What is get out the vote?
Most of a campaign is about persuasion: finding out where voters stand and talking with people who have not decided. Get out the vote is different. In the final weeks, campaigns turn to the supporters they have already identified and help them turn intention into a ballot.
Remind
Tell supporters when Election Day is and that early voting is open.
Make a plan
Help voters find their polling place or early voting site, and settle when and how they will vote.
Follow up
Log every contact so the campaign can return to anyone who has not voted yet.
New to door knocking? Canvassing 101 walks through a sample script, including the make-a-plan-to-vote question every GOTV conversation ends with.
Why the final weeks before Nov 3 matter
- Early voting opens in October. Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa all have in-person early voting before Election Day, so every reminder in October can turn into a ballot cast that week. Exact dates are on the Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa pages.
- Midterm turnout is lower. With no presidential race on the ballot, fewer people vote, so the supporters a campaign reaches can decide a close race.
- The last four days are the biggest push. From Saturday, October 31 through Election Day, campaigns knock and call as many supporters as they can. That is when our final-weekend carpools run.
Every way to get out the vote
Pick the one that fits your weekend. Illinois is not a swing state, so Chicago volunteers help in nearby races.
Canvass carpool
Ride free from Chicago to knock doors in Wisconsin, Michigan, or Iowa. The 46th Ward Dems run final-weekend get-out-the-vote canvasses to Iowa and Michigan every day from Saturday, Oct 31 through Election Day, and an overnight early-vote trip to Iowa leaves Friday, Oct 16.
Find a canvass carpool →Phone bank
Call swing-state voters from your couch or at a calling party. Every shift starts with a training, and the dialer keeps your number private.
Find a phone bank →Postcards
Write handwritten reminders to swing-state voters at a postcard party around Chicagoland. Hosts provide the cards, addresses, and scripts.
Find a postcard party →Wisconsin →
Carpools to Kenosha, Racine, and southeast Wisconsin, 60 to 90 minutes from Chicago.
Michigan →
Carpools around the lake to southwest Michigan, including the final-weekend GOTV canvasses.
Iowa →
Drive-directly shifts in Dubuque, the overnight early-vote trip, and final-weekend GOTV canvasses.
Upcoming GOTV shifts from Chicago
Weekend of October 10 & 11
Muscoda Canvass to Wisconsin
Join Men4Choice Advocacy to knock doors in Wisconsin
Chicago Canvass to Michigan
Hop on the bus from Chicago to Benton Harbor (MI-04) to flip the House
Evanston Canvass to Iowa
Bus trip to Iowa with the Northwestern College Dems
Dubuque Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa: Drive Directly
Week of October 12
Uptown Canvass to Iowa
Get out the early vote in Iowa! (Overnight Trip!)
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Sat Oct 17 · 8:00 AM
46th Ward Dems
Knock doors in Michigan with the 46th Ward Dems to flip the U.S. House and Senate
Uptown Canvass to Iowa
Get out the early vote in Iowa! (Overnight Trip!)
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Get out the early vote in Michigan
Lincoln Square Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa with the 40th, 47th, 32nd Ward Dems and Q Force
Oak Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Sat Oct 17 · 9:00 AM
Democratic Party of Oak Park
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Democratic Party of Oak Park
Evanston Canvass to Michigan
Bus trip to Michigan with the Northwestern College Dems
Champaign Canvass to Michigan
Bus trip to Michigan with the Illini Dems
Bloomington Canvass to Michigan
Bus trip to Michigan with the Illinois State University and lllinois Wesleyan College Dems
Winnetka Canvass to Wisconsin
Sat Oct 17 · 10:00 AM
New Trier Dems +1
Knock doors in Wisconsin with New Trier Democrats and Hanley for Illinois
Highland Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats
Milwaukee Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin: Drive Directly
Dubuque Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa: Drive Directly
Uptown Canvass to Iowa
Get out the early vote in Iowa! (Overnight Trip!)
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Get out the early vote in Michigan
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Knock on doors in Michigan with A City That Works
Evanston Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Pink Poster Club
Dubuque Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa: Drive Directly
Winnetka Postcard Party
Mon Oct 12 · 10:30 AMNew Trier Dems
Write postcards to swing states
Uptown Postcard Party
PostcardPalooza with Pizza! Part 2
Write postcards to swing states with Hanley for Illinois
Tue Oct 13 · 1:00 PM
Hanley for Illinois
Beverly Phonebank
Tue Oct 13 · 6:00 PM
Politics & Coffee
Make calls to swing states with Politics & Coffee! (In-Person)
Oak Park Postcard Party
Tue Oct 13 · 6:00 PMDemocratic Party of Oak Park
Postcarding Party with the Democratic Party of Oak Park
North Center Phonebank
Tue Oct 13 · 6:00 PM
32nd Ward Dems
Voter & Volunteer Outreach with the 32nd Ward Democrats
Evanston Phonebank
Make calls to swing states with Pink Poster Club! (In-Person)
Oak Park Phonebank
Thu Oct 15 · 6:00 PMDemocratic Party of Oak Park
Make Calls to Swing States with the Democratic Party of Oak Park
Weekend of October 24 & 25
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Sat Oct 24 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Knock doors in Michigan with the 46th Ward Dems to flip the U.S. House and Senate
Hyde Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Sat Oct 24 · 8:00 AM
UChicago Dems
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the UChicago Dems
Chicago Canvass to Michigan
Hop on the bus from Chicago to knock doors in Michigan to flip the House & Senate!
Oak Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Sat Oct 24 · 9:00 AMDemocratic Party of Oak Park
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Democratic Party of Oak Park
Racine Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin for Trevor Jung with Men4Choice Advocacy
Naperville Canvass to Iowa
Sat Oct 24 · 9:00 AM
Indivisible Illinois
Knock Doors in Iowa with Indivisible Illinois
Evanston Canvass to Wisconsin
Bus trip to Wisconsin with the Northwestern College Dems
Oakbrook Terrace Canvass to Wisconsin
Bus trip to Wisconsin with the Illini Dems
Bloomington Canvass to Wisconsin
Bus trip to Wisconsin with the Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan College Dems
Winnetka Canvass to Wisconsin
Sat Oct 24 · 10:00 AMNew Trier Dems +1
Knock doors in Wisconsin with New Trier Democrats and Hanley for Illinois
Highland Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats
Milwaukee Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin: Drive Directly
Racine Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors with Brad Schneider in Wisconsin
Dubuque Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa: Drive Directly
Beverly Canvass
Sun Oct 25 · 10:00 AMPolitics and Coffee
Knock doors in swing states with Politics and Coffee
Evanston Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Pink Poster Club
Dubuque Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa: Drive Directly
Weekend of October 31 & November 1
Uptown Canvass to Iowa
Sat Oct 31 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Iowa with the 46th Ward Dems
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Sat Oct 31 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Michigan with the 46th Ward Dems
Oak Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Sat Oct 31 · 9:00 AMDemocratic Party of Oak Park
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Democratic Party of Oak Park
Winnetka Canvass to Wisconsin
Sat Oct 31 · 10:00 AMNew Trier Dems +1
Knock doors in Wisconsin with New Trier Democrats and Hanley for Illinois
Highland Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats
Milwaukee Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin: Drive Directly
Dubuque Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa: Drive Directly
Uptown Canvass to Iowa
Sun Nov 1 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Iowa with the 46th Ward Dems
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Sun Nov 1 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Michigan with the 46th Ward Dems
Winnetka Canvass to Wisconsin
Sun Nov 1 · 10:00 AMNew Trier Dems +1
Knock doors in Wisconsin with New Trier Democrats and Hanley for Illinois
Highland Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats
Evanston Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Pink Poster Club
Dubuque Canvass to Iowa
Knock doors in Iowa: Drive Directly
Election Days — November 2 & 3
Uptown Canvass to Iowa
Mon Nov 2 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Iowa with the 46th Ward Dems
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Mon Nov 2 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Michigan with the 46th Ward Dems
Winnetka Canvass to Wisconsin
Mon Nov 2 · 10:00 AMNew Trier Dems +1
Knock doors in Wisconsin with New Trier Democrats and Hanley for Illinois
Highland Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats
Uptown Canvass to Iowa
Tue Nov 3 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Iowa with the 46th Ward Dems
Uptown Canvass to Michigan
Tue Nov 3 · 8:00 AM46th Ward Dems
Get out the vote in Michigan with the 46th Ward Dems
Winnetka Canvass to Wisconsin
Tue Nov 3 · 10:00 AMNew Trier Dems +1
Knock doors in Wisconsin with New Trier Democrats and Hanley for Illinois
Highland Park Canvass to Wisconsin
Knock doors in Wisconsin with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats
Get out the vote FAQs
What does GOTV mean?
GOTV stands for get out the vote. It is the final phase of a campaign, when volunteers stop trying to persuade people and instead make sure supporters who already plan to vote actually cast a ballot: reminding them of the date, helping them find their polling place or early voting site, and making a plan to vote.
When is GOTV for the 2026 midterms?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Campaigns ramp up get-out-the-vote work as early voting opens in October, and the final four days, Saturday, October 31 through Election Day, are the most intense stretch.
How can I help get out the vote from Chicago?
Operation Swing State runs free carpools from Chicago to knock doors in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa, including final-weekend get-out-the-vote canvasses to Iowa and Michigan from October 31 through November 3. You can also join a phone bank from home or at a calling party, or write postcards to swing-state voters at a local postcard party.
Can I volunteer to get out the vote from home?
Yes. Virtual phone banks start with a live Zoom training, and the dialer keeps your personal number private. Get-out-the-vote calls remind supporters when and where to vote and help them make a plan.
Do I need experience to volunteer for GOTV?
No. Get-out-the-vote conversations are short and scripted, and every canvass and phone bank starts with a training. First-time canvassers are paired with an experienced buddy.
Is get out the vote work partisan?
It can be either. Nonpartisan groups encourage everyone to vote; campaigns focus on their own supporters. Operation Swing State is a coalition of Democratic organizations, unions, and advocacy groups, and its canvasses and phone banks support Democratic candidates.
Claim a seat for the final weekend
Final-weekend canvasses run Oct 31 through Nov 3. Signing up early helps organizers plan carpools.