GOTV Ground Game Strategies: Winning the Get Out The Vote Push

Elections are won in the final 72 hours. All of the fundraising, advertising, and persuasion canvassing depends on whether your supporters actually vote. Get Out The Vote (GOTV) is the campaign phase in which you stop persuading and focus on making sure supporters cast their ballots. A campaign's ground game, its in-person voter contact, often decides the result in this phase.

This guide covers how to plan and run a GOTV program that turns your identified supporters into votes on Election Day.

What Makes GOTV Different from Regular Canvassing

During the campaign, your canvassers are identifying supporters and persuading undecided voters. GOTV is different in several ways:

• The audience is narrower. You're only contacting identified supporters (voters your canvassers have already marked as "strong support" or "lean support")
• The message is simpler. You are not trying to persuade anyone. You are reminding supporters to vote and helping them past anything that might stop them
• The timeline is shorter. GOTV typically runs the final 4 to 5 days before Election Day, with intensity increasing each day
• Volume matters more. This is about contacting as many supporters as possible, as quickly as possible

Building Your GOTV Target List

Your GOTV target list comes from three sources:

Canvassing IDs

Canvassing IDs are the voters your canvassers identified as supportive during the campaign, and all of them go on the GOTV list. This is your most valuable data because it comes from direct conversations. Voters rated as "strong support" or "lean support" are your primary targets.

Modeled Supporters

For voters you haven't personally contacted, use modeling data (statistical predictions) from the company that supplies your voter file, the list of registered voters. These voters are predicted to be supportive based on demographics, voting history, and other data. They are less reliable than canvassing IDs, but they let you reach more people.

Early Vote Tracking

As early voting and mail ballot data comes in, remove voters who have already cast their ballots. Knocking on the door of someone who voted last week wastes time. Update your lists daily during GOTV.

For a general overview, read the political canvassing guide.

The GOTV Timeline

Five Days Out: Final Preparation

Draw your GOTV turfs, the areas each canvasser will cover. These differ from your regular canvassing turfs. They should be smaller (more doors, shorter conversations) and include only identified supporters. Print materials like polling location cards and early voting information.

Four Days Out: First Round of Visits

Begin GOTV canvassing. Focus on voters who can vote early and encourage them to vote now rather than waiting for Election Day. An early vote is already secured, so it cannot be lost to bad weather, car trouble, or last-minute schedule changes.

Two to Three Days Out: More Contact

Increase your effort. Canvassers should return to doors where supporters weren't home the first time. Add phone calls and texts for supporters you cannot reach in person.

Election Day: Every Volunteer in the Field

Every volunteer you have should be in the field. Run morning, afternoon, and evening shifts. As reports from the polls show which supporters haven't voted yet, send canvassers back to those doors. In the final hours before polls close, the supporters least likely to vote often need one more reminder.

GOTV Canvassing Tactics

Keep It Short

GOTV conversations should last 30 to 60 seconds, because the purpose is to remind rather than persuade. "Hi [Name], just wanted to remind you that Election Day is [date]. Your polling place is [location] and it's open from [hours]. Can we count on you to vote?"

Provide Specific Information

Every GOTV contact should include the voter's polling location, hours, and what they need to bring (ID requirements vary by state). Help voters past every possible obstacle. If someone says they need a ride, arrange it.

Make a Plan

Research shows that asking voters to make a specific voting plan dramatically increases follow-through. "What time are you planning to vote?" is more effective than "Are you going to vote?" People who state a specific time are much more likely to follow through.

Track Who Has Voted

Use real-time voter file updates (available in many states) to track which of your supporters have already voted. Remove them from your GOTV lists immediately so canvassers aren't wasting time on voters who've already cast ballots.

Beacon's real-time updates make this process smooth. Field teams see updated lists as voters are checked off, so every knock reaches a supporter who still needs to vote.

Volunteer Management During GOTV

GOTV requires more volunteers than any other phase of a campaign. These steps help you manage the increase:

• Schedule early. Start recruiting for GOTV shifts weeks in advance. You will need 3 to 5 times your normal volunteer capacity
• Simplify training. GOTV scripts are simple enough that new volunteers can be trained in 15 minutes. Don't turn away willing helpers because they haven't been through full canvassing training
• Have turfs ready. Prepare every turf in advance so volunteers can start as soon as they arrive. Every minute a volunteer spends waiting is a minute not spent knocking doors
• Feed people. GOTV shifts are long and intense. Provide food, water, and coffee at staging locations. It is a small cost that greatly improves morale and keeps volunteers coming back

Technology for GOTV Operations

Technology is most valuable during GOTV. You need:

• Real-time list management. Instantly remove voters who've already voted from canvassing lists
• GPS tracking. See where your teams are and ensure complete coverage of priority areas
• Performance dashboards. Track contacts per hour and coverage percentage across all teams in real time
• Territory management. Quickly reassign turfs as volunteers arrive or areas get completed

Beacon was built for exactly this kind of intense field work. Real-time updates, GPS tracking on the Growth plan and up, and instant territory management help you run a GOTV program that makes full use of every volunteer hour.

Common GOTV Mistakes

• Starting too late. If you haven't planned your GOTV turfs a week before Election Day, you're behind
• Contacting the wrong voters. GOTV resources spent on undecided voters or opponents are wasted. Stick to identified supporters
• Not removing early voters. Knocking on the doors of people who've already voted wastes time and annoys voters
• Running out of energy. Save energy and volunteers for Election Day itself. The final push is the most important
• Poor data quality. If your canvassing IDs from earlier in the campaign are unreliable, your GOTV targeting will be off. Data quality throughout the campaign determines GOTV effectiveness

Campaigns are won during GOTV. Any door knocked, reminder delivered, or ride to the polls arranged can decide the result. Plan early, keep working steadily through the final days, and use technology to get the most from every contact.