The upcoming presidential election is putting everyone on the edge of their seats. Will former President Donald Trump be able to reclaim the office or will Vice President Kamala Harris make history as the first woman to hold the title of commander-in-chief?
Check Out: How To Earn $750 a Week in Passive Income
Learn More: 6 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money (That Actually Work)
Either way, you still will have bills to pay and mouths to feed, so why not take the opportunity to generate some additional dough during this year of political drama?
Here are five ways to earn around $500 a week during election season in passive income — as well as a few not-so-passive side hustles — no matter who ends up becoming president.
Also see money moves you should put off until after the election.
Web Work
- Average weekly pay range: $500 to $700
During an election season, voters are glued to their devices to get all the latest news and updates. It doesn’t take a lot to manage a site or social media account and elections are great times to cash in, according to Matt Henderson of Nesta Systems.
“Political parties and candidates are always looking to boost their online presence and engagement,” Henderson said. “I’ve made an extra $500 to $700 per week doing freelance work like optimizing candidate websites for search rankings, running social media ad campaigns, and promoting fundraising emails.”
Discover More: 4 Ways the Middle Class Can Make an Extra $500 a Week From Home
Research and Writing
- Average weekly pay range: $200 to $500
Are you good with a keyboard? Can you find information accurately and quickly? Then get ready to not only vote, but make some money as well.
“For those with writing or research skills, you can make $200 to $500 per week writing blog posts on policy issues, voter guides or op-eds for media sites,” Henderson said. “Some writers charge by the word, around 5 to 10 cents per word. Others charge a flat rate for a full article. If you build connections with political media groups, the work can continue beyond just election season.”
Rentals
- Average weekly pay range: $50 to $200
Do you have extra space? It might be able to be used by a campaign and you could get paid for it in the process.
Seamus Nally, the CEO of TurboTenant, suggested that you “turn a room or portion of your home into a short-term rental, like an Airbnb. Though travel on election day can be a bit lower, travel generally remains at pretty much the same rate throughout the election season. You may even have unique travel peaks during this time, like if there are rallies nearby or candidates coming to town.”
Henderson added that people could rent out their driveways and other spaces “for campaign signs, phone banking and other campaign events. Locations near polling places or in residential areas are ideal.”
“Campaigns will often pay $50 to $200 per week to rent a small space,” he said. “The key is reaching out to campaigns early, before the sign planting rush.”
Photography and Videography
- Average weekly pay range: $500 to $1,000
If you own a camera, whether it be for still photos or to capture live video, you might be able to put your skills and technology to work in order to gain some additional money in the next few months.
Photographers and videographers are also in high demand, earning $50 to $200 per hour to capture campaign rallies, fundraising dinners and other events, according to Henderson.
“Building a portfolio of campaign-related work can lead to ongoing political work between elections,” said Henderson, noting that the key is showcasing a style that candidates and campaigns will want to use on their websites and social media.
Podcasting
- Average weekly pay range: $125 to $2,000
Depending on a variety of factors such as the size of the audience, monetization strategies, content niche, regularity and consistency, podcasters can make big money, especially during a presidential election.
“It is a great topic and opportunity to educate voters so they can understand more about this entire process and their preferred candidate since people are so opinionated and election season is such a hot topic,” said Karl Tippins, the editor in chief at Interest Rate.
“But keep in mind that elections are a sensitive subject, even though they are a very fascinating one, so to build brand trust, just make sure you have accurate information, don’t be biased, and stay informed,” Tippins advised. “Someone could misinterpret your words and turn them against you if you use them improperly, leading to negative consequences for your brand. But other than that, podcasting is a great way to make passive income.”
Non-Passive Election-Related Jobs
Passive income is great, but maybe you are fired up, want to be part of the political action and get paid all at the same time. Good news: There are plenty of jobs available.
“During election cycles there are some great side hustles that pay well and are short in duration,” said Scott Lieberman, founder of Touchdown Money.
He noted that these jobs may pay differently depending on the location but are all-around great fits for those looking to get part-time gigs during election season.
Political Canvasser
- Average weekly pay range: $300 to $500
“One lucrative opportunity is becoming a political campaign canvasser,” said Wes Lewins of NetWorth. “Campaigns often hire individuals to distribute flyers, knock on doors and engage with potential voters.
Early Voting Advocate
- Average weekly pay range: $450
According to Lieberman, this temporary position — often under the recorder’s office of your local government — is easy to apply for and the pay is around $15 an hour or up to $450 a week.
“The job is to provide guidance and any assistance needed to help voters have a smooth voting experience during the early voting time frame,” Lieberman explained.
Phone Banking
- Average weekly pay range: $300 to $500
Lewins highlighted a very popular election season side hustle: phone banking for political campaigns.
“This involves calling voters to provide information about a candidate or encourage voter turnout,” Lewins said.
Elections Clerk
- Average weekly pay range: $360 to $450
“This job primarily is during the month before and after an election,” Lieberman said. “Training is provided to use equipment to help register voters, update voter registration and help prepare for an election.”
Lieberman added that a position like this can cover a range of job tasks for someone who wants to stay as busy as the candidates in the race.
Editor’s note on election coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Trump vs. Harris: 5 Ways To Earn $500 a Week in Passive Income During Election Season
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