Ballot Questions

Canvassing for a Referendum: Persuasion vs Turnout

A referendum canvass does two different jobs, and the best campaigns keep them apart. Persuasion is talking to voters who have not made up their minds, explaining what the question does and what it costs, and recording where they land. Turnout is going back to the voters who already support the question and making sure they actually vote. Persuasion comes first, while there is time for a second conversation. Turnout comes last, when every supporter who stays home is a vote you lost.

For an April 6, 2027 question, that means persuasion through February, a shift to turnout as early voting opens on February 25 (or March 12 where a February primary ran), and almost pure turnout in the last two weeks. The steps below show how to set up both. For the bigger picture of Illinois ballot questions, see our guide to Illinois ballot questions.

Why referendums need a different canvass

A candidate canvass introduces a person. A referendum canvass explains a decision. That changes three things.

• There is no name to recognize. Voters often reach the question on the ballot with no idea what it is. Your conversation may be the only explanation they get.
• Opinions can move on facts. A voter who hears "tax increase" may oppose a question until they hear what it pays for and what it costs a typical household. Persuasion conversations matter.
• Close questions turn on turnout. Your supporters only count if they vote, and a few hundred extra supporters at the polls can be the margin.

Step 1: Know your numbers

Before the first door, set a goal. Ask your county clerk or election authority for turnout in your district's last comparable April election. Then estimate how many yes votes win.

Example only: if about 6,000 people voted last time and you expect similar turnout, you need roughly 3,000 yes votes to pass, and a target of 3,200 to 3,400 gives a cushion. If your volunteers can have a real conversation at roughly 1 in 3 doors, and about half of those conversations are with supporters or persuadable voters, you can work backward to the number of doors you need to knock. These are illustrations; your district will be different.

Step 2: Split the list into three groups

Every voter you reach ends up in one of three groups:

1. Supporters. They are voting yes. They go on the turnout list.
2. Undecided. They have questions. They go on the persuasion list for a second visit.
3. Opposed. Thank them, record it, and move on. Do not revisit.

Your first pass through the district is mostly about sorting. Your later passes focus on the first two groups.

Step 3: Build your walk lists and record the right things

This is where the tool does the work.

Set up your canvass so every door produces a usable answer. In Beacon, import your district's voter list from a CSV file (name, address, precinct and party columns map automatically), see the voters as walk lists on a map, split the district into turfs, and assign each turf to a specific volunteer with an optimized route. Build a short survey with the survey builder:

• "Supports the question: yes / no / undecided"
• "Main concern" (cost, need, trust, other), for undecided voters
• "Plans to vote: early / mail / Election Day / unsure," for supporters

At each door, the volunteer marks the result: contacted, not home, refused, moved, come back later or left literature, and can add a 1 to 5 rating and notes such as "wants to see the cost per household." The app works offline and syncs when the phone has signal again. Real-time tracking shows which turfs are active, and per-territory counts show how many doors in each turf have been reached. At the end of each week, export interactions and survey responses to CSV so you can see who answered what. Every plan includes unlimited canvassers.

Use the 1 to 5 rating consistently. Example: 1 = strong no, 2 = lean no, 3 = undecided, 4 = lean yes, 5 = strong yes. From the weekly export, the 3s and 4s become your second-pass list and the 4s and 5s your turnout list; import each as its own walk list so volunteers only knock those doors.

Step 4: Write two scripts

Persuasion and turnout conversations sound different.

Persuasion script (February):

Hi, I'm [name], a neighbor with [committee name]. On April 6, there's a question on the ballot about [what it does]. Have you heard about it?

[Listen.] The short version: it would [what the money does], and for a typical home it costs about [figure from the district's factual materials]. If it doesn't pass, [what the district says happens].

Where are you leaning right now? What would help you decide?

Turnout script (March and April):

Hi, I'm [name] with [committee name]. Last month you told one of our volunteers you supported the [question] on the April 6 ballot. Thanks for that.

Early voting is open now. Do you know when you'll vote? [If unsure:] [Early voting location] is open [hours]. Or you can vote at your polling place on April 6.

Keep both scripts honest and specific. Use the district's own factual materials for cost figures, and do not overstate what the question does. If a voter asks something you cannot answer, write it in the notes and promise to follow up.

Step 5: Time the passes

Here is a simple calendar for an April 6, 2027 question:

If a February primary ran in your area, early voting for April 6 may open March 12 instead. Confirm with your election authority.

Step 6: Choose which doors to knock first

You will not reach every door. Prioritize.

• Persuasion first in turfs where the outcome is uncertain. If you know a neighborhood is strongly for or against, spend the time elsewhere.
• Turnout first among supporters who vote less often. Strong, regular voters will vote without a knock. Supporters who skip spring elections are the ones a reminder helps most.
• Families connected to the question. For a school question, parents of current students; for a park question, families in park programs. They are often supporters who did not know the question was on the ballot.

Step 7: Debrief every week

Hold a short weekly check-in with your volunteers.

• How many doors, how many conversations, how many supporters, how many undecided?
• What are undecided voters asking? Update the script with clear answers.
• Which turfs are done, and which need a second pass?

Your weekly export gives you the numbers; your volunteers give you the questions behind them.

Mistakes to avoid

• Persuading in the last week. Late persuasion rarely pays off. Spend the final days on supporters.
• Revisiting opponents. It wastes time and can create friction.
• Using district resources. Public funds may not be used to urge a vote for or against a question. Canvassing for a yes vote is the citizen committee's job. Ask your attorney about the rules for public bodies.
• Texting without consent. A door conversation does not give you permission to text. Ask in writing, on a sheet that says so plainly, with the date.

For the full timeline, including committee formation and campaign finance, see our referendum campaign plan. For more on keeping your list accurate across passes, see building a precinct walk list.

Start your first pass

A referendum canvass works when every door produces an answer you can use later. Try Beacon free for 14 days, load your district, and send your first volunteers out with a routed turf and a three-question survey. For more on Beacon for local races and questions, see Beacon for political campaigns.