User Manual Last updated 1/19/2012 1
Table of Contents Introduction About VoteCast 4 About Practical Political Consulting 4 Contact Us 5 Signing In 6 Main Menu 7 8 Voter Lists Voter Selection (Create New Voter List) 9 Access Current Voter List 10 12 Access Saved Voter List 13 Customize My Canvass Questions / Tags 14 16 Scripts 17 18 Creating Walk Maps 19 Look Up Voter 20 Contact Voters Using the Call Center 21 Using Mobile Walk 22 23 Results Canvass Results / Counts 24 2
Data Maintenance Import 26 Entry 27 Download 28 System Administration User Administration 29 Call Center Administration 30 Mobile Walk Administration 31 3
About VoteCast Combined, the staff at Practical Political Consulting have over 125 years of campaign experience ranging from running and being elected to local office to serving as staff in the Michigan Legislature, NASA, and the White House. We ve worked on every election cycle since 1976 and watched campaigns change with time ever since. As with everything else, things change over time. Often for the better. Campaigns have evolved since we opened our doors four decades ago. New technologies have made campaigns more efficient and have allowed campaigns to better target, contact, and turnout voters. There are a number of voter contact systems available to campaigns throughout the country. However, we feel like they are all lacking the same thing something the New York Times called the best data available our data. To solve this problem, we decided to develop our own, completely produced and maintained in Michigan, voter management system that exclusively uses PPC s data. VoteCast has all the features you might be used to in other voter management software and then some. Further, we are always looking to constantly improve the software and add new features. And of course, it exceeds PPC s high standard of quality. Practical Political Consulting Since 1976, when Mark Grebner founded Practical Political Consulting (PPC), we ve supplied thousands of political campaigns with the best and most accurate voter lists. Alan Fox joined Mark in 1982 to form a unique partnership dedicated to creating the highest quality campaign services and products in Michigan. The New York Times even went as far as to call us the keeper of the best lists possible in this competitive state. We provide savvy campaigns a one of a kind opportunity to be able to put their scarce resources (time and money) toward persuading people who will actually cast ballots either in person or absentee instead of wasting these precious resources on those that won t vote. Over the years, we ve spent millions of dollars acquiring, verifying, coding, and refining various pieces of information that comprise PPC lists. Quite simply, we produce the best lists available and we do it accurately, efficiently, and cost effectively for you. We sell lists for 4
nearly every sort of race imaginable, ranging from Presidential campaigns to local school board races. In 2011, we expanded our services to include general campaign consulting from our experienced staff with a diverse set of skills and expertise. Contact Us Practical Political Consulting, Inc. 220 Albert Avenue, 2 nd Floor East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 517-351-8274 Fax: 517 351 6418 penelope@grebner.com Facebook:facebook.com/PracticalPoliticalConsulting Twitter:@PPC_EastLansing Youtube: youtube.com/user/ppceastlansing 5
Signing in Point your browser to www.mivotecast.com. The page below should load. Enter your username and password. Click on Login. 6
Main Menu This page contains access to all pages a given user has access to. User access is determined by a committee s VoteCast administrator. Below is a screen shot of this page, list of links on this page, and description of what these links do. Main: Clicking this button will return the user to the Main Menu Page About: Read more about VoteCast and Practical Political Consulting FAQ: Answers to commonly asked questions appear here Contact Us: If you are unable to find your answer in our FAQ page, are experiencing technical difficulties, would like to learn more about our other products, or need to contact us for any other reasons, click here for ways to get in touch with us. Logout: Click here to log out after your session. Change Password: Change your user password here. Call Center: Make phone calls to voters directly from your computer screen. No need to print lists or worry about data entry. The number of lists you have available to call at any given time is displayed here. Voter Selection: To create a new list of voters, click here. Load Current List: Access the most recently created voter list here. 7
View Saved List: Access voter lists that you ve created and saved here. Canvass Result Counts: View and track the results of your phone calls and walk contacts. Compare data over a specific time period and demographics. Data Import: Import data into your file from Excel. Must include a QVF number or Grebner ID number. Data Download: Download data from your walks, calls, and canvass results here. Data Entry: Enter data from walk and call sheets in a simple, quick setting. Mobile Walk: Use this on your smart device (iphone, ipad, Droid, BlackBerry, etc.) to canvass. Data is saved as you walk door to door and later approved and quick uploaded by the committee s system administrator. Voter Lookup: Lookup key information on a specific voter. Administration: Administer your committee create / edit / delete users, change access rights. Questions / Tags: Create questions to be used in scripts and on walk / calls lists, and in Call Center. VPB: Administer Call Center rights. Scripts: Create scripts to be used with voter lists. Mobile: Administer Mobile Walk rights. 8
Voter Selection Voter Selection is the place where voter lists are created. Here, the lists used to organize Door to Door Walks, phonebanks, the Call Center feature, the Mobile Walk feature, and view counts originate. To create a new voter list, follow the directions listed below: 1. On the Main Menu, click Voter Selection. 2. Select among the available fields in Geographic Selections to choose your georgraphic region and use the other fields to create a more specific list 3. Once finished selecting the list, click Run Query 4. Your voter list will appear 9
Current List After creating a new voter list in the Voter Selection page, Users will be directed to their newly created list. Users can sort each column by their heading. Below is a list of the column headings and their meanings: Name: The voter s name Address: The voter s address YOB: The voter s year of birth Phone: The voter s phone number Dem: The voter s Grebner Democrat index. This is on a 0 100 scale with 0 being the most likely to be a Republican and 100 the most likely to be a Democrat. Nov: The voter s Grebner index for likelihood of voting in the November General Election. This is on a 0 100 scale with 0 being the least likely to vote in a November General Election and 100 the most likely to vote in a November General Election. Aug: The voter s Grebner index for likelihood of voting in the August Primary Election. This is on a 0 100 scale with 0 being the least likely to vote in an August Primary Election and 100 the most likely to vote in an August Primary Election. 10
AV: The voter s Grebner index for likelihood of voting by absentee ballot in a given election. This is on a 0 100 scale with 0 being the least likely to vote by absentee ballot and 100 the most likely to vote by absentee ballot. Pet: Any petitions this person may have signed or memberships to groups they hold are included here (examples, H = anti gay marriage, C = pro choice, S = state employee, etc.) County: The county in which the voter resides Jurisdiction: The municipality in which the voter resides Precinct: The precinct in which the voter resides Once the list is created from the Voter Selection feature, you can still make edits to it by using the Add Voters, Remove Voters, and Filter Voters buttons near the top of the page. Below is a description of what these do: Add Voters: Add voters to this list by going back to the Voter Selection page and adding additional search criteria. Remove Voters: Remove voters from this list by going back to the Voter Selection page and removing voters based on search criteria. Filter Voters: Create a new list based on new search criteria. To view crosstabs about your list, select Counts. The number of individuals and households will be displayed and Users can create counts based on a number of preset values, like Age, Gender, and Dem Index. Users may also choose to view percentages instead of raw numbers. When finished with the Counts, click Return to List to go back to the previous page. 11
Restore Previous List: Go back to the most recent list that was loaded prior to Add Voters, Remove Voters, or Filter Voters Save List: Save your list. This should be done each time you create a new list and print walk lists, phone lists, Mobile Walks, or Call Center Lists, so the list can be referenced, changed if necessary, and have walk polygons saved to it later. Save Search: This will save the search criteria used to create this list in the Voter Selection feature. As information on voters changes, this list may change due to the chosen search criteria and give the most current information possible. Export: Create an export file of this list. Reports: Create a walk list, phone list, Mobile Walk, Call Center list, 12
Access Saved List To access a saved voter list, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main Menu, click View Saved Lists 2. Select the name of the folder that the saved list is located within 3. Select the list name 13
Questions / Tags This feature is used to create, edit, and delete Canvass Questions and Tags. Canvass Questions are the questions used to identify a voter s feelings toward a range of topics like, Do you plan on voting, Will you be voting for Candidate X, Will you be voting absentee. Canvass Questions are the questions that make up your script for phone lists, walk lists, the Call Center, and Mobile Walk. Tags are used to note something specific about an individual voter. Some useful tags might include Volunteer Canvasser, Donor, Yard Sign, and Union Member. These tags will appear in the Voter Selection page and lists including / excluding them may be pulled for campaign use. To create or view Canvass Questions, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main menu, click on Questions / Tags 2. Select Canvass Questions 3. Canvass Questions that have already been created will appear if there are any 4. Click Create 5. Create a Name for your question (this should be kept short as it will appear on all printed sheets) 6. Create a Description (this can be longer) 14
7. Enter your responses and the way they will display on the paper / electronic lists. Click create after creating your first response. Then click Add to add an additional response. Once all responses have been added, click Save. 8. This Canvass Question should now appear on the Canvass Questions main page. To create or view Tags, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main menu, click on Questions / Tags 2. Select Tags 3. Tags that have already been created will appear if there are any 4. Click Create 5. Create a Name for your Tag (example: Volunteer or Donor ) 6. Create a Description 7. Create a Tag Display (this is limited to 5 characters, example: Vol or Donor 8. Click Update 9. This Tag should now appear on the Canvass Questions main page 15
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Scripts This feature is used to create, edit, and delete Scripts. To create or view Tags, please follow the directions below: Canvass Questions / Tags must be created before starting a new script. See page XXXX on how to create a Canvass Question or Tag. 1. On the Main menu, click on Scripts 2. Scripts that have already been created will appear here if there are any 3. Click New Script 4. Create a name for the script 5. Create a longer description for the script 6. Create any longer intro or non question text in the Text to include box and click Add 7. Select any questions to ask among those in the Available Canvass Questions drop down and click Add. These must be added individually. 8. Select any tags to note among those in the Available Tags drop down and click Add. These must be added individually. 17
9. Text, Canvass Questions, and Tags can be Deleted, Moved Up or Down, and Edited. 10. When satisfied with the script, click Update. 18
Creating Walk Maps After creating a new voter list, Users have the ability to view the voters within the list as dots on a map. They can then create walk areas for canvassers by drawing polygons with their mouse around the dots. When finished, a map of each particular area can be printed along with a list of the voters in the area. This list is used for canvassing voters door to door. To create walk maps, please follow the directions below: Lists must be smaller than 3,000 individuals in order to use this feature 1. On the Main Menu, click on Load Current List OR use an older list that has been saved by clicking on View Saved Lists on the Main Menu and locating the list. 2. Click on Select by Map 3. Create a name for your region and enter it in the Region Name box. This will save once you save your first polygon (step 4). 4. Click on map where you would like corner points of your polygon to rest around the dots. A polygon must have at least 3 points. You may need to use the zoom option in the upper left corner of the map to view the dots and make selecting points easier. 5. Once you are satisfied with an individual polygon, click Save Polygon. This will save that polygon and allow you to create a new one. To view and print your saved regions, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main Menu, click on View Saved Lists 2. Select the folder in which the list that you would like to view / print is located (this is the Region Name 3. Select the file that you would like to view / print 4. Click Reports 5. Select Walk Sheets as the Report Type 6. If you would like a Walk Map included, make sure the bubble for Include Map? is selected as Yes 7. Arrange the canvass questions in the order they should appear on the Walk Sheet 8. Click Do Report 19
Look Up Voter Use the Look Up Voter feature to quickly look up information on or enter data on an individual voter. To use the Look Up Voter feature, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main Menu, click Look Up Voter 2. Fill in as many fields as you can about the voter in their appropriate boxes. 3. Click Search 4. A list of voters that meet your search criteria will appear below. Click the appropriate voter to view / edit their profile. 5. Sometimes, Too Many Matches, Please Narrow Your Search, may appear. This may happen when searching a common last name. To avoid this, enter more specific data on the voter, like address, first name, county, or zip code, to further narrow your search. 20
Call Center This feature is used to call voters while sitting in front of your computer screen. There is no need to print off a call list, manually enter data after the calls have been made, and staff and volunteers can make phone calls to voters from anywhere there is an internet connection. To use this feature, a User must have been given Administrative rights to it. This can be done by System Administrators in the Committee Administration page. To begin using Call Center, please follow the directions below. Scripts must be created in advance to using the Call Center, see page XXXX on creating new scripts. 1. On the Main Menu, click Voter Selection 2. Create your desired Voter List and click Run Query 3. Click Save List, find or create an appropriate folder to save list into, name list 4. Click Reports 5. Under Report Type, select Create Call Center List 6. Add a Name and Description for your Call Center List 7. Select which script you would like to use 8. Make sure the bubble for Yes is selected next to List Active? 9. Check the box next to the names of users that should have access to this Call Center List and select Update 10. On the Main Menu, click Call Center 11. Select the Call Center List you just created 12. Select to make calls by Area Code or County and click Go 13. Click on the voter s name to view the entire script. Select the appropriate responses and click Save when finished. 14. If multiple names are listed at a phone number, click on the name of the person you are speaking with. If you speak with multiple people, do not click Save until finished with the call. Otherwise the list will move on to the next phone number. 21
Mobile Walk This feature is used to canvass voters while using a mobile device like a BlackBerry, iphone, or ipad. There is no need to download a special application for this, just point your mobile device s browser to www.mivotecast.com. Also, instead of having to print off a walk list and manually enter data after the doors have been knocked, the staff and volunteers on your campaign can simply knock doors with their mobile device and the data is automatically entered (once approved by a Committee Administrator). This feature makes knocking doors very efficient! To use this feature, a User must have been given Administrative rights to it. This can be done by System Administrators in the Committee Administration page. To begin using Mobile Walk, please follow the directions below. 1. On the Main Menu, click Voter Selection 2. Create your desired Voter List and click Run Query 3. Click Save List, find or create an appropriate folder to save list into, name list 4. Click Reports 5. Under Report Type, select Mobile Walk List 6. Add a Name and Description for your Mobile Walk List 7. Select the Canvass Questions / Tags to include 8. Click Continue 9. Check the box next to the names of users that should have access to this Call Center List and select Update 10. On the Main Menu, click Mobile Walk 11. Select the Mobile Walk List you just created 12. Select the Street Name and whether you would like to display the homes with Even addresses, Odd addresses, or Odds and Evens. Click Go. 13. Voters on this street will appear as so: House Number LAST NAME, 1 ST NAME MIDDLE NAME 14. Click on the voter s name to view the entire script. Select the appropriate responses and click Save when finished. Click Save when finished canvassing a specific voter. 15. Voters that have been canvassed will appear with an X in front of their House Number 16. Note: If a response is selected, Canvassed will automatically appear in the Status drop down menu. 22
17. Note: That there may be other individuals at that specific address listed on the line below. 18. Note: At the top of the page, the canvasser can select Map to view a zoomable map of the area they are canvassing. To exit the map, click Return in the top left portion of the screen. 23
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Canvass Results Counts Here, you can view crosstabs from your canvasses in which data has been entered either manually from phone lists, door to door canvass lists, Mobile Walk, or the Call Center. To begin using Canvass Results Counts, please follow the directions below. 1. On the Main Menu, click Canvass Result Counts 2. Choose the Data Source from the drop down menu (Walking, Phone, Voter look up, or Other) 3. Choose if you would like to view Canvass Results or a specific Canvass Question from the drop down menu on the right 4. Select a variable from the lower left box 5. Select a date range 6. Click Do Counts 25
Data Import Here, you can upload data that you have compiled from another source. Using the Data Import feature will allow you to enter data in bulk and may save time on data entry. To use the Data Import feature, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main Menu, click on Data Import 2. Make sure that the data you are importing either has a Grebner ID number or QVF ID number in the first column for each voter. If you don t use this one of these numbers or do not place it in the first column, data will not be correctly imported. Data must also be saved in the csv format. 3. Click on Choose File, locate the file on your computer, and click Open. 4. Select the bubble for either First Row Contains Field Names or No Field Names 5. Select the bubble for either the Grebner ID number of the QVF ID number 6. Click Update File 26
Data Entry To use the Data Import feature, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main Menu, click on Data Entry 2. Select the list that you would like to enter data from, either by manually entering the list number (this can be found on the printed list) or by selecting the list number from the drop down menu. 3. Select the name of the canvasser that canvassed this list. 4. Select the date the canvass occurred. 5. Select the canvass source (walking, phone, or other). 6. Arrange the order the Canvass Questions / Tags should appear when entering data. They should be arranged in the same fashion they are on the paper sheets to ensure ease of data entry. 7. Click Go To List. 27
Data Download 28
User Administration Here, Committee Administrators can create new users for their committee, increase / decrease User rights of those within their committee, unlock locked out users, and change passwords of users. To make any changes to a user, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main menu, click on User Administration 2. Click on the user you would like to modify information for. Modify their information. 3. Click Save To create a new user, please follow the directions below: 1. On the Main menu, click on User Administration 2. Click on New User 3. Create a username, enter the password twice, and enter their first and last name. Click Update. 4. Click the boxes next to the rights you would like them to have. Click Save 29
Call Center Administration 30
Mobile Walk Administration 31