GOTV, short for get out the vote, is the stretch of a campaign when persuasion ends and turnout work begins. Print does a lot of that work: a card for every doorstep, a button or sticker on every volunteer, and a sign where the traffic is. This GOTV printing checklist covers what to print, how long each item takes, and what to confirm before you approve a proof, so your materials are in hand when the final push starts.
What a GOTV Push Needs in Print
GOTV print has two jobs. It reminds voters when and how to vote, and it equips the volunteers who deliver that reminder. Start by writing down the date your canvassers, phone bankers and rally crews need materials in their hands, then work backward. Items with longer production times go in first, and faster items fill the gaps the schedule leaves.
GOTV Printing Checklist by Item
Palm Cards and Door Hangers
Palm cards are the workhorse of canvassing. A volunteer hands one over during a conversation, and the voter keeps it as a reminder of the candidate and the date. Dr. Don's Print Lab prints palm cards at 4 by 9 inches on 130 lb gloss cover stock, and its site lists a $20 template layout fee if you do not have print-ready artwork. For homes where nobody answers, door hangers carry the same message and stay on the handle until someone comes out. For GOTV, keep the card simple: candidate name, office, election date and one line about how to vote.
Campaign Buttons
Buttons put a candidate's name on a supporter's chest at early voting sites, rallies and phone banks. Dr. Don's reports that most campaign button orders ship the same or next day, with an online proof back within a few hours, so buttons are one of the fastest items on a GOTV list. If a union has endorsed your candidate, ask for the union bug when you order. It is added to buttons at no extra charge.
Stickers
Lapel stickers are a lighter, flatter option that is easy to hand out at events, drop-off tables and precinct walks. Campaign lapel stickers at Dr. Don's come in round, square and rectangle sizes, with templates or your own artwork, and the page advertises same-day shipping, so confirm the cutoff time when you order. Stickers can carry any message you choose, including a simple vote reminder.
Yard Signs and Banners
Signs build visibility, but they carry the longest lead time on this list. The 18 by 24 inch yard signs at Dr. Don's list five business days of production, with stakes and free ground shipping included, so they belong in your first wave of orders rather than your last. Banners suit rallies, campaign offices and election night events. If the calendar is already tight, put the remaining budget into cards, buttons and stickers, and plan signs for the next race.
Not sure whether an item can still make your date? Call Dr. Don's Print Lab at 1-800-243-8293, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. MST, or send a note through the contact page before you place the order.
Print for Volunteers and Canvassers
Volunteers are the campaign's face at the door, so equip every shift. Give each person something to wear, such as a button, a sticker or a campaign t-shirt, and something to hand out. Pack palm cards or door hangers by turf so nobody runs short midshift, and add a one-page sheet with polling hours, early voting sites and a number to call with questions. Order a small reserve beyond your voter list, because reprinting mid-push costs time you may not have.
Rules to Check Before You Print
Federal rules require a paid-for disclaimer on most printed campaign communications. The Federal Election Commission says a printed disclaimer must sit in a box set apart from the other content, and it describes black 12-point text on a white background as one way to meet the readability and contrast standard for pieces up to 24 by 36 inches. The same page says no disclaimer is required on items where it cannot conveniently be printed, such as buttons, pins and bumper stickers, or where it is not practicable, such as clothing.
State and local races follow their own rules, so confirm the exact wording with the election office handling your race. Check the limits on campaign materials near polling places as well. States set them differently, and in some states they cover buttons and clothing, so give each volunteer lead a short printed rule sheet instead of leaving it to memory.
If a union has endorsed your candidate, the union bug shows the piece was produced in a union shop. Dr. Don's adds it to buttons and yard signs at no extra charge when you request it with the order.
A GOTV Printing Checklist for the Final Stretch
Run through these before you approve any order:
- Set the in-hand date for every item and drop anything that cannot make it.
- Check the candidate name, office, election date and voting information against the official election office.
- Confirm the paid-for disclaimer on every piece that needs one.
- Request the union bug with the order if a union has endorsed the campaign.
- Pack palm cards or door hangers by turf and add a small reserve.
- Give every volunteer a button, sticker or shirt to wear.
- Name one person to approve proofs the day they arrive.
Plan the Next Round Now
Many campaigns face another vote soon, whether a runoff, a special election or the next cycle. When this one wraps, note which pieces ran short, which proofs took the longest and what volunteers actually used. Then build the next schedule backward from the election date, with the longest lead times first: signs and banners, then cards and door hangers, then buttons and stickers.
Get Your GOTV Materials Printed Right
Dr. Don's Print Lab has served campaigns for more than 30 years, and every piece is union printed in the USA. Browse the full range of political campaign items, or call before you order if time is tight so the team can tell you what can still make your date.
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