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Author: Kristenson, Joel

Last Updated: 2017-03-09

Overview

This article will walk you through the steps to create a printed walk list with specific questions (attribute check-boxes) for your door-knockers to check off – some examples of what these questions would be: do you support the candidate, undecided, doesn’t support, wants a yard sign, wasn’t home, wants to volunteer, misc. hot button issues, etc.

By default the walk list will contain a lot of information about the voters you’re going to canvass (e.g. name, gender, precinct, districts, full address, Reg ID, county, and more).  A lot of this information can be removed (covered in section #2).

After creating your walk list questions the article will show you how to target a list of voters (by things like vote history and location), and print the paper walk lists to include the questions you created.

The final section shows how to re-enter the data (walk list results) in batch mode.

Tip: If you prefer to use our mobile app to canvass voters, read this article (this will save you time and paper resources – this option *requires a consistent internet connection to work).

Outline

#1 Create Attributes (Questions) for the Walk List

#2 Create and Save the Format (Grid with Columns) to Include your Questions (Attributes), and Run a Test Print

#3 Build and Run a Targeted Search Query for the Voters you want your Door Knockers to Canvass

#4 Generate and Print the Walk List ‘Selectable Format’ and Begin Door Knocking

#5 Re-Enter the Walk List Results in ‘Batch Mode’ (Directly into the Grid)

#6 Related Resources

#1 – Create Attributes (Questions) for the Walk List

Tip: For an in-depth walkthrough on how to create attribute folders and items, along with many examples of what they’re used for, read this article.

Navigate to the Voters list under the Application Menu.

Navigate to the Attribute tab and click the [Magnify] button on the right to open the attribute tree in a larger window.

Right-click on the ‘Attributes’ folder at the top of the tree and select ‘Insert Folder…’.

Give the folder a name, and click [OK].  In my example I called in 2017 Walk List Questions.

Right-click on your new Attribute Folder and select ‘Insert item (attribute)…’.

Check the box in the lower-left of the input form to keep the form open (if you’re entering multiple questions).

Create your questions, and click [OK] as you go.  My example is below where I created a variety of questions about candidate support, if the voter wants a yard sign, and if they want to contribute.

Once you’re finished entering all of the questions, click the [Cancel] button, or the red [x] in the top-right of the input form to close it.

The new attributes will display in the tree.  Click the red [x] in the top-right to close out of the expanded window.  My finished example is below with my new attribute folder and attribute items.

The next section walks through the steps to add the attributes into the grid (list) so they print out on the paper walk list and so they are updateable.  It also will show you how to save the format for future use when you enter the walk list results in batch.

#2 – Create and Save the Format (Grid with Columns) to Include your Questions (Attributes), and Run a Test Print

Navigate to the Voters list under the Application Menu.

Click the [Format] drop-down and select ‘Columns...’.

Navigate to the Attributes tab, check all the boxes under the Settings column for the attributes you created in section #1, and then navigate to the Format tab.

Scroll out to the right until the Updateable column displays.

Check all the boxes for the attributes you created, under the Updateable column, and click then [OK].  This is important prep work for the final section of the article (re-entering walk list results in batch mode).

The new attribute (questions) will be added to the far right of the grid.  My example is below.

In order for the data to fit properly onto the paper walk lists you’ll need to widen the different attribute columns, and remove columns that aren’t important to your door-knockers.

If you’re targeting a list of voters in the same state, city, county, district, etc. you really don’t need that data to display, so you can save room by removing those columns.  It’s also not likely that you need the Trail Blazer ID, Middle Name, Address Type, Reg ID, Zip Code, Gender and possibly others.

To remove these columns, simply click on the column title(s) and select Hide.

To widen the columns so the data displays properly you’ll drag the vertical divider left-and-right, or you can double-click the divider to automatically widen it.  My finished example is below.

Once you’re satisfied with what data will print out on your walk list (most importantly: name, address, and the attribute questions), it’s a good idea to run a quick print preview of the walk list to verify it will work (display properly on paper).  You’ll want to do this prior to printing it, distributing it to your door-knockers, and saving it as a format.

Click the [Reports] button in the bottom-right of the screen, select Walk List Selectable Format, and click [OK].

Give the test walk list a name, configure your options (or just leave them as default for the time being), and then click [OK].

Verify that the data prints out correctly on your test print.

You’ll likely want to click the [Print Settings] button at the top and adjust the margins, as well as change the orientation to landscape so that everything fits correctly.  My test walk list is below with all the data formatted properly.

Click [Cancel] in the bottom-right to return back to the grid.

If further changes are needed to make the data fit on your walk list properly (removing more columns, or modifying column widths), you’ll want to make those changes now.  In my case the data fit on paper so it’s time to save the format for future use.

Once you’re satisfied that everything fits onto paper correctly, click the [Format] drop-down on the tool strip above the grid, and select ‘Save As…’.

Give the format a distinguishable name, and then click [Save].  I called mine 2017 Walk List.

You can always come back and modify the format as necessary in the future (for instance if the door-knockers find out there is a hot button issue that needs to be added as a new attribute).  You’ll reload this format in the final steps when you re-enter the results from the door knocking, and you’ll use it in the next section when creating the paper walk list for your canvassers.

The next section walks through the steps to target a specific list of voters, print out the paper walk list, and record the results as you go door-to-door.

#3 – Build and Run a Targeted Search Query for the Voters you want your Door Knockers to Canvass

Open the Voters list.

Build and run your search query for the voters you want to canvass.

Typically you’ll start by targeting voters in a certain location.  In this example I started by filtering the list by a specific precinct (NEW HOPE P-07) which produced 2,743 results.

You’ll more than likely want to filter by voter history as well (this *requires you have voter history data loaded).  In my example I filtered my list further by any voter who voted in 1 of the last 3 general elections which brought the list down to 1,643.

To save time in the future when you are entering the walk list results it’s a good idea to save the search query as a favorite, or to mass update the list with an attribute (this is a better option if you think the data will change periodically).  In my example I saved the search as a favorite as the data wasn’t likely to change until the next election cycle.

To save the search, click the blue Advanced Functions button below the [Search] button in the upper-left, and then click the blue floppy disk icon.

Give the query a descriptive name and click [Save].  In my example I called my saved search “2017 walk list No1 – 1/3 general voters in New Hope Precinct 7”.

When you need to reload the search in the future for entering the walk list results it will be stored in the Favorites tab.

The next section walks through the steps to generate your walk list using the format and search you’ve created thus far, and how to record the results as you go door-to-door.

#4 – Generate and Print the Walk List ‘Selectable Format’ and Begin Door Knocking

Once you’re finished building the voter list you’ll need to load the format that contains the walk list questions (attributes) which was created in the previous section.

Click [Format] > Select Saved…

Select the format that contains your walk list questions and then click [Select and Close].

Once the format and list of voters are in place, click the [Reports] button in the bottom-right.

Select Walk List, Selectable Format and click [OK].

Create a Report Title, configure your options, and then click [OK].  In my example I called mine 2017 Walk List – New Hope P-07, and I left the checkbox settings as default (Print grid lines, and Odd/even order).  You can of course play around with these settings to see what suites you best.

Verify everything looks good on paper and then click [Print] in the top-left, select your printer, and print the walk lists.  My finished example is below with details.

Distribute the paper walk lists to your door-knockers, teach them how to fill out the answers, how to be polite as they knock on doors, etc.  Below is an example of a walk list with the results filled in.  You may want to send each group of walkers out with a map of the area they’re canvassing as well as a smart phone or tablet with the internet to pull up their location on something like Google Maps so they can canvass more efficiently.

The final section shows how to enter the walk list results back into the database in batch mode.

#5 – Re-Enter the Walk List Results in ‘Batch Mode’ (Directly into the Grid)

Navigate to the Voters list.

Load your saved search query from under the Favorites tab (created in the previous sections).

Load the Format that contains the walk list questions you used, and that has the updateable attribute columns (created in section #2).

Start by clicking [Format] > Select Saved…

Select the format and click [Save and Close].

It will be a lot easier to re-enter data if you add in two more columns to the format for street name, and street number.  This will allow you to sort the list to group voters by location.

Click [Format] > Columns…

In the lower-left of the Columns screen, click on the ‘Address [Home]’ joined table.  Then scroll down the right-hand list of columns, check the boxes for Street Name and Street Number and click [OK].

The two new columns will be added to the far right of the grid.

Click on each of the column titles and drag them to the left on the grid, and then release them.  My example is below – this will make it easier for your data entry.  You can save this format for future use if you’ll be entering data again in the future.

Next you’ll want to sort the grid to group the voters by street.  Click the [Sort] button the list tool strip.

Under the Columns tab, click Street Number & Street Name, and then click [OK].

The voters will now be grouped together to make it easier to re-enter your walk list results.  My example is below.

Click the [Edit] button so that the attribute (question) columns turn green (which means they are updatable in the grid view).

Begin enter the walk list results and click [Save] in the bottom-right as you go.  The columns will provide totals at the bottom so you can begin to get an idea of the results.  My finished example is below.

Take a look at the related resources below for quick links to many other videos and articles related to this topic.

Related Resources

Article: Mobile Base Camp – How to Create and Run a Mobile Canvassing (Walk) List

Article: Mobile Base Camp – How to Setup and Use the Mobile Poll Watching App

Article: Tips and Tricks for using Mobile Base Camp – Add Shortcuts to your Home Screen, Adjust Device Settings to Keep the Screen on, and More

Article: Add Attributes, Attribute Dates, and Attribute Notes to the Grid by Formatting them in as Columns

Article: How to Create Attribute Folders and Attribute Items (Customer Categories)

Article: How to Delete an Attribute Folder and Attribute Items (Custom Categories)

Article: Save and Load a Search Query as a (Dynamic) Search Favorite

Article: SQL Wildcards

Article: Save and Load a Search Query as a (Dynamic) Search Favorite

Article: How to Mass Update a List of Contacts with an Attribute Item

Video: Canvass Your Neighborhood With Our Mobile Canvassing App

Video: Walk Lists – Using Format Display

Video: Reporting 101 – Political – Contribution reports & Walk Lists

Video: Mappoint – Select Houses to Walk By Drawing

Video: Getting Started 102 Beginning Queries - Nonprofit

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