UPDATE: Email issues are being reported for the email address I'm using for communications about this project. It appears to be happening because it's a brand new domain and a brand new email address, should be resolved in a few hours or by tomorrow. Back to the diary...
Several years ago, I started writing my own voter organizing software, after having become frustrated with the software I saw campaigns using. I wanted something that would be simple for grassroots organizers to use, putting the power of organizing into everyone's hands. The biggest problem I saw was the use of paper, and the number of data entry mistakes that were made as result. I wanted a system where volunteers could use an IPad or other tablet, or even their phones, and do the data entry right on the voter's doorstep. Thus was born ORGANIZE!, and I've been working on it ever since.
I had a chance to use the software in 2013, when a casino was proposed in the middle of a residential neighborhood in my home town. Casino Free Milford was born to oppose this horrible idea, and even though we were outspent by over 40 to 1 in the ad wars, we beat them at the polls by over 2 to 1, with my software accurately predicted the margin of victory. We went so far as to make guesses at turnout and precinct numbers, and we were uncannily accurate, coming as close as ten votes in several spots.
Here's a quick video overview of the system - things have changed somewhat since I put this together, and updating it is on my list, but it will suffice for now:
View on YouTube
In that overview, it showed self-service user registration for the software - that will be changing, as I will be offering the software along with a Wordpress blog and the user database from Wordpress will give users access to the organizing system. Please join me over the fold for more information...
ORGANIZE! allows a handful of people to canvass their voters and get ready for the primary - not only can you use this for the Sanders campaign, but you can also take over your local town hall, and send senators and representatives who truly represent you to your state legislature. The biggest problem I have with campaigns is that, once it's over, the campaign has all of the data, and if that candidate doesn't run again, the volunteers are starting from scratch with the next campaign. This is not the case when you've got ORGANIZE! working for you - you will always own the data, so progress can still be made even after a losing campaign.
In order to use ORGANIZE!, you'll have to go to your local town hall and get a copy of the database of registered voters. By law, this information is freely available to anyone who asks for it, though they may charge a nominal fee for the service. You'll also want some voting history - in Massachusetts, where I live, these are separate files with a different layout from the registered voter database, and they also differ based on whether the election was a general or primary, with primary elections showing the party ballot the voter asked for on election day. I've done my best to make the system flexible enough to accept most any type of file, but some massaging of the data may be necessary for other states, I'll work with you if we find that that's the case with your data layouts. Once you have the data in tab or pipe-delimited format, the system allows you to upload the files, describe what's on them and pull them into a MySQL database. After the data is uploaded, you'll be able to see a precinct level summary of the partisan breakdown of voters in your town, and you'll then want to break the precincts into neighborhoods.
So, what do you get, and how do you get it?
You get a subdomain at GrassRoots4Bernie.com where your blog and the software will be hosted - in my case, I have Mendon.MA.GrassRoots4Bernie.com, and you will have yourtown.yourstate.Grassroots4Bernie.com. You'll have a fully hosted Wordpress blog, where you can install any themes or plugins you might like, and you'll get a fully functional version of ORGANIZE! Bug fixes and enhancements will be distributed periodically, and I've put a support forum together where you'll be able to get video tutorials, request enhancements and report bugs. Everything is free - it will be supported by advertising and PayPal donations. Here's a link to the signup page:
Signup for a subdomain at GrassRoots4Bernie.com
There's a space on that form for a voluntary donation - folks pledging a donation will get faster service on the installation, and we will send a PayPal request for the donation after your site is up and running. We will need this type of concerted grassroots effort if we're going to make a difference in the coming years - we need to take over as many state legislatures as we possibly can so that we're ready for redistricting in 2020.
Let's do this!