A FREE guide to assembling a countywide get-out-the-vote program.
NOTICE: THERE WILL BE NO UPDATE FOR 2026.
For The Win 5th Edition is still available by request below.
“Political campaigns are not just contests of ideas. They are contests of skills.”
Take your county committee’s Get-Out-The-Vote game to the next level. From planning to poll greeting, to sample ballots, to rides to the polls, For The Win (5th Ed., 2024) is field-tested to help even the smallest counties assemble a high-energy GOTV program with little money and limited computer skills.
Inside, you’ll find links to a Toolbox of documents, spreadsheets, tips and tricks to help local candidates secure a win on Election Day. Download the PDF. It’s FREE.
Tom Sullivan has organized Get Out The Vote operations in western North Carolina since 2004. He was state Democrats’ NC-11 GOTV Coordinator in 2006 when Heath Shuler defeated an 8-term Republican incumbent. As a member of the online press, he covered the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and was a North Carolina delegate to the convention in Chicago in 2024.
Election Day 2014: Local candidates won two of only three legislative seats Democrats netted across the South. One district chair said, “You’ve got the secret sauce. Could you bottle it and send my counties a case?”
Tom has been a daily contributor to Heather “Digby” Parton’s national progressive blog Hullabaloo since 2014. A former columnist for the Asheville Citizen-Times, his writing has appeared at Huffington Post, Crooks and Liars, Bill Moyers & Company, Campaign for America’s Future, and AlterNet. In 2019, Donald J. Trump threatened to sue him.
“In Idaho’s District 15 there had NEVER been a Democratic legislator; in 2018, two of the three seats were filled by Democrats ... Keep up your good work in helping campaigns! ”
“For The Win is an invaluable resource on building a campaign from the ground up ... especially for those of us living in a ‘red’ county! Thank you for sharing!”
“For the Win is a great step-by-step guide covering all the elements that grassroots organizers need to be aware of in those final days of the campaign.”
“For those of you who believe that Democrats win elections from the ground up, For The Win is an indispensable tool.”
“For The Win is the go-to, no-nonsense guide for GOTV planning. Tom Sullivan breaks it down to clear and concise! I highly recommend this guide to county party leaders and grassroots organizers.”
You can’t win if you don’t show up to play.
To request a FREE link to For The Win (5th Ed.) and to add your name to our email list (for future releases), submit request here. (Response is manual. Please be patient.)
