A get-out-the-vote chase is only as good as the universe you're chasing. Blast everyone and you waste sends and burn the list; target precisely and every message does work. Building the right chase universe, who to include, who to exclude, and how to keep it current, is the unglamorous foundation of an effective GOTV program. Here's how to build one.
What is a chase universe?
The chase universe is the specific set of voters you're texting to turn out, defined by who you want to vote and who hasn't yet. It's not your whole list; it's the targeted subset that GOTV effort should focus on. A good chase universe is your identified supporters and lean-supporters who haven't voted, refined continuously as people cast ballots. The whole art of a chase is segmenting down to exactly the voters where a turnout nudge produces a vote you'd otherwise lose.
Who belongs in the chase universe?
The voters where a nudge yields a marginal vote:
- Identified supporters from voter ID who haven't voted yet, the core of the chase.
- Lean-supporters and favorable low-propensity voters, where a nudge can produce a marginal vote.
- Outstanding mail and early voters, whose ballots you're chasing to completion.
Who to exclude: voters who've already voted (chasing them wastes sends and burns goodwill), reliable base voters who'll turn out regardless, and opposition or unfavorable voters (you don't want to turn them out).
How do you keep it updated?
Continuously, by vote status. The defining feature of a good chase is that it shrinks as people vote, a voter who returns a ballot or shows up drops out of the universe immediately, so you stop chasing them. That requires feeding vote-history and ballot-return data back into your segments as it comes in, ideally daily in the final stretch. A chase universe that isn't updated keeps nagging people who already voted, which spikes opt-outs and wastes money. A chase universe that updates cleanly focuses your effort exactly where it produces votes, and it's what separates a precise GOTV operation from a blunt one.
Frequently asked questions
What is a GOTV chase universe?
The specific set of voters you're texting to turn out, your identified supporters and favorable voters who haven't voted yet, refined continuously as people cast ballots. It's the targeted subset GOTV effort should focus on, not your whole list.
Who should be in the chase universe?
Identified supporters who haven't voted, favorable lean and low-propensity voters where a nudge yields a marginal vote, and outstanding mail and early voters. Exclude people who already voted, reliable base voters, and opposition voters.
How do you keep a chase universe updated?
By vote status, continuously. Feed vote-history and ballot-return data into your segments as it comes in, ideally daily in the final stretch, so voters drop out the moment they vote. An unupdated chase nags people who already voted, spiking opt-outs.
Keep reading: the 72-hour GOTV plan and GOTV texting in vote-by-mail states. For voter tools, see Vote.org.