35 Doors
Neighborhood Leader Guide
Indivisible Philadelphia · 2026
1. What Is 35 Doors?
35 Doors is Indivisible Philadelphia's voter contact program. The name comes from the goal of each Neighborhood Leader reaching 35 doors — the households of low-propensity Democratic and independent voters who live near them.
The program is built on a simple idea: neighbors talking to neighbors is one of the most effective ways to turn out votes. You already know your streets, your neighbors, and your community. 35 Doors gives you the tools to put that to work.
The goal of each conversation is to:
- Remind your neighbors that elections matter and their vote counts
- Share information about upcoming elections, candidates, and ballot questions
- Help people get registered to vote if they aren't already
- Build lasting relationships in your neighborhood
The app keeps track of who you've visited, what happened at each door, and gives you everything you need to prepare for and document each canvassing walk.
2. Your Role as a Neighborhood Leader
As a Neighborhood Leader (NL), you are a volunteer assigned to a small list of voters who live near you — typically around 35 households within walking distance of your home.
Your responsibilities:
- Knock on your voters' doors before each election (this is called a "round")
- Record what happened at each door in the app after your walk
- Let the app know if someone has moved, is unreachable, or wants voter registration information
- Repeat the process for each election cycle
You don't need to be a political expert. You just need to show up, have honest conversations, and keep good notes. The app handles the logistics.
Tip: Most NLs complete a round over several walks rather than all at once. You might knock 10 doors on a Saturday morning, then come back a few evenings during the week for the rest. That's perfectly fine — the app keeps track of where you left off.
3. About Your Voter List
Your voter list is drawn from Philadelphia's official voter file — the public record of all registered voters in the city. It is maintained by the City Commissioners office and updated regularly.
Who is on your list?
- Registered Democrats and registered independents (no registered Republicans)
- Voters who have participated in general elections but not recent primaries — these are people worth reaching
- Voters who live within roughly a mile of your home
- Voters whose address is "walkable" — meaning they're at a standard street address, not a P.O. box or large apartment building
What you'll see for each voter:
- Name and full address (including apartment number if applicable)
- Their ward and division (Philadelphia's precinct system)
- How many recent general elections and primaries they voted in — shown as a fraction (e.g., "Voted in 3 of 3 generals")
- Any contact notes from previous rounds
Note: Voter data is updated periodically, not in real time. If a voter has recently moved or changed their registration, the app may not reflect that yet. If someone tells you they've moved or they're no longer at that address, record it as "Moved" — this helps keep the data accurate.
4. Logging In
The app runs in any web browser — on a phone, tablet, or computer. You don't need to download anything.
1
Go to 35doors.indivisiblephiladelphia.com in your browser.
2
Enter the email address and password you were given when you signed up as a Neighborhood Leader.
3
Your voter list will load automatically. You'll land on the My Voters tab.
Tip: Save the site as a bookmark on your phone's home screen for quick access. On most phones, you can do this by opening the site in your browser, tapping the share button, and choosing "Add to Home Screen."
If you forget your password, contact your Indivisible Philadelphia coordinator to have it reset.
5. The My Voters Tab
This is your main workspace. It shows all the voters assigned to you, along with their contact history.
Your Progress Summary
At the top of the My Voters tab you'll see a progress panel showing how your current round is going:
- Contacted — Number of voters you've successfully spoken with
- Remaining — Voters still to knock this round
- % Complete — How far through your list you are
A donut chart breaks down all your outcomes at a glance — green for contacted, yellow for not home or left materials, red for refused, and gray for other outcomes. This updates every time you record a visit.
Filtering Your List
At the top of the list you'll see filter options:
- All — Shows every voter on your list
- Not Yet Visited — Shows only voters you haven't knocked yet this round
- Left Materials — Shows voters where you left literature but didn't speak to anyone
- Priority — Shows voters marked as a priority for a second attempt (see below)
Use Not Yet Visited to focus on who still needs a knock. Use Priority when you're going back out for a second pass.
Priority Voters
When you complete a round (see Section 10), voters you recorded as "Not Home" are automatically flagged as Priority for your next round. These are your best re-contact opportunities — they're registered voters who live near you and just weren't home the first time. The Priority filter lets you focus your next walk on them.
The Round Banner
Near the top of the page you'll see a banner showing your current round number. Rounds are the canvassing cycles — Round 1 is your first pass through your list, Round 2 is the second pass, and so on. When you're ready to start a new round after finishing one, you'll see a button to complete the current round and start the next one. More on this in Section 10.
Voter Cards
Each voter on your list appears as a card showing:
- Their name and address
- How many elections they've voted in (this tells you how engaged they are)
- Any notes from previous visits
- A Record Visit button if you haven't knocked yet this round
- An Edit button if you've already recorded a visit and need to correct it
The Map Tab
Click the Map tab to see a visual map of all your voters. Color-coded pins show who you've visited and who you haven't. This is handy for planning your route before you head out.
6. Printing Your Walk List
Before heading out to canvass, print your walk list. It gives you everything you need in a paper format you can carry with you.
1
From the My Voters tab, click Print Walk List.
2
A print-ready document will open in a new window. Give it a moment to load the map.
3
Use your browser's print function (usually Ctrl+P on a PC or ⌘+P on a Mac) to print it.
Your walk list contains:
- Page 1 — Map: A neighborhood map showing where each voter lives. Blue pin = your home. Gray pins = not yet visited. Green = contacted. Yellow = not home or left materials. Red = refused.
- Page 2 — Script (if available): A canvassing script and talking points prepared by Indivisible Philadelphia for the current election. Read it before you go out.
- Voter Table: A full list of your voters organized by precinct (ward and division). Includes name, address, and any election-specific information such as polling place location or ballot questions for their precinct.
Tip: Print your walk list in black and white to save ink — it's perfectly readable. If you're walking a lot of addresses, consider printing double-sided.
7. Recording Your Door Knocks
After each canvassing session — or even between doors if you're using your phone — record what happened at each door. This is the most important thing you can do to keep the program running well.
1
Find the voter on your list and tap or click Record Visit.
2
Choose the outcome that best describes what happened.
3
Add any notes (optional but encouraged).
Contact Outcomes
Contacted — You spoke with the voter or a household member
Not Home — You knocked but nobody answered
Left Materials — Nobody answered but you left literature at the door
Other Language — Someone answered but you couldn't communicate (language barrier)
Refused — Voter didn't want to talk
Not Accessible — Couldn't reach the door (locked gate, no entry, etc.)
Moved — Voter no longer lives there
Wrong Address — Address doesn't exist or is incorrect
Deceased — Voter has passed away
Writing Good Notes
Notes are just for you and your coordinator — voters never see them. Good notes help you prepare for your next visit and give context to your coordinator.
Examples of useful notes:
- "Spoke with daughter, voter is elderly and doesn't answer the door alone"
- "Very interested — asked about absentee voting, gave them the info"
- "Ring doorbell, not the knocker"
- "Says they moved here 6 months ago, doesn't know the registered voter"
Tip: You can edit your most recent entry for a voter if you made a mistake. Find the voter card and click the Edit button.
Important: Even "negative" outcomes like Not Home or Refused are valuable data. Record every door, every time. Patterns in the data help Indivisible Philadelphia target its resources effectively.
8. Looking Up an Address / Adding Someone You Met
Sometimes you'll meet someone at the door — or in the neighborhood — who isn't on your list. Maybe they live at a different apartment at the same address, or you struck up a conversation with a neighbor walking by. You can add them.
Look Up an Address
1
Tap Address Lookup at the top of the My Voters tab.
2
Enter the house number and street name. Use all caps for the street name (e.g., 1234 CEDAR AVE).
3
A list of registered voters at that address will appear. Tap a name to add them to your list.
Adding a Field Signup (Someone Not Registered)
If you meet someone who isn't registered to vote, or who isn't in the voter database, you can still add them:
1
Do the address lookup as above. If no results come up, or if the person you met isn't listed, tap "Sign up person not on this list."
2
Enter their first and last name.
3
If you gave them a voter registration form, check the box.
4
Tap Add to My List. They'll appear on your voter list with a purple "Field Signup" badge.
Field signups are tracked separately from registered voters and reported back to Indivisible Philadelphia as outreach contacts.
9. Know Your Turf
The Know Your Turf tab gives you background information about your neighborhood that you can use to have better conversations at the door.
Voter Registration & Turnout
This section shows the breakdown of registered voters in your ward — how many are Democrats, Republicans, and independents — compared to the city as a whole. It also shows turnout rates from recent elections. This tells you how politically active your neighborhood is.
Your Elected Officials
A list of the elected officials who represent your neighborhood, including:
- Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative
- Pennsylvania Governor
- Philadelphia Mayor and District Attorney
- Your PA State Representative and PA State Senator
- Your City Council member (district) and the at-large council members
Knowing who represents your neighbors is useful when conversations turn to local issues — and they often do.
Generating Your Report
The first time you visit this tab, click Generate Report. It takes about 30–60 seconds to run. After that, your report is saved and loads instantly on future visits. If something seems out of date, click Refresh to reload it.
Tip: Your Know Your Turf report is a great thing to review before your first walk of a new round. Knowing your ward's turnout history helps you understand which doors are most worth knocking.
10. Completing a Round
A round is one full pass through your voter list — you've knocked (or attempted) every door at least once. When you're done with a round, you complete it in the app and start fresh for the next election.
When Can You Complete a Round?
Two conditions must be met:
- Every voter on your list has a contact outcome recorded (even "Not Home" counts)
- At least 7 days have passed since you started knocking this round
When both are met, a "Complete Round & Start Round 2" button (or Round 3, etc.) will appear at the top of your My Voters tab.
What Happens When You Complete a Round?
- All your contact statuses are cleared so every voter shows as "Not Yet Visited" again
- Your full contact history from the previous round is saved — you'll still be able to see it on each voter card
- Your round number advances (Round 1 → Round 2, etc.)
- You're ready to start your next pass before the next election
Note: Completing a round is permanent — you can't undo it. Make sure you're done with your current pass before clicking the button. If you're unsure, contact your coordinator.
11. Tips for Effective Canvassing
Before You Go
- Print your walk list and read the script page before heading out
- Look at the map to plan an efficient route
- Bring something to write with in case you want to jot notes on paper to enter later
- Wear comfortable shoes — you may be walking for a while
- Bring your phone if you want to enter visit results as you go
At the Door
- Introduce yourself by name and as a neighbor, not as a political organizer. "Hi, I'm [name] from a few blocks away" opens more doors than "I'm volunteering for..."
- Keep it short. Most conversations at the door should be 2–5 minutes
- If nobody answers, leave a door hanger or piece of literature if you have one, and record it as "Left Materials"
- Don't argue. If someone is hostile, thank them for their time and move on
- You don't need to have all the answers. "I don't know, but I can find out" is a perfectly good response
After Your Walk
- Enter all your results in the app as soon as you can — while your memory is fresh
- Use the notes field for anything unusual that would be helpful to remember next round
- If you ran out of time and didn't get to some doors, that's fine — just make sure to record the ones you did knock
Common Questions from Voters
- "How did you get my name?" — "Voter registration records are public. I'm just reaching out to neighbors in the area."
- "I'm already going to vote." — "That's great to hear! I just wanted to make sure you had everything you need — polling place, ID requirements, etc."
- "I don't vote." — "I understand. Is there anything that gets in the way, or anything I can help with?" (Registration, transportation, etc.)
- "I don't want to be on a list." — "I completely understand. I'll note that, and you won't hear from me again." Then record as "Refused."
Questions about the app or the program? Contact your Indivisible Philadelphia coordinator. Thank you for being a Neighborhood Leader.
