DPDC Candidate Support:
Strategies for Targeting Voters
Why should I target and prioritize voters?
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Limited resources – time, money and labor (you and/or volunteers).
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Voters Who Vote - you want to reach the voters who will show up AND actually vote for you.
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A Plan - Create a PLAN to reach the greatest number of voters BEFORE they vote!
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Focus on voter “touches” – how many times you can connect with the voter or that they hear your name - your Voter Outreach Plan.
DATA RESOURCES - VOTER DATA AND ELECTION RESULTS
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You can determine which voters to reach by analyzing a few different resources and creating “walk” lists to canvas voters or utilize other outreach methods.
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County Database – DuPage County Board of Elections
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DuPage County website, County Clerk, Election Division
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Scroll down to where it says “Request Election Materials”; click through and fill out form.
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You’ll receive a large CSV data file with the most recent voter data for your district which can be read or manipulated in spreadsheet software.
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Votebuilder (VB)
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Voter Database of the Democratic Party; need access from your county Democratic Party
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DuPage County Elections results – www.dupageresults.gov
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Analyze the precincts in your district – total votes and voter turnout.
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NOTE: Different precinct numbers and boundaries in previous Consolidate Elections!!
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CREATE YOUR TARGET UNIVERSE
Large Districts
Precinct Prioritization Analysis - prioritize geographically by precinct using turnout and other factors or characteristics; create a more nuanced approach based on available resources.
Precincts Not Equal - Not all precincts are created equal.
Most districts - Prioritize by type of Voter
Use Votebuilder with the help of the DuPage Dems or a knowledgeable individual with VoteBuilder access.
In order of importance:
Prior Voting History – voters who voted in previous Consolidated elections – ALL PARTIES because this is a non-partisan race. REMEMBER: IF someone voted is a matter of public record; HOW they voted is not.
Democratic Voters – voters labeled “Democrat” in county database or a higher Dem score in Votebuilder; based mostly on if they voted in a primary and what party ballot they pulled; these voters did NOT vote in prior consolidated elections BUT they did vote in the general. You can possibly persuade them to vote in this election because they’re good voters.
Moderate or Centrist Voters – no party label or a moderate Dem score in VB and they vote; you might be able persuade them to vote for you.
Vote-By-Mail - Pay attention to Vote-By-Mail (VBM) Voters and the upcoming dates when VBM ballots are mailed. Typically, you should prioritize these.
Target Voter Segments – may choose to target certain voter segments like age, gender or ethnic designation
*****A Word About Turnout
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Calculating your win number, prioritizing precincts and creating a voter universe are highly dependent upon the projected turnout you are assuming.
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Generally, voter turnout has increased over previous elections since 2016; However, a higher turnout may or not be the case for 2025 or in your particular district. But AIM HIGH.
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Contested or Contentious races tend to increase turnout.
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It’s your job to increase turnout and persuade voters WHY they should vote and why they should vote for YOU.
CREATE YOUR PLAN BASED ON YOUR ANALYSIS
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The End Goal – An Efficient and Intentional Plan
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Determine your voter universe and generate walk lists.
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Create a field plan using various voter outreach methods.
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Reach or “touch” as many priority voters as possible, the most amount of times.
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Persuade them to show up to the polls.
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And persuade them that you are the best candidate and to vote for YOU!
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