How can I get people to vote for me in an upcoming election?

Promise them free stuff. You don't actually have to give it to them.

Give them free phones like Obama did or give them free trips like Oprah to make them like you or promise them lotsa free stuff as Bernie does and which he can't deliver. Trump only promised & delivered jobs in order for people to have a life of independence. Unfortunately, the old Obama gang and Bernie supporters are opposed to jobs and individual independence. Instead, they want the Government to take care of them via continued handouts,  which of course means more Gov control over your life and you having less.  

Spend a couple hundred million dollars on TV ads like Mike Bloomberg.  You probably still won't win, but you'll be a contender.

Watch Democrats in action: make all sorts of good sounding promises.

Most of the time it's by doing a lot of volunteer work for a large political party and eventually they select you for a seat, people mostly vote for a party not a candidate. You get the odd maverick who wins as an independent but they are rare and it would be very difficult to persuade people not to vote their usual way, usually the same way their parents voted like a family all support the same football team. Most current independent politicians were first elected in a big party, then quit or were thrown out and, are likely to lose their seats when the next election comes around.

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