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.
I have also decided to keep the flyer unfolded. Residents will receive the full sheet.
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.
The vendor also needs to confirm that the paper stock and mailing method are suitable for an unfolded full-sheet flyer.
Making room for the Post Office
The flyer needs space for the information that gets it delivered.
Eddie pointed out two requirements: a return address and space for the postage indicia in the upper-right corner.
The indicia is the postage imprint supplied by the mailer. It identifies the postage arrangement being used. I need to leave room for the vendor to apply the correct imprint.
I have now added my campaign’s return address to the upper-left corner of the back:
Dr. Franklin Carvajal for Culver City Council 2026
3567 Wesley Street
Culver City, CA 90232
The upper-right postage area remains blank for the mailer. Below it, I have reserved a clear area for the recipient’s address and postal barcode.
Making room for those areas required rearranging the back. My photograph, six priorities, website, and campaign disclosure remain on the flyer.
I also prepared a separate instruction sheet telling the printer to print both sides at full size and not fold the sheet. It identifies the postal areas so the vendor can add the mailing information without covering the campaign message.
Before production, I want to review an addressed proof and have the vendor confirm the paper stock, postal eligibility, and postage.
A flyer that looks good on a screen must also work as a physical mailpiece.
Working with Universal Print and Copy
I am now coordinating with Eddie Haboosheh of Universal Print and Copy in Los Angeles about preparing the flyer for mailing.
Eddie pointed out two details I needed to include: a return address and a clear space for the postage indicia in the upper-right corner. The indicia is the postage imprint the mailer supplies.
I updated the flyer with my campaign’s return address:
Dr. Franklin Carvajal for Culver City Council 2026
3567 Wesley Street
Culver City, CA 90232
The back now reserves space for the postage imprint, the recipient’s address, and the postal barcode. The flyer remains unfolded, full-size, and printed on both sides.
Universal Print and Copy’s signature also notes that a 3% credit-card fee may apply. I will include that question when confirming the complete price.
The next step is to confirm the paper stock, postage, production schedule, and estimated delivery window, then review an addressed proof before approving the mailing.
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 for the unfolded format that includes printing, mailing-list processing, addressing, postal preparation, postage, applicable taxes, and delivery to USPS.
If the vendor determines that an envelope is needed for the selected paper or mailing method, I want that cost identified before production.
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:
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.
Now that work also includes adding a return address, reserving room for postage and barcodes, and checking the printing instructions.
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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