Run an election, end to end

Everything downstream — the war-game, the seat maths, the ballot — depends on how this election is decided.

How: Choose the electoral system and turnout/threshold rules in Strategy Studio, then save.

1. 1Pick the electoral system (FPTP, popular vote, proportional, or threshold/referendum).
2. 2Set the number of seats (proportional only).
3. 3Set the base turnout and any threshold/quorum rules.

Voters, canvass turf, the carpool map and the influence graph are all organised by area, so these come first.

How: Add each block / ward / constituency, with its electorate size and (optionally) map coordinates.

1. 1Add every voting area (ward / block / constituency / chapter).
2. 2Set each area's electorate size.
3. 3Add map coordinates so the carpool map can place them (optional).

The roll is the campaign's foundation — every contact, pledge and projection runs off it.

How: Import a voter-file export (L2 / TargetSmart / PDI / NationBuilder) or paste the roll; voters attach to the areas you defined.

1. 1Import a vendor voter-file export, or paste/add voters.
2. 2Confirm voters map to the correct areas.
3. 3Mark locality (local vs out-of-city) for election-day transport.

Name the field — your slate and the opponents — so the ballot, public page and analysis have candidates to work with.

How: Create your slates/panels, add each candidate, and assign them.

1. 1Create the slates / panels (yours and the opponents').
2. 2Add each candidate with their headline.
3. 3Assign each candidate to a slate.

Your manifesto and notices are what voters actually read; they anchor the public page and outreach. Independent of ratings — do them in parallel.

How: Upload the manifesto and any polling notices.

1. 1Upload the manifesto.
2. 2Add any polling notices or leaflets.
3. 3Mark which documents are public.

Score your panel AND the opponents on stature, standing, organisation and effort — plus SWOT. This is what makes the simulator decide races on judgement, not a guess. Runs in parallel with the manifesto.

How: Open each candidate and enter the panel's 0–10 ratings and SWOT.

1. 1Score each candidate 0–10 on the rating attributes.
2. 2Fill in the SWOT for your candidate and the key opponents.
3. 3Repeat for opponents so the projection is a real contest.

Every number in a campaign message is checked against this sheet before it can be approved — so a send is BLOCKED until the claims it makes are sourced here. Build it before you draft, and add to it as new claims come up.

How: Add each factual claim with its source. The message guard reads directly from this list.

1. 1Add each claim you'll make (turnout figures, records, comparisons) with a citation.
2. 2Keep it current — add a source whenever a message needs a new number.
3. 3A message with an unsupported number can't be approved until its source is here.

The public page hosts the manifesto and the pledge form that opt-in, consent and messaging all point supporters to — so publish it as soon as candidates and the manifesto exist, NOT at the very end.

How: Publish candidates so the public election page goes live.

1. 1Publish your candidates.
2. 2Check the public election page and the pledge form.
3. 3Share the public link — outreach and opt-in point here.

Rehearse the outcome BEFORE spending on the ground — it's a targeting tool, so it belongs before canvassing/outreach, not after. Re-run it as ratings and field data come in.

How: Run scenarios in Strategy Studio and bank the ones worth comparing; revisit as data lands.

1. 1Add past results to calibrate the projection (recommended).
2. 2Run Monte-Carlo scenarios under different strategy levers.
3. 3Save & compare scenarios; use the budget → seats optimiser to target the field program.

Canvassing, phone banks and election-day driving all need real people — and 'assign canvassers to turfs' has no one to assign until you've built the roster. Recruit early.

How: Add your field team with contact details and roles, and schedule shifts.

1. 1Add volunteers with their role (canvasser / caller / driver …).
2. 2Schedule shifts for canvassing, phones and election day.
3. 3Keep the roster current as people join.

A planned calendar keeps the message consistent across platforms — it runs continuously from early on, not squeezed in behind the field program.

How: Schedule posts across your channels and keep them flowing.

1. 1Draft posts per channel.
2. 2Schedule them across the whole campaign, starting now.
3. 3Track status (draft → scheduled → posted).

A distinctive keyword (e.g. “VOTE2026”) builds a consented, legal contact list from your ads and posters.

How: Set the opt-in keyword and welcome message. Pick a keyword unique to your campaign — generic join words (JOIN, START, SUBSCRIBE…) are reserved and won't be accepted.

1. 1Choose a distinctive opt-in keyword (e.g. VOTE2026 or your campaign's short name — not a generic word like JOIN).
2. 2Write the welcome/confirmation message.
3. 3Print the keyword on posters and ads.

You can only text or call voters who have consented — this is the hard legal gate for every send, call and text below.

How: Collect reminder/comms consent via pledges, opt-in, or import.

1. 1Gather consent via pledges, the opt-in keyword, or import.
2. 2Confirm the consented audience size on the dashboard.

Turns the consented list into turnout. Every number is checked against the facts sheet, so that must exist first. Runs in parallel with the door and phone programs.

How: Draft and send a campaign message to your consented audience.

1. 1Create a campaign.
2. 2Draft a message — numbers are checked against the facts sheet before approval.
3. 3Approve it, then send to the consented audience.

Doors are the highest-value contact — and where your survey learns what voters care about. Depends only on consent, the roll and a volunteer roster; it runs in parallel with phone/text, not before it.

How: Cut turf, assign your canvassers, build the doorstep survey, and record contacts.

1. 1Cut turf per area.
2. 2Assign canvassers (from Volunteers) to turfs.
3. 3Build the doorstep survey.
4. 4Record contacts (works offline).

Phone and text reach the voters you can't knock — within legal contact hours. A parallel field channel to canvassing, gated only by consent and the roll.

How: Create a phone/text session and work the list.

1. 1Create a phone or text session with a script.
2. 2Load the call/text list.
3. 3Work dispositions and inbound replies.

Getting your out-of-city and elderly voters to the poll is the whole game. Set drivers up early; activate the live map on the day.

How: Add drivers and share their live links; watch the coordinator map on the day.

1. 1Add drivers with capacity and area.
2. 2Share each driver's live-location link.
3. 3Watch the coordinator map on election day.

The finish line the whole campaign builds toward — chase your pledged supporters who haven't voted yet and mark them off as they turn out.

How: Work the live turnout board: the GOTV chase list of pledged supporters not yet voted, one-tap mark-voted, and a shareable poll-watcher link.

1. 1Open the live turnout board.
2. 2Work the chase list of pledged supporters who haven't voted.
3. 3Share the poll-watcher link so volunteers can mark voters off from their phones.