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involve a lot of work. Potential candidates may begin by telephoning prospective supporters to gauge support and to recruit volunteers. Unless a candidate is willing to finance the entire campaign him or herself, the candidate has to raise money. A candidate has to prepare campaign literature designed to familiarize voters with the candidate and to articulate the issues the candidate believes are important. While one can argue about the effectiveness or even the desirability of lawn signs) there hasn't been a successful candidate for Roseville City Council in the last 20 years that didn't,, at least in the initial campaign, have a significant lawn sign presence in the community. Ten weeks is not enough time to pull all of these things together. As important as all those factors are, they are less important than the practice of campaigning door to door. One of the great strengths of the local election is that voters get to meet with candidates one on one,, get a measure of the person, and ask about the issues that are important to them. Successful candidates begin that process months before the election. A compressed campaign schedule would not allow candidates to do this. Further, not only would the shortened election cycle time limit a candidate's ability to meet with voters, but depending on when the election was, so could other factors. Currently, candidates have all summer and into the fall to introduce themselves to voters. With the longer summer days, candidates are able to get out after work and on weekends to campaign. This would simply not be possible in winter. It would be dark by the time most people returned from work, making it impossible to canvass voters in the evening. Even daylight hours would present a challenge in the middle of winter. An election held at any time of the year other than the normal fall election presents all sorts of challenges for citizens and candidates wishing to engage in meaningful campaigns. Few would dispute the notion that voters make the best decisions when they are well informed about the candidates and the issues. Again, a shortened election cycle at any time of year other than the fall would limit the ability of voters to learn about candidates and as discussed below, would give undue influence to the more well-known candidate. The current proposal gives, an unfair advantage to candidates, who have just run in an election. Holding an election on a short timeline will give an unfair advantage to candidates who have just lost an election. They are the only ones for whom the shortened calendar will not be a 41