Live GOTV calls help campaigns turn supporters into actual voters by delivering the right message at the right time. During Alaska’s 2022 gubernatorial election, Governor Mike Dunleavy’s campaign needed an aggressive turnout strategy to keep supporters engaged from absentee voting through Election Day.
Rather than relying on a single voter outreach tactic, the campaign partnered with CampaignHQ to execute a comprehensive live GOTV calls program designed to guide voters through every stage of the voting process. The strategy combined absentee ballot outreach, polling location reminders, early voting pushes, and Election Day turnout efforts to maximize participation across the state.
The Challenge: Turning Supporters Into Voters
Every campaign faces the same challenge: identifying supporters is only half the battle. The real challenge is making sure those supporters actually cast a ballot.
For the Dunleavy campaign, turnout was especially important. Alaska’s size, unique voting landscape, absentee voting process, and ranked-choice voting system created multiple opportunities for voters to disengage before Election Day.
The campaign needed a strategy that could:
- Encourage absentee ballot returns
- Drive participation during early voting
- Provide voters with polling location information
- Reach supporters who had not yet voted
- Increase turnout through Election Day
Most importantly, the campaign needed a live GOTV calls strategy that could scale to a statewide audience.
The Solution: A Live GOTV Calls Strategy
CampaignHQ worked alongside the Dunleavy campaign to implement a five-phase live GOTV calls program targeting a voter universe of more than 112,000 Alaskans.
Instead of waiting until the final days of the campaign, the outreach strategy was designed to engage voters throughout the election cycle. Each phase served a specific purpose and delivered a targeted message based on where voters were in the voting process.
Supporting Absentee Ballot Returns
The first phase focused on absentee voters.
CampaignHQ launched multiple rounds of calls encouraging supporters to complete and return their ballots. These calls leveraged social pressure messaging designed to motivate action and reduce the likelihood that voters would delay or forget to return their ballots.
The first absentee ballot call reached 742 voters, while a second round reached more than 10,000 absentee voters.
By contacting absentee voters early, the campaign was able to build momentum well before Election Day arrived.
Using Live GOTV Calls During Early Voting
As early voting began, the campaign shifted its focus toward helping voters cast their ballots in person.
CampaignHQ delivered more than 66,000 voting location messages, ensuring voters knew exactly where to go when it was time to vote. The campaign also made direct contact with nearly 58,400 voters during its early voting push.
These live GOTV calls provided practical information while also reinforcing the importance of participating in the election.
For many campaigns, early voting has become just as important as Election Day itself. Reaching voters before Election Day helps campaigns bank votes and reduce uncertainty heading into the final stretch.
Election Day Live GOTV Calls
As Election Day approached, the campaign intensified its turnout efforts.
CampaignHQ used live GOTV calls and social pressure messaging to contact supporters who had not yet voted. These final reminders reached more than 15,700 voters and helped drive turnout during the most critical hours of the campaign.
Because voter data was updated throughout the process, the campaign could focus its efforts on individuals who still needed to cast a ballot rather than wasting resources on voters who had already participated.
The Results
The live GOTV calls strategy allowed the Dunleavy campaign to maintain consistent communication with voters throughout the election cycle.
Key results included:
- Five rounds of voter outreach
- Universe of 112,204 voters
- 66,267 voting location messages delivered
- 58,397 voters contacted during the early voting push
- 15,777 voters reached through Election Day turnout calls
When the ballots were counted, Governor Dunleavy won re-election with 50.3% of first-choice ballots. The victory made him the first Alaska governor to win re-election in the 21st century and the first Republican governor to win re-election since 1978.
Why Live GOTV Calls Work
Many campaigns wait until the final days of an election to focus on turnout. The most effective campaigns take a different approach.
Live GOTV calls work because they engage voters throughout the voting process. Instead of relying on a single reminder, campaigns can communicate with voters when absentee ballots arrive, when early voting begins, and when Election Day approaches.
This consistent engagement helps supporters follow through and cast their ballots.
When combined with accurate voter data and targeted messaging, live GOTV calls remain one of the most effective ways to increase turnout and maximize every vote.
Consistent Voter Contact Drives Results
The Dunleavy campaign’s success demonstrates the value of a well-executed live GOTV calls program.
By reaching voters at every stage of the voting process, the campaign was able to keep supporters engaged, increase participation, and drive turnout when it mattered most.
For campaigns looking to improve turnout and maximize voter participation, live GOTV calls remain one of the most effective tools available.