Free app simplifies canvassing and makes it affordable for even small grassroots groups.

Some people drive fancy cars. Others bike. It all depends on your destination and budget. Canvassing is the same.

A lack of funds holds back some campaigns from maximizing their canvassing efforts. Others need to supplement voter files with other lists. Some need to add details on new voters met while canvassing. A free solution using GlideApps and Google Sheets now lets even small grassroots group canvass better.

Canvassing is key to political campaigns, grassroots fundraising and building community awareness. Campaigners knock on doors to engage in personalized contact, identify supporters, persuade the undecided, add voters to the voters list and get out the vote (GOTV) operations.However, canvassing is a logistical challenge. Canvassers need to be managed, get timely information, quickly enter meeting notes and campaigns need to make the best use of the information collected. Technology makes a big difference.

The need
Andrea Miller is the founder of People Demanding Action in Virginia and has been organizing for decades. She brought the need for an affordable solution to DemLabs. A good solution had to:
- Be affordable for even small grassroots groups.
- Could be deployed quickly and had an easy to use mobile app.
- Let the campaign decide what information canvassers should collect.
- Have a central database that multiple canvassers could remotely access at the same time.
- Allow for immediate updates from canvassers so the same voter wasn’t contacted twice.
- Canvassers should be able to add records on new potential voters not already on their list.
- Provide a map of contacts to simplify the allocation of contacts amongs canvassers (turf cutting), make it easier for canvassers to locate contacts and minimize travel time.
- Be able to export data so that it could be used to update the VAN (Voter Activation Network)
- Work with the voter file or any other list of addresses.

Background
DemLabs applies existing apps (most of which are free) to meet campaign needs, rather than develop new software. This approach cuts the costs and time needed to roll out solutions. DemLabs share details on the solution so other progressive groups can also use it on their own. After extensive research for the best solution, we picked two free apps (GlideApps and Google Sheets) for this canvassing system.

Google Sheets serves as a database with the details on voters. GlideApp is configured to provide a mobile canvassing app.  The addresses to canvass can be loaded into Google Sheets from a voter file, VAN or any other list of addresses (e.g. union members). The mobile canvassing app reads and updates the Google Sheet. Canvassers use the app to locate addresses, update records with details from their meetings with voters and also add new potential voters. Campaigns can customize the details they want their canvassers to collect.

Canvassing made easy (and affordable)
Canvassers are provided a link which activates the mobile app on their phone and is connected to the addresses of people that they should contact.