GOTV 101: What Is Get Out the Vote?
Getting people to support your campaign is only half the job—you also need to help your supporters turn that support into votes.
GOTV stands for “Get Out the Vote.” It’s the part of your campaign focused on encouraging your supporters to actually cast their ballots.
And while GOTV becomes especially important as voting gets closer, it shouldn’t be something you suddenly start thinking about on Election Day.
A strong GOTV strategy is about making voting as easy as possible for the people who already support your campaign.
What Does GOTV Actually Involve?
GOTV can include:
Reminding supporters when and where they can vote.
Sharing information about advance voting.
Following up with people who have told you they support your campaign.
Sending voting reminders by email, text, phone, or social media.
Talking to supporters at the door.
Giving volunteers clear jobs to help with voter contact.
Making sure your supporters know where to find official voting information.
Helping people make a plan for when they’ll vote.
The goal isn't to convince someone who has never heard of you to suddenly support your campaign.
The goal is to turn existing support into votes.
GOTV Starts Before Election Day
One of the biggest mistakes a campaign can make is waiting until Election Day to think about turnout.
Instead, think about GOTV as happening in stages.
Before voting begins: Make sure your supporters know how, when, and where they can vote.
During the voting period: Keep reminding people to vote and make it easy for them to find the information they need.
In the final days: Focus your campaign's time and energy on reaching people who have already expressed support.
On Election Day: Keep your volunteers organized, continue reminding supporters to vote, and make sure your campaign team knows exactly what everyone is responsible for.
Start Keeping Track of Your Supporters
Throughout your campaign, you'll have conversations with people who tell you things like:
“I'm voting for you.”
“You've got my vote.”
“I'll definitely be supporting you.”
Those conversations are valuable.
Keep track of your supporters using whatever system your campaign has chosen. As voting gets closer, you'll have a list of people your campaign can follow up with.
Just remember: your GOTV efforts should never involve pressuring or harassing people.
Your job is to provide information, reminders, and encouragement—not to tell people how they must vote.
Make Voting Easy
The best GOTV communication is simple.
Your supporters should be able to quickly find answers to questions like:
When can I vote?
Where can I vote?
What do I need to bring?
Can I vote in advance?
When you're sharing specific election information, always direct voters to the official information provided by their municipality or local election authority.
GOTV Is About Follow-Through
You've spent your campaign introducing yourself to voters, listening to your community, building relationships, and earning support.
GOTV is where you help turn all of that work into participation.
You don't need to convince everyone. You need to make it easy for the people who already support you to show up and vote.
