VoteBuilder 101 | National Democratic Training Committee

VoteBuilder 101

By Rose Clouston
120 min
Data Management

Course Outline

Content
  • 6 VoteBuilder simulations
What You Need
  • Just yourself!

What You’ll Learn

  • Utilize the basic features of VoteBuilder and recognize how they can support your campaign
  • Create lists of voters for targeted outreach, including your base and persuasion voters
  • Easily develop walking lists and maps for your campaign’s canvassing efforts
  • Track and record the outcomes of your voter contact efforts

Why This is Important

This course will introduce you to the basic functions of VoteBuilder, the software Democratic campaigns across the country use to organize their voter contact efforts. If you’re using VoteBuilder in your campaign — whether you are developing your campaign plan, organizing your persuasion efforts, kicking off your early GOTV initiatives, or deep in your final GOTV push — getting more comfortable with it can be a game-changer for your campaign.

Key Resources

  • VoteBuilder Glossary
  • Key Field Numbers Workbook
  • VoteBuilder 101 User Guide

Related Trainings

  • Calculating Your Vote Goal — Determine the number of votes you need to win and bring that number (or even better the full Key Field Numbers Workbook), and you’ll be ready to start building your lists of base and persuasion voters with us in VoteBuilder
  • Field Tactics — Your walk and phone bank packets aren’t all your volunteers need to succeed. You’ll also need to train and manage them — this course can help you with that

Thank Yous

This course was developed with assistance from many people throughout the Democratic community. NDTC would like to especially thank:

  • NGPVAN, the creators of VAN (and VoteBuilder), for providing us access to the software
  • Katie Ellis of Intrepid Strategies for lending her VoteBuilder and training expertise to the curriculum development process
  • Luke Siebert, Data Director for the Maine Democratic Party, who spent his “free time” during the 2018 election season developing the curriculum with us
  • Cedar Interactive for all their work designing the interactive simulations
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Rose Clouston

Trainer

At the time this course was created, Rose was the Director of Online Trainings at NDTC. She is currently the Director of Voter Protection at the Texas Democratic Party, where she leads the state party's efforts to create an easy voting experience for all Texans and support voters throughout the process.

At NDTC, Rose led the team in creating dozens of on-demand, online trainings. Prior to joining NDTC, Rose was a National Coordinator at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where she managed the non-partisan Election Protection hotline, training and managing thousands of volunteers who answered tens of thousands of voters’ questions in the 2014 and 2016 elections. She organized state-level poll monitoring and election reform advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania, New York and Florida. Previously, Rose served as deputy director on a Virginia gubernatorial primary campaign and was a regional field director on a Florida gubernatorial campaign.

Rose has a Master in Public Policy from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Florida. She lives in Austin and in her free time enjoys exploring Austin's trails, biking, roller derby, and cooking new vegetarian recipes.