A political campaign website has three jobs: tell people who the candidate is and why they are running, turn interest into money and volunteers, and look credible to the reporters and voters checking you out. Everything on the site should serve one of those jobs.
Here is what that means, page by page, starting with what has to be there in the first week.
The first week: what must be live on day one
You can grow the site over the campaign, but on the day of the announcement it needs at least:
- A home page with the candidate's name, the office, the district and a strong photograph.
- A donate button, at the top of every page.
- An email and text sign-up, short enough to finish on a phone in seconds.
- A short biography and a few sentences on why the candidate is running.
- The required disclaimer in the footer.
A simple, polished site live on announcement day is worth more than an elaborate one three weeks later.
The pages every campaign site needs
- Home. Name, office, district, one clear line of message, donate and sign-up.
- Meet the candidate. A personal, specific biography with real photographs of family, community and work.
- Issues. Three to six priorities, each in plain language, with what the candidate will actually do.
- Donate. A clear link to the campaign's donation page, repeated throughout the site.
- Volunteer. A short form asking how people want to help: door-knocking, phone calls, yard signs, events.
- Events. Where to meet the candidate, kept current.
- Endorsements, once you have them.
- Press. A contact, a downloadable photograph and a short official biography.
Donations and the rules around them
Most campaigns use an established donation platform rather than building their own payment form, because the platform handles payments and collects the contributor information campaigns are required to keep. Federal campaigns should know the FEC's contribution limits for 2025-2026 and its guidance on who can and can't contribute. State and local races follow state law; in Maryland, the State Board of Elections publishes a summary guide to candidacy and campaign finance laws.
The disclaimer, and other legal details
Campaign communications must say who paid for them. Federal committees should follow the FEC's guidance on advertising and disclaimers; in Maryland, state and local campaign material carries an authority line, covered in chapter 12 of the State Board's summary guide and in Election Law section 13-401. Put the notice in the footer of every page, and have the treasurer approve the exact wording.
If the site collects phone numbers for text messages, be careful how they are used. The FCC sets out the rules for political campaign robocalls and robotexts, and the sign-up form should make consent clear.
Built for phones, and for everyone
Many voters will meet your site on a phone, often from a link in a text, an email or a social post. Pages should load fast, buttons should be large and forms short. The site should also be accessible to voters with disabilities: the W3C's WCAG 2.2 is the standard to build to, and the Department of Justice publishes guidance on web accessibility and the ADA. Real text rather than text in images, good contrast and captions on videos are the basics.
What makes one campaign site stand out
- Real photography, not stock: the candidate in the district, with the people they want to represent.
- Specific words. "Fix the Route 2 intersection" beats "infrastructure for the future".
- Speed. Updates within hours of news, events and endorsements.
- One clear action on every page, usually donate or sign up.
Where Bay House fits
We build campaign websites that go up fast and look as serious as the candidate. Our Basic Site, from $3,000, is a polished home, about and contact site live in one to two weeks; our Signature Site, from $12,500, is a bespoke site in two to three weeks with pages for issues, events, endorsements and press. Every project ends in a fixed-price proposal; see our pricing. For how campaign pages get found in search, see How do you get your business found on Google and in AI search? This article is general information, not legal or compliance advice; your treasurer or election counsel should confirm the rules for your race.
Common questions
When should a campaign website go live?
Ideally the day the candidate announces, even if it is a simple version. Supporters, reporters and opponents will all look for it immediately, and a missing site looks unprepared.
Does a campaign website need a disclaimer?
Yes. Federal campaigns follow the FEC's rules on advertising and disclaimers, and state and local races follow their state's rules, such as Maryland's authority line. Put it in the footer of every page and check the exact wording with your treasurer.
Should a campaign use its own donation page or a platform?
Most campaigns link to an established donation platform, which handles payments and the donor information campaigns must collect. Your website's job is to make the donate button impossible to miss.
