Have you ever wondered what the campaigns you work on look like from the volunteer side? Or from the point of view of the paid canvassers? In 2008, I spent ten months researching two congressional races in the North East, talking to hundreds of staffers, paid part-timers, and volunteers for my book Ground Wars: Personalized Communication in Political Campaigns. Some of what they say will surprise you. Some of it may infuriate you. All of it can help you in your work.

With 2011 in full swing, we progressive Election Administration geeks are, as usual, looking for the best way to make our elections as functional and accessible as possible. For the past decade, many progressives have looked to early voting to achieve that goal. But research suggests that it might not be working, and that heading into the 2012 elections we should push for other, less common reforms, such as Same Day Registration (SDR). Early voting has significantly changed the way Americans

Maybe Romero Jackson didn't hear: cable news says that young people aren't going to vote this year. More likely, he heard it and just didn't believe it. In 2008, Romero canvassed the streets of Milwaukee for then-Senator Obama. But he didn't quit this year, like all the pundits are saying he would. In fact, he stepped it up. This year, Romero's the field director for Campaign Against Violence, the Wisconsin arm of the League of Young Voters Education Fund. And he's working every day because,

Ok, maybe not a user's guide exactly. But this month in the New Campus, we're featuring classes that can help you navigate the waters of GOTV and avoid the hidden reefs and mines that cost valuable time and money. This six part series highlights important aspects of GOTV work, including managing volunteers, controlling Early Vote data, integrating your online efforts, and more. We'll host recordings of every session right here, so that you can view them any time. Session I: Organizer's