WDYD Part 3: VoteSharp
The "cheat sheet" for voter relationships.
Welcome to the 3rd in our What DO you do? series. We pack a lot of info into this 5-minute read!
Week #1 highlighted the KanVote Ballot Application Subscription Service: Newsletter, KanVote Website
Never missing a vote makes a great gift or stocking stuffer!
Political Strategy: Our May 13 Newsletter detailed the strategic work we do.
More resources: Our series on 5Ws&H of Running for Office
Today’s update showcases our VoteSharp voter CRM.
VoteSharp Juror Insight: NEW Service! Detailed in last update in this series.
In the “early ‘00s”, Stephanie was on a doorstep staring at a name on the spreadsheet, trying to recall what she and this constituent had bantered about over email. Her Blackberry was a dead end. There were 22,000 constituents and only one Representative Sharp. She wanted to remember each engagement the same way the voter remembered their interaction with their one Representative.
Unless you’re Marilu Henner and have Hyperthymesia (“highly superior autobiographical memory”), you’re gonna need a cheat sheet. VoteSharp to the rescue!
What is VoteSharp?
VoteSharp is a web-based CRM tool candidates and organizations use to track their relationships with voters.
Let’s translate tech-speak into English. What’s a CRM?
Technically, it means Client Relationship Management, but we use Constituent as our “C”. Here are a few examples of CRMs in other industries:
For those in business, VoteSharp is like Salesforce for candidates - tracking every engagement with a potential lead, so the salesperson knows what’s important to them, when they should follow up, and other important details about the sale.
If you’re in health care, VoteSharp is like an Electronic Medical Record - providers add information about each appointment so each doctor or nurse has a complete view of your health history.
If you’re an attorney, VoteSharp is like your hourly billing database - each email and phone call is tracked to its corresponding client, so you have a complete history of correspondence.
Who Subscribes to VoteSharp?
VoteSharp subscribers are candidates, PACs, parties, consultants, or businesses and the clients/patients are registered voters in a particular district - anyone who wants to track voter engagement at an individual voter level. State Senate and down ballot, as well as petitions and ballot initiatives are our “sweet spot”.
Whether it’s walking doors, going to the grocery store, church, or the county fair, public servants are interacting with voters every day - not just during the campaign cycle.
Logging those interactions NOW makes the campaign door-knock easier because it’s no longer a cold call. It’s reconnecting with an established acquaintance… IF you remember the conversation.
That’s how VoteSharp is your cheat sheet for voter relationships.
How do you use VoteSharp?
There are two “sides” of the tool, plus a bonus external function:
Mapping: Used for tracking voter interactions while walking door-to-door and yard/commercial sign management.
Map Customization: See what you want to see - filter by political party, voting frequency, mail ballot recipients, and “cutting turf” by precincts are a few examples of the mapping functions.
Google’s “salmon” colored pins indicate a voting household.
Green pins highlight new voters registered in the last 12 months.
Voter Data: Each pin displays the voters in the household which meet your chosen criteria, along with their gender*, age*, party affiliation*, icons for previous interactions, and the number of elections they’ve voted in.
*Subject to each state’s available data.
Door/Literature Drop: Whether someone answered the door or not, you can include keyword searchable notes (pets present, funny yard art, bumper stickers, etc.), yard sign workflow, photos, and follow-up reminders.
Here are a few screenshots of the mapping version:
Salmon v. Green Pins Easy Interface Detailed Voter File
Database:
Voter Search: by name, address, party affiliation, gender, etc. Our users call it “VoteSharping Someone”.
Data Crunch: Slice and dice voter data for mail, phone, and email lists. It’s easy for candidates to use, yet robust enough for the data-nerdiest consultant; and
Microtargeting: Keyword searching communications - all interaction notes and email content is keyword searchable.
Screenshots of the database interface:
BONUS EXTERNAL FUNCTION: Email Tracking!
Why is it external? All voter interactions (phone, door, office visit, etc.) are logged in VoteSharp, except email.
For email, use your regular email system. Compose/reply to constituent email like you normally do - from Outlook, Mac Mail, Gmail, whatever platform you use. Then,
In the CC: line, add your VoteSharp system key, which looks like an email address formatted like this: subscriberfirstname.lastname@constituent.us
Don’t worry - there’s not another inbox to check! This “key” tells VoteSharp to collect the email address(es) in the TO: line, and the email content, and save it in the corresponding voter’s file.
If you don’t already have a voter’s email address, the address and email content is saved in a queue until you match them.
This one-time match allows seamless saving in the voter’s file for all future communications when the system key is CC’d.
Why VoteSharp?
Cost: With 14 years in state and local elected office, Stephanie has been where you are and knows every dollar you spend is one you have to raise! Subscribers with less than 25,000 voters pay just $595/year. More pricing info below.
Privacy: YOU own your relationship with voters, YOU own the data. Everything is exportable.
Intuitive Design: VoteSharp is designed specifically for tech-averse “vintage” users, so anyone of any age or stage can plug-and-play. We want you to talking to voters, not tech support. (PS: If your tool works, you don’t need tech support…)
Where can I find VoteSharp?
Seventeen states and counting: Being everything to everyone is expensive for users. We keep our prices accessible by only hosting data where we have clients using it.
We are happy to open a new state with a commitment of five subscribers.
Speaking of, how much is VoteSharp?
If you have millions in the bank and a staff team to run your data, you don’t need us. BUT! Just because state legislative and local city and school races are smaller doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have great data that’s easy to use at a price they can afford.
I am or know someone who needs VoteSharp!
If you’re hoarding a stash of walk sheets in your garage, attempting to track communications on an endless spreadsheet, or walking every door because you think you should, let’s chat.
Reply to this email, or
Schedule a 15, 30, or 60-minute conversation or demo by clicking here.
THANK YOU for sharing our work!
Stephanie Sharp