Powering Democracy: Leveraging Tech to Secure Victory In November
In just 26 hours, we all witnessed the seamless transition from the Biden campaign to the Harris campaign. President Biden made a deeply personal decision in service of our democracy and as a result, we have a new candidate – a much younger woman of color, at the top of the ticket. The change in energy is palpable as voters see a new path for our party. It is starting to feel like a very different cycle.
The transition to the Harris campaign was unbelievably smooth, thanks to the leadership of our public figures and of campaign operatives. People put their heads down and did the work to launch a new website, change the advertising, and prepare for new campaign events and calendars. This was possible in part because of the robust technical infrastructure that supports our party, regardless of an individual candidate. It’s a foundation that allows for rapid adaptation and efficient scaling – qualities that were crucial this week and will be crucial in the weeks ahead.
In the coming 3 months, Harris and her team face the monumental task of reintroducing her to the American people and articulating her vision for the future. They’ll need to do this at breakneck speed, while also further scaling a robust voter contact operation that can go toe-to-toe with our opposition. At Higher Ground Labs, we’re energized by the possibilities this moment presents. Our mission has always been to support and accelerate technologies that can make a real difference for modern campaigns of any size. Now, it’s time to put these cutting-edge tools to work – amplifying Harris’s vision, engaging voters more meaningfully and authentically, and building a movement with the energy and efficiency needed to secure victory in November.
From message testing and real-time polling to AI-assisted content generation, from leveraging creator networks to powering relational organizing efforts, we have at our disposal a toolkit that was unimaginable just a few election cycles ago. Used wisely and strategically, these tools can help the Harris campaign and Democrats up and down the ballot reach more voters and engage them in deeper, more meaningful ways.
As we dive into the specifics of how technology can power this historic campaign, let’s remember what’s at stake. This isn’t about algorithms or datasets – it’s about people. It’s about using every tool at our disposal to ensure that every voice is heard, every vote is counted, and our democracy emerges stronger.
Here are five tools in the HGL portfolio that might help your campaign or organization as you pivot your strategy in the days to come:
1. Message testing: Change Research
Change Research uses polling, political research, and data to better understand public opinion, allowing candidates and campaigns to cater best practices to the people’s needs and wants. Change Research has already fielded a poll exploring how a Harris candidacy impacts voter enthusiasm and down-ballot performance, providing crucial early insights as we navigate this historic shift.
2. Relational Organizing: Relentless
Relentless is an organizing company with a mission to unlock political power. Their flagship product, Rally, is built to scale and measure relational organizing programs. Relentless empowers campaign volunteers and supporters to tap into the power that is uniquely theirs: their relationships with friends, family and people they know who care about the same things they care about.
3. Influencer Marketing: Social Currant
Social Currant matches impact organizations, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations with creators on TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube to drive awareness, get out the vote, and increase impact. Their platform provides comprehensive tools for campaign creation, creator collaborations, content management, messaging briefs, and performance tracking.
4. Social Sharing: Sosha
SoSha offers AI-powered software to generate authentic and organic social engagement. SoSha harnesses the power of people to share messaging organically through embeddable sharing buttons, advanced analytics, and AI-powered content creation.
5. Small Donations: Oath
Oath is a political advising platform that empowers Democratic donors to maximize their impact. They provide guidance and tools that identify the most critical races in need of support to eliminate wasteful spending and protect donors from spam.
Since 2017, HGL has invested in over 70 political technology startups and deployed over $53 million across four funds, supporting companies at the forefront of campaign innovation
