votegetting

Votegetting is the set of activities aimed at securing votes for a candidate, party, or policy position in an election. It includes both persuasion—efforts to convince undecided or swing voters—and mobilization—actions intended to ensure supporters cast ballots. In modern campaigns, organizations deploy a mix of paid staff, volunteers, and digital tools to reach voters through canvassing, phone banking, text messaging, targeted advertising, public events, and policy messaging, as well as fundraising and organizational activities.

A common subset is get-out-the-vote (GOTV), which concentrates on turnout, logistics, and accessibility, such as reminding people to vote, arranging transportation, and providing information on when and where to vote. Campaign finance and campaign law regulate such activities, including disclosures, contribution limits, and restrictions on advertising; many jurisdictions ban vote buying, coercion, intimidation, or manipulation.

Ethical considerations include transparency, accuracy of information, consent for data use, and equal access to participate. Critics argue that aggressive votegetting can undermine deliberation, contribute to misinformation, or exacerbate inequalities in campaign resources. Proponents view it as essential to democratic participation and electoral responsiveness.

Scholars study votegetting across contexts, noting that its effectiveness varies with the political environment, voter preferences, and the resources available to campaigns. Related concepts include political campaigning, voter turnout, and election integrity. See also: GOTV, political campaigning, voter turnout, election integrity.