TV, radio, and digital ads, mailers, bumper stickers and yard signs.
A lot goes into getting the message out when running for elective office.
But wait, there is plenty more to tally up.
Campaign staff, advisers and consultants, polling, grassroots outreach, get-out-the-vote efforts, and travel - they all cost money, and it all adds up.
FIVE REASONS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON VIRGINIA ON ELECTION DAY 2023
It even takes money to raise cash, as fundraising is far from free.
This year's off-year elections - including the governors races in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, and the legislative showdowns in Virginia and New Jersey, are relatively dirt cheap compared to presidential election cycles.
There was roughly $14 billion in political spending in the 2020 election, doubling the price tag for the 2016 cycle.
The 2024 elections are expected to break records once again - with more than $10 billion forecast to be dished out on ad spending alone.
