Running for City Council involves more than discussing policy, attending forums, and building a website. There is also the work of getting your message into voters’ hands.
This week, I have been preparing my voter mailing list, working on a flyer, contacting printers and mailers, and thinking about when the mailing should arrive.
It sounds straightforward: print the flyer and send it.
Then come the details.
Preparing the voter list
A voter list contains individual voters. But several voters may live in the same household. Sending the same flyer separately to everyone at that address would increase printing and postage costs.
I wanted to consolidate the list so each household receives one flyer while preserving the information about the voters who live there.
That requires care. Apartment and unit numbers matter. Two families in the same building should not be combined just because they share a street address.
The consolidated main list contained 17,197 household records: 16,888 U.S. addresses and 309 overseas addresses. Another five records were set aside for address review.
I had initially asked printers about 17,199 pieces. Reviewing the actual file helped clarify the number before placing an order.
I now have a separate spreadsheet containing only the 16,888 U.S. households, with all the original columns retained. The overseas addresses will need separate consideration because their postage and delivery times differ.
Preparing the list is part of managing the campaign’s money carefully.
Moving from a postcard to a full-sheet flyer
I originally considered a 6-by-11-inch postcard. I changed my mind and chose a two-sided, full-color, 8½-by-11-inch flyer.
The larger format gives me more room to introduce myself and explain what I would work to accomplish.
My photograph appears on both sides. The flyer includes my website and campaign committee disclosure, along with an invitation:
Read my blogs. Get to know my thinking.
A flyer can introduce a candidate. It cannot explain every position, question, or concern. My blogs give residents more space to examine how I think about Culver City’s finances, housing, homelessness, infrastructure, safety, and schools.
Finding a company that can print and mail
Printing thousands of flyers is one job. Preparing and mailing them to thousands of addresses is another.
I need a company that can handle both.
That includes processing the address list, printing both sides, addressing the pieces, preparing them for USPS, and arranging postage and postal delivery.
One local business told me it could not handle the job. That reminded me that advertised services are only a starting point. A company needs to confirm that it can handle the actual quantity, format, and schedule.
I also need to know how the full-sheet flyer should be mailed. Should it be folded? Does it need an envelope? Where will the address and postage appear?
Those decisions affect both the cost and what residents see when they open their mail.
Before production, I want to review the final proof, including the address area and campaign disclosure.
Asking for the complete cost
A printing quote alone does not tell me what the mailing will cost.
I am asking for an all-in price that includes printing, mailing-list processing, addressing, folding or envelopes if needed, postal preparation, postage, applicable taxes, and delivery to USPS.
I also want a production timeline and an estimated arrival window.
There is a difference between “your flyers will be printed Friday” and “voters should receive them next week.”
I fund my own campaign, so these expenses require careful decisions. Every additional mailing means another printing and postage bill.
When do ballots come out?
Los Angeles County began mailing vote-by-mail ballots on October 1, 2026, for the November 3 election. That is the beginning of mailing; it does not mean every household receives its ballot on the same day. lacounty.gov
Ballots are already going out as I prepare this flyer.
That matters because Election Day is not the beginning of voting. Some residents return their ballots soon after receiving them. Others take more time.
My voter file shows participation in previous elections, but it does not tell me when those voters returned their ballots. I cannot use it to conclude that most Culver City residents vote early or late.
I want to give residents time to learn about me while they are still considering their choices.
Considering two or three mailing batches
I am considering two or three batches, depending on the cost and the printer’s production and delivery schedule.
By batches, I mean separate mailings over time. Simply dividing the address list into three portions would still give each household only one flyer.
A first mailing would introduce me and invite residents to read my blogs. A second would provide another opportunity to learn about my priorities. An optional third would offer a final reminder before Election Day.
Here are the arrival windows I am considering:
Plan | First batch | Second batch | Third batch |
|---|---|---|---|
Two mailings | October 15–20 | October 26–29 | — |
Three mailings | October 15–20 | October 21–24 | October 27–30 |
These are proposed arrival targets, subject to the vendor’s schedule. They are not the dates to hand the flyers to USPS.
The printer and mailer need to work backward from those windows and tell me when the artwork, address file, payment, and final proof approval are needed.
USPS lists a typical delivery range of 3–10 business days for Marketing Mail, without a delivery guarantee. A final mailing sent too late could arrive after the election. faq.usps.com
That is why I would only add a third mailing if the budget permits it and the vendor can explain a credible delivery schedule.
Each additional batch adds up
Sending one piece to each of the 16,888 U.S. households means:
One mailing: 16,888 pieces.
Two mailings: 33,776 pieces.
Three mailings: 50,664 pieces.
Those totals are before address corrections or later updates to the list.
Before committing to repeated mailings, I also want to ask whether the provider can use an authorized, updated record of ballot returns to avoid mailing households where every listed voter has already voted. My existing spreadsheet alone cannot identify those households.
The question is whether another mailing gives residents a useful opportunity to learn about the campaign at a cost I can justify.
What I want voters to learn
Behind the flyer are hours of checking addresses, reviewing designs, comparing vendors, and asking about prices and deadlines.
Those ordinary tasks reflect how I believe decisions should be made: understand the information, check the assumptions, spend carefully, and explain the choices.
I am a psychologist, businessman, researcher, and resident running for Culver City Council. I want voters to know what I would do and how I think through a problem.
When my flyer reaches your household, I hope you will take a few minutes to visit my website.
Read my blogs. Get to know my thinking. Ask questions. Then make your own decision.
Franklin Carvajal
Candidate for Culver City Council 2026
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