4 GOTV Strategies for the Final Days Before Election Day

For example, some voters need a clearer reason to support a candidate. Others already intend to vote but have not figured out when they will go, who will watch their children, or where to find a particular race on a long ballot.

In our experience, an effective get out the vote strategy connects motivation with practical instructions, opportunities to participate, and data that helps teams valuably focus their remaining time.

Give voters a specific reason to vote for something

For 501c4 electoral campaigns, partisan enthusiasm and frustration with the opposition can create an opening - especially in this anti-incumbency and hungry-for-change election climate. But it’s easy to slide into negativity in the final weeks of a campaign and use your remaining message to voters to remind them of the harsh realities they’re already facing. Instead, use this time to give voters a clear explanation of what a candidate or ballot proposition would do and why it matters to them.

A voter concerned about education should understand which decisions the office on the ballot controls, what the candidate proposes, and how those choices could affect local schools. A message about housing costs should explain the candidate’s approach and what they could realistically change within the first year they’re in office.

That specificity matters particularly for down-ballot candidates who cannot assume voters know their names or responsibilities. If a voter remembers the problem but cannot explain why electing your candidate would help address it, then your message still needs work.

Use your remaining emails, texts, ads, and volunteer conversations to make that connection. Give supporters a positive reason to show up and something concrete they can share with others.

Show supporters where to find the race on their ballot

Supporting a candidate in a pre-election conversation and locating that candidate on the ballot when it matters are separate steps. Campaigns working on school board, judicial, or other down-ballot races should account for both.

Use a relevant official sample ballot to create clearly labeled campaign graphics showing the office name, candidate, and where the contest appears. Ballot layouts can differ within a campaign’s geography, so check that each version matches the voters receiving it.

Then, carry those visuals across mail, email, social media, and volunteer materials in the final weeks. Pair the image with plain-language instructions, in as many languages as your target audience needs, that help supporters fill out their entire ballot.

Even nonpartisan organizations can provide neutral ballot-navigation guidance, voter education must avoid favoring or opposing candidates.

Make early voting an opportunity to organize

Asking people to gather on a Tuesday between work, school pickup, and dinner can be difficult. Where early voting schedules allow, a Saturday or weekday evening offers an opportunity to make participation a shared community activity and builds a sense of collective action.

A march to the polls or neighborhood gathering can give people a specific time, meeting place, and group to join. Consider food and childcare at the gathering to help families participate, with arrangements reviewed for applicable election rules and never conditioned on voting or supporting a candidate.

Give volunteers defined responsibilities: recruiting attendees, confirming logistics, welcoming families, and following up with people who asked for help. Use digital outreach to communicate the verified voting location, hours, eligibility requirements, and what participants should bring, linking to official election information.

For nonpartisan organizations, keep the invitation and event focused on participation. Electoral campaigns can connect their gathering to the candidates they support while observing restrictions around polling places.

With participants’ permission, capture photos and short videos at the gathering. Reels and posts featuring familiar community members can help promote subsequent events and give volunteers useful content to share well beyond Election season.

Keep voter outreach lists current as early voting progresses

Early voting should also change how teams allocate their remaining capacity. Specifically, ahead of the election there is the opportunity for existing Murmuration partners to work with a Partnerships Success Manager and Data Success Manager to understand what early vote data is available in your state, when it was last updated, and which ballot statuses it captures. A requested mail ballot is not a completed vote, and an update should not be assumed to reflect every recent voter.As verified participation data becomes available, refresh text, email, phone, and canvass lists to remove people who have already voted from turnout reminders. Preserve appropriate follow-up for voters whose ballots still require action.

People who have voted can receive a different invitation: volunteer for a shift, share voting information, or help organize the next event

Final Thoughts

There is still time to reach voters who have not made a plan, help supporters bring others into the process, and give people a clearer reason to participate. Campaigns that put their remaining time and energy into those opportunities can turn the final weeks into meaningful gains in turnout, while strengthening the relationships that will carry this work beyond Election Day. Need support for your next campaign? Talk to Murmuration's Campaigns team at campaigns@murmuration.org; let's build your next win together.