campaign video scripts: 15-, 30- and 60-second examples

What should a campaign video script include?

The scripts below follow the same four-part shape. You can rearrange the order, but every piece should be present before you record anything or send notes to me. A script missing one of these will feel incomplete to a viewer even if they cannot name what is wrong.

1. Your name and office.Always say "for City Council" or "for School Board", never just the office name alone, so your name does not read as the incumbent's.
2. One clear message.Pick one issue or one idea. A 30-second video cannot carry two without both getting lost.
3. Something only you can say.A fact about your work, your street, your kids, your years on the job. Not a slogan. Not a borrowed phrase.
4. Call to action with the date."Vote for [name] on November third." A vague "support me" without a date leaves the viewer with nothing to do.

A 15-second candidate introduction

When you have little time and want people to put a face to your name, a 15-second introduction is the right length. It is the video you post the first week of the campaign, the one your volunteers share in group chats and pin to the top of the Facebook page. You need about 30 to 35 words spoken at an unhurried pace, which means one sentence to introduce yourself, one to say why you are running, and one to give the date.

A 30-second video about one local issue

A 30-second political ad script gives you room for one problem, your honest reaction to it, and your promise. Lou Marchetti's example uses a single pothole that has been on his street for seven years. That is enough material. You do not need to list every road in the county; one specific hole on one specific street is more believable than a general complaint about infrastructure.

A 60-second candidate story

Sixty seconds lets you tell a story instead of making an argument. Maya Brooks' example moves from her job to what she sees at three in the morning to a simple principle about showing up. You need about 130 to 150 words, which sounds like a lot but is really just three short thoughts spoken slowly, with pauses for the images to land.

A short voter reminder

Close to election day, a 15-second reminder keeps your name in front of people who already know you. Priya Menon's example is plain: who she is, what she wants, when to vote. No issue, no story. Just the date, repeated clearly so nobody misses it.

How to adapt a script to your campaign

Swap in your own name, your office, one fact about yourself, and one issue that matters to your district. Keep the rhythm the same: introduce yourself, say the thing only you can say, then give the date. If a line sounds like something you would actually say to a neighbor over a fence, keep it. If it sounds like a speech you wrote at midnight, rewrite it until it sounds like you talking.

Read the script aloud against a timer before you send it anywhere. If you rush to finish, you are over the word count. Cut adjectives, cut the second clause, cut anything that does not move the point forward. Never cut the election date or the "Paid for by" line. Those two pieces are not optional.

Turn your notes into a finished video

You do not have to write a script to order from me. Send notes: your name, the office, one or two facts about yourself, the issue you want to raise, the style you like, and the "Paid for by" wording your committee gave you. A note that says "I'm the librarian at Jefferson Elementary, I want to talk about keeping the after-school program, make it warm" is enough for me to write a full script and edit it from your photos and phone clips. The finished video arrives by email within 48 hours.

Here is a finished sample, made for a fictional candidate: