UpVote guide · Build your Outreach List
How to add contacts in the UpVote app
Start with people you know. Add them to your personal Outreach List so you can follow up, share campaign updates, and help them take action.
What is an UpVote contact?
A contact is someone saved to your Outreach List through a match with a registered voter in your campaign’s voter file. Your campaign automatically classifies added and matched contacts as either Supporter or Likely Supporter, depending on its settings. This is a starting status, not confirmation of their views.
Choose people you know and feel comfortable contacting personally.
Two ways to build your list
Contact Match
Find people you already know
Allow contact access to compare your phone contacts with the campaign’s voter file. Review suggested matches and choose which voters to save.
Manual search
Add voters one at a time
Prefer not to enable contact access? Open the app menu, tap Add Contact, and search the campaign’s voter file by name, phone number, or address.
Review, confirm, and save
- Find the right voter. Use Contact Match or manual search to locate someone you know.
- Check the details. Confirm that the voter record belongs to the person you intend to add. A similar name alone may not be enough.
- Save them to your Outreach List. Add the confirmed voter so you can find them again for future outreach.
- Review and update their support status. Your campaign defaults added and matched contacts to Supporter or Likely Supporter. You know your contacts best: update that default based on your conversations. If you do not know their views, choose Unknown when available.
A note about phone numbers in Contact Match
If you confirm a name-only match and save that voter to your Outreach List, UpVote automatically saves the primary phone number you have for them in your phone contacts. You can edit that number or add another later.
If the name and phone number already match the voter file, that number is already in the campaign’s database.
A saved voter with a usable phone number can be included in Bulk SMS for faster outreach.
Review the default support status
Depending on your campaign’s settings, all added and matched contacts are automatically classified as Supporter or Likely Supporter. It is up to you to review and update that default. You know your contacts best.
Use what you know about each person’s views to choose the right status. Available options may vary by campaign.
| Support level | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Supporter | Strongly supports the candidate or cause. |
| Likely Supporter | Leaning toward support, but not confirmed. |
| Undecided | Still deciding or open to persuasion. |
| Unknown | You do not yet know their views. |
| Opposed | Does not support the candidate or cause. |
Update the label when you learn more. Accurate information helps your team plan useful follow-up.
Your privacy and your choices
Granting full contact access lets UpVote suggest potential voter matches. It does not automatically save your entire contact list to UpVote.
You review suggestions and choose which voters to save. Contacts you do not save remain private and are not visible to campaign admins. When you save a name-only match, the primary phone number from your contacts is saved with it, as explained above.
Campaign admins can see saved outreach information and campaign activity. Saved contact data is stored temporarily for campaign outreach, never for unrelated purposes, and is deleted from UpVote after the campaign concludes.
Contact access is optional. You can skip Contact Match and add voters through manual search instead.
Watch: build your Outreach List
This introductory video covers getting started and building your Outreach List. Some screens may differ from the current app.
Common questions
Do I have to share my phone contacts?
No. Use Add Contact to search for voters individually without enabling contact access.
What if I cannot find someone?
Check the spelling and try another search detail. The person must have a matching record in your campaign’s voter file to be added through this workflow. Ask your campaign team for help if you cannot find the right record.
Does adding someone mean they are a supporter?
The app automatically assigns Supporter or Likely Supporter based on your campaign’s settings. That default does not confirm the person’s views. Review it and update their status based on what you know; choose Unknown when available if you have not discussed their views.
What should I do after adding contacts?
Start a personal conversation, record what you learn, and plan your next follow-up. Before using Bulk SMS, review the peer-to-peer texting guidelines.
Build a list you can put into action
Start with a few people you know well. Confirm their records, keep their information accurate, and make time for thoughtful follow-up.