In the final stretch before Election Day, every vote counts. With razor-thin margins deciding many races, campaigns are turning to cutting-edge technology to give them the edge in getting out the vote (GOTV). On September 26th, Higher Ground Labs brought together innovators and campaigns for a GOTV Innovations Showcase, highlighting the tech solutions that could make the difference between victory and defeat this election cycle.
The showcase kicked off with insights from Arthur Thompson, Chief Technology Officer at the Democratic National Committee and HGL advisor. Thompson set the stage by emphasizing just how critical these technological innovations can be. “In very close elections, technology matters a lot,” he stated, driving home his point with stark examples from recent history. “Secretary Clinton lost the presidency by about 75,000 votes across three states,” Thompson reminded us, “while President Biden won by around 40,000 votes.”
These narrow margins highlight a crucial reality: while solid fieldwork, organizing, and messaging remain the backbone of any campaign, technology can be the factor that tips the scale, helping campaigns reach those hard-to-engage voters, amplify GOTV efforts, and maximize outreach when time and resources are limited.
If you missed the GOTV Innovations Showcase, here’s a look at the powerful tools and case studies that were presented—designed to help campaigns make the most of the crucial days ahead.
1. DonorAtlas
DonorAtlas lets users easily search for and find their perfect donors across geography, occupation, giving history, bios, employers, issues and more.
GOTV Impact:
In the special election for Oklahoma State Senate, campaign manager Ben Eisenberg used DonorAtlas to dramatically boost fundraising in the critical final weeks of the campaign. DonorAtlas allowed the team to efficiently reconnect with past donors, engage lapsed supporters, and quickly identify new contributors with aligned interests. This targeted approach enabled the campaign to maximize outreach without wasting time on manual research. As Eisenberg noted, “Just from cold calls, we saw an 18x return on our investment in DonorAtlas over three weeks, raising $30,000 in total, including $7,000 directly from cold calls.”
Contact: Will Schrepferman | will@donoratlas.com
2. Quiller
Quiller is an AI copilot that helps Democratic campaigns and allied organizations draft and deploy high-quality, effective fundraising content.
GOTV Impact:
Quiller played a crucial role in the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board campaign for Victor Flores, automating the creation of targeted communication across various channels, including email, SMS, and social media. The tool enabled the campaign to generate hyper-targeted messaging tailored to different voter segments, ensuring more effective outreach. Quiller also significantly reduced the time spent creating content, allowing the campaign to focus on direct voter engagement. By utilizing the platform, the campaign saw an impressive conversion rate of 4% from their supporter base into active volunteers, a significant increase compared to previous efforts where conversion rates hovered below 1%.
Contact: Zack Doherty | zack@quiller.ai
3. BattlegroundAI
BattlegroundAI is a platform that gives organizations at every level the tools they need to easily create high-performing paid advertising with the help of AI.
GOTV Impact:
In Kiana Fields’ Kentucky State Senate race, BattlegroundAI was instrumental in refining the campaign’s digital strategy. Using polling and demographic data, the team crafted targeted, data-driven ads to connect with key voter groups like suburban and rural communities. BattlegroundAI streamlined the process by developing and optimizing ads for social media, maximizing the impact of their $20,000 budget. A standout feature was the personalized video scripts, which allowed Kiana to quickly produce authentic videos using just her phone, freeing up time for voter engagement. The entire process, from planning to launch, was completed in just 14 days.
Contact: Maya Hutchinson| maya@battlegroundai.com
4. SpeakEasy Political
SpeakEasy Political specializes in developing comprehensive media strategies for campaigns, causes, and brands.
GOTV Impact:
SpeakEasy Political provided essential support for Amber Childress in her tight race for the Alameda County Board of Education. As a first-time candidate facing a well-funded incumbent, Childress had an uphill battle. SpeakEasy helped her overcome this challenge by developing a cross-channel media strategy that combined direct mail with digital advertising. This dual approach allowed the campaign to create a strong presence both in voters’ mailboxes and online, expanding her reach despite being outspent. The campaign used SpeakEasy’s tools to create cost-effective but impactful GOTV materials that resonated with key voter demographics, contributing to her ultimate victory in the race.
Contact: Kees Nordin | kees@speakeasypolitical.com
5. Grow Progress
Grow Progress helps strategists understand how to persuade more people, empowering you to know what creative and messaging works — and why, so you can strategically grow your impact.
GOTV Impact:
Grow Progress has helped countless campaigns refine their voter persuasion strategies by testing which messages resonate most with key audiences. As part of their recent research, they analyzed debate clips from Kamala Harris to determine which messages were most persuasive with undecided battleground voters. Using their AI-driven platform, Grow Progress found that Harris’s discussions of bipartisan leadership were particularly impactful, boosting her margin by 10 points among undecided voters.
Contact: Josh Berezin | josh@growprogress.ai
6. Daisychain
Daisychain helps progressive organizations build powerful workflows through automations and integrations.
GOTV Impact:
Daisychain conducted a study during the 2023 Virginia State Legislature elections, in collaboration with Rural GroundGame, focusing on the effectiveness of personalized GOTV outreach. Using Daisychain’s “Charms” feature, they sent voters customized GIFs via text, containing personalized polling place information, voting history, and social pressure elements. The results indicated that personalized, visually engaging content helped increase voter engagement. Daisychain’s platform allowed this tailored outreach to be executed at scale, contributing to a successful GOTV operation in Virginia.
Contact: Jon Warnow | jon@daisychain.app
7. Universe
Universe is a campaign-in-a-box for underserved local organizers. They provide affordable data services, outreach tools, and owned media to grassroots campaigns of any size.
GOTV Impact:
Universe was instrumental in supporting Howard Garrett’s campaign for Washington, D.C.’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). The platform enabled Garrett’s team to create targeted canvassing walk lists, streamline volunteer coordination, and track real-time voter engagement data. Garrett was able to reach every door in his district efficiently through Universe’s route optimization and data integration, ensuring no voter was missed. In addition to canvassing, Universe provided Garrett with phone banking and text messaging tools, enabling him to connect with supporters, secure volunteers, and communicate key updates directly to voters. By combining traditional outreach with digital efficiency, Universe empowered Garrett’s campaign to mobilize voters effectively in a competitive race.
Contact: Steven McCarty | steven@universe.app
Since HGL’s founding in 2017, we’ve witnessed a revolution in political tech. The landscape has evolved from a collection of isolated tools to an interconnected ecosystem that not only operate effectively on their own but also work together. “Tools are force multipliers for each other,” Arthur Thompson notes, pointing to the scalable potential these innovations bring to campaigns. This shift allows campaigns to move faster, connect more strategically with voters, and make their final push more impactful than ever before.
Today’s tech solutions have redefined what’s possible in campaign operations. Tasks that once required hours or even days of manual labor can now be accomplished in minutes, freeing up teams to focus on critical voter contact efforts. In this time-constrained, high-stakes environment, these advancements are revolutionizing the way campaigns operate, driving efficiency and increasing wins up and down the ballot.
