In This Article
- Configuration and Tutorial
- My Assignments Page
- Removing Assignments
- Canvassing Your Assignment
- Surveying Voters
- Household Visitation Status Color Codes
- The Main App Menu and Assignment Menu
- The Audit Tab
- Canvassing in Pairs and Data Syncing
- Adding Voters and Households
- Household Observation Flags
Overview
The PDI Connect mobile app simplifies and streamlines door-to-door canvassing. Every day, thousands of canvassers use this app to have impactful conversations with voters. It provides clear scripts on key issues and candidates, while instantly sending survey responses back to campaign headquarters for real-time insights.
To efficiently manage door-to-door canvassing across a large area, campaigns divide the voter list into smaller, geographically defined segments known as "Turfs." These segments, or canvassing “assignments," are systematically assigned to canvassers to ensure thorough coverage and organized outreach.
The size of canvassing assignments will vary but usually contain enough voters to keep one or two canvassers busy for a day.
Configuration and Tutorial
Upon logging into the app for the first time, you will be asked to allow the PDI Connect app to use your location “While Using the App.” This setting is required for proper use of the app since geographic location and mapping is an essential component of the tool.
The app will never track or record any location data when not in use.
Once you make your selection for location data, the PDI Basics app tutorial will guide you through the basics on how to effectively use the app. The tutorial has five pages that each scroll downward for viewing more information.
The last page of the tutorial is especially useful as it provides descriptions of the various symbols displayed throughout the app.
You can hide the tutorial by clicking the Do Not Show checkbox. The tutorial can be viewed at any time in the future from the program menus.
My Assignments Page
After setting up your location preferences and completing the app tutorial, you'll be directed to the main page, where your available canvassing assignments are listed and ready to begin.
Many campaigns lack the time to pre-assign data for canvassers, so they often use Turf Codes. These codes can be entered into the app to quickly download and access the canvassing assignment.
To use a turf code:
- Click on the Get Assignments button
- Enter the Six character turf code
- Click on the Submit button
- Click on the Assignment Card.
Removing Assignments
Unwanted Assignments can be removed from the My assignments page. This is convenient when you have completed the assignment or need an assignment closer to your current location. To remove an assignment, simply swipe left on the assignment card and click on the Remove button. You will be prompted to confirm your decision by clicking on the Continue button.
Canvassing Your Assignment
Once you have an assignment on your phone, you need to first figure out where to go. You can click on the Get Directions button below the assignment card to find the location and even get driving instructions.
When you click on the Assignment Card, you will see a list of streets with three tab options at the top of the screen as your default view. You will be looking at the Street View tab. At the top of the screen, you will also see a Map View tab and Audit List tab.
Street View Map View Audit List
As a canvasser, you can choose to navigate through the turf area using the Street List or Map View as your guide.
Reaching a House via List View Reaching a House via Map View
When you get to the household view, there is a lot of information displayed to help the canvasser quickly get a sense of the voter and record the interaction properly.
Surveying Voters
When you click on the Begin Survey button for a specific voter, you will see a script for talking to the voter along with questions and answers to record. By default, your survey will display as a branch survey with multiple pages and a script.
Branched Survey with multiple pages and a script Full Survey in one page
In addition to the survey view, there are three other page views that can be managed from the page footer. They include a page for viewing and entering comments, Adding phone and email information, and viewing the voter’s contact history. The app uses a red dot to indicate existing data is available to view.
Survey View Comments History Add/Edit Info Contact History
The Household Status Color Codes
When canvassing voters, it is critical to know where you need to go and where you have been. The PDI Connect mobile canvassing app uses different colors to indicate the household visitation status. The codes are simple: if green or yellow, you should visit the house. If red, you do not need to visit the house.
The Main App Menu and Assignment Menu
The Main App menu that lets the user manage their preferences is located in the upper right corner of the My Assignments page.
The Assignment Menu is located in the same position after you open an assignment. You will see that the options are different and more specific to an assignment.
The Audit Tab
The Audit tab view starts with no information. After a voter contact has been made or attempted, a record of the voter will be displayed. This tab lets you easily audit your work to ensure data was entered correctly and that it is consistent with the productivity statistics.
Canvassing in Pairs and Data Syncing
When two or more volunteers are canvassing the same assignment, the PDI Connect mobile app will track the visitation status of each house to inform both canvassers as to which houses have been canvassed.
It is important to understand how the PDI Connect mobile app sends data back to the PDI Platform shortly after each recorded voter interaction. As the data is being sent from the smartphone device to the platform, the platform returns new data back to the smartphone device with visitation status data for all canvassers actively working the assignment.
If you want data to move between the app and the platform without entering data, you will need to click on the sync button located on the assignment card or Main App menu.
The PDI Connect mobile app can be used in airplane mode or without an internet connection while canvassing. The data will be synced once an internet connection is re-established.
Adding Voters and Households
If you are canvassing to reach individuals who may or may not be registered to vote, having the ability to enter contacted individuals into the PDI Connect mobile app is very useful.
The app can add individuals to the house you are visiting or add an entire household. Once entered, the data will be added to the organization’s People Database in the PDI Platform.
Adding an Individual to a Household
Adding a Household
Household Observation Flags
The PDI Connect mobile app has an optional feature that will ask canvassers if they observed specific things when visiting the household. The items will be listed after completing the survey.
This feature is optional for the organization to display. Canvassers will not see the observation options if the organization does not implement the feature.