Elections were an annual affair during the Roman republic, and much was at stake for all concerned. In addition to our surviving literary evidence, including speeches from trials for electoral corruption and a manual on how to canvass for the consulship, pottery and posters advertising individual candidatures are preserved (especially from Pompeii). After a brief introduction to the constitutional and practical mechanics of Roman elections, this lecture will focus on the techniques, including negative campaigning and illegal electioneering, employed by candidates to win votes.