Key Field Numbers Workbook

This step-by-step guide helps political campaigns calculate the estimated number of votes needed to win any election. It goes beyond setting a vote goal — you’ll outline your persuasion universe, identify who your base voters are, and where you’ll need to target next to win. By using past election data, projections for voter turnout, and an understanding of the voter file, this free, downloadable resource helps political campaigns stay strategic on the field.

Key features of this workbook include:

• Past Election Data Table: A structured template for recording historical election results from past elections, including total registered voters, Democrat and Republican vote totals, turnout percentages, and notes on extenuating circumstances

• Key Field Numbers Tracker: A reference sheet for recording all calculated estimates, including projected turnout, vote goals, base voters, vote deficit, and persuasion universe size

• Definitions of the key stats you’ll be tracking, like base voters, vote deficit, persuasion universe, and turnout percentage

• Step-by-step instructions for calculating critical campaign metrics Concrete examples demonstrating each calculation with sample numbers

This workbook demystifies field numbers and helps you set concrete goals with a strategy to achieve them. By completing it, candidates and staff gain clarity on the fundamental question every campaign must answer: exactly how many voters do I need to reach, and how will I reach them?

For more information on how to apply these numbers in VoteBuilder, check out our “Introduction to VoteBuilder" course.