UpVote guide · Get out the vote
Election Day mode
On Election Day, UpVote switches into a turnout-focused mode: volunteers can report who voted, adding new people pauses by default, and your team can see in real time which supporters still need a reminder.
When it starts
Election Day mode starts automatically, two hours before polling stations open. It uses the Polling Station Opening Time you set in Settings → General, so check that time and your campaign’s time zone well before Election Day.
How Election Day unfolds
Set polling hours and choose your Election Day options. If your race has early or mail-in voting, you can already show vote status in the app and keep it updated with uploads.
Election Day mode starts automatically.
- If Allow all volunteers to report votes on election day is on, every existing volunteer gets permission to report votes.
- Unless you allow regular activity, volunteers can no longer add new volunteers or new contacts.
Volunteers remind the people they know, report who has voted, and focus on supporters who haven’t voted yet. Admins keep official vote data current and track progress with Election Day reports.
Upload certified vote history when it becomes available to measure turnout across your relational universe.
1. Set up Election Day
Open Settings (the cog icon) → General → Election Day and Vote Counting Settings.
| Polling Station Opening / Closing Time | The date and hours polls are open. Election Day mode starts two hours before the opening time. |
|---|---|
| Show Countdown Clock Until Election Day in the App | Shows admins and volunteers how much time is left until Election Day. |
| Show Vote Status and Votes Counted Progress Bar in the UpVote App Before Election Day | Turn on for early or mail-in voting, so volunteers can see who has already voted. When it’s off, vote status appears only on Election Day. |
| Allow all volunteers to report votes on election day | Gives every existing volunteer permission to report votes when Election Day mode starts. Unchecking it later does not remove permissions already granted. |
| Allow Regular Activity on Election Day | By default, adding new volunteers and new contacts is paused on Election Day so the team stays focused on turnout. Turn this on to let regular activity continue. |
Click Save at the top of the Settings page after making changes. For a full tour of Settings, see Customize your campaign settings.
2. Decide who can report votes
Volunteers can get permission to report votes in two ways:
Everyone, on Election Day
Turn on Allow all volunteers to report votes on election day. All existing volunteers get the permission when Election Day mode starts.
New volunteers, any time
Under Settings → Volunteer Settings → New Volunteer Default Permissions, Allow all volunteers to edit vote status gives volunteers added from then on permission to mark voters as voted.
To change the permission for specific existing volunteers, select them on the Volunteers page and use Bulk Actions → Add/Remove Privileges.
Report a vote only when it’s confirmed. Ask volunteers to mark someone as voted only after that person tells them they have voted. A voter marked as voted too early may stop getting reminders.
3. Keep vote status up to date
Volunteer reports fill in gaps, but your official data is the backbone. When you receive early-vote, absentee or Election Day turnout files from the Board of Elections or your data provider, upload them in the Upload Center with Mark voters as voted (by Voter ID) or Mark voters as voted by voter number.
See Keep official voter status up to date and Update vote-by-mail status for step-by-step instructions.
Let volunteers know when their people vote
Under Automations → Triggers, the Vote status change trigger sends volunteers a notification when someone on their list is recorded as voted, encouraging them to check who still needs a reminder. On the Automations tab, the Send updates regarding the amount of voted supporters action sends regular progress updates. Review both before Election Day and set Allowed Sending Hours. Automations guide →
4. Focus on supporters who haven’t voted
The Reports page has an Election Day section built for turnout follow-up:
| Not Yet Voted Report | Supporters who haven’t voted yet. |
|---|---|
| Not Yet Voted Likely Supporters | Likely supporters who haven’t voted yet. |
| Not Yet Voted With No Volunteer Report | Supporters who haven’t voted and aren’t connected to any volunteer. Nobody is reminding these people, so they’re good candidates for a Phone Campaign. |
To act on a list directly, use Advanced Search with the Vote Status filter, then create a group and turn it into a Phone Campaign. Callers can’t edit support status on Election Day, so they can stay focused on turnout.
Election Day checklist
The week before
- Confirm polling hours and time zone in Settings → General.
- Decide who can report votes, and whether to allow regular activity.
- Upload the latest early-vote and mail-ballot data.
- Review the Vote status change trigger and your automations’ sending hours.
- Check your SMS credits so volunteers can log in.
- Tell volunteers what to expect and how to report a confirmed vote.
On the day
- Upload turnout updates as soon as you receive them.
- Run the Not Yet Voted reports and share priorities with team leads.
- Send a short notification with the day’s goal and a link to the app.
- Watch for volunteers who haven’t started and offer help.
Common questions
Why can’t volunteers add new contacts today?
On Election Day, adding new volunteers and contacts is paused by default. Turn on Allow Regular Activity on Election Day in Settings → General if your team needs it.
I turned off vote reporting, but volunteers can still report votes. Why?
Unchecking Allow all volunteers to report votes on election day doesn’t remove permissions already granted. Remove the permission from specific volunteers with Bulk Actions → Add/Remove Privileges.
Does vote status show which candidate someone voted for?
No. Vote status only records whether someone has voted, never who they voted for.
Why did Election Day mode start before polls opened?
Election Day mode is designed to start two hours before the Polling Station Opening Time you set in Settings → General. If it started earlier than you expected, check that time and your time zone.
Turn relationships into votes
Election Day is when your relational program pays off. Set it up early, keep vote data current, and point every volunteer to the people who still need a personal reminder.