Distribute a Questionnaire
Configure, test, and distribute a candidate questionnaire.
Once you have your questionnaires created and assigned, it's time to distribute them to candidates.
How distribution works
VoterGuideOS streamlines the questionnaire distribution process by generating a shared questionnaire link, which you can send to all candidates, regardless of their questionnaire. Candidates open the link, identify themselves, confirm their candidate record, and then are routed to the questionnaire assigned to their race.
The VoterGuideOS platform does not contact candidates on your behalf. Your newsroom is still responsible for contacting candidates, usually through a mix of email, phone, and social media messages (especially for local candidates).
VoterGuideOS does provide candidate contact information, to help reduce the amount of research you need to do yourself.
Step 1: Configure the invitation
1. Open distribution setup
From the Questionnaires page, open Distribute and begin the invitation setup. You configure this once per election, but you can return and edit your settings at any time.
2. Select your access method
The key setup decision is whether candidates use the shared public link by itself or must also provide a candidate-specific passcode.
| Access method | Advantages | Operational considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Public link | Fastest to launch, reusable across outreach channels, and least friction for candidates. | Relies on candidate self-identification and your review process. Review suspicious submissions before publishing. |
| Questionnaire passcode | Adds a candidate-specific authentication step. Useful for large-scale outreach or when responses publish automatically. | Each candidate must receive the correct unique passcode, adding mail-merge complexity and potential support requests. |
Which method should I use?
Use a public link when your team reviews every submission and wants the simplest candidate experience. Consider passcodes when you're contacting a large amount of candidates or responses auto-publish.
3. Add welcome text and branding
Replace the default invitation text with a concise explanation of:
- who is conducting the questionnaire
- why candidates are being contacted
- how the responses will be used
- where candidates can get help
4. Choose review or auto-publish
Select what should happen after a candidate submits:
- Newsroom Review: Keeps new responses in submitted state until your team reviews and publishes it. Your team will be notified about each new response.
- Auto-publish: New responses are automatically visible to readers. Reduces manual steps but places more weight on identity controls and a clearly communicated publication policy.
5. Save and copy the questionnaire link
Once you complete the setup, copy the generated link. This is what you will send to candidates.
Step 2: Prepare your outreach list
While VoterGuideOS does not contact candidates on your behalf, we do provide a central store for editing and exporting candidate contact information.
- Go to the Candidates page.
- View existing contact information, or add and edit your own records by clicking "Edit".
- Export candidate data for an easy mail merge or outreach list.
Questionnaire passcodes are included
If you selected the passcode authentication method, each candidate's questionnaire passcode will appear as a column in the exported candidate CSV.
Use custom workflows to track research and follow-ups
The Candidates page supports adding custom columns, which can be used to track internal workflows.
To add a new custom field, click the "+" icon button on the Candidates page. Add a custom dropdown or text field for outreach status, such as Not contacted, Invited, First reminder, or Final reminder. Candidate comments can preserve additional context for teammates.
Step 3: Send out your questionnaire
Once you've created your questionnaires and collected your candidate contact information, it's time to distribute the questionnaire.
Most newsrooms opt using a CRM or mail-merge system to distribute the candidate questionnaire links and passcodes to the candidates.
When you contact the candidates, be sure to include:
- Your questionnaire link.
- The candidate's unique questionnaire passcode, if opting for the Questionnaire Passcode access method. This can be found on the candidate's page or in the Exported Candidate Data CSV.
Step 4: Follow-up to maximize response rates
Most candidates require an additional 1-2 follow-ups before they respond to a questionnaire.
Within the Candidates tab, you can view and filter by response progress to do targeted reminders.
| State | What it means | Recommended staff action |
|---|---|---|
| No response | The candidate has not opened the questionnaire. | Confirm correct contact information and follow-up. |
| Opened | The candidate has started their questionnaire. | Send 1 to 2 deadline reminders. Informing a candidate that their opponents have responded can be a helpful pressuring tool. |
| Submitted | The candidate has completed the questionnaire. The response is available for review. | Review and publish the questionnaire response. Instructions on next article. |
| Published | The platform copy has been approved for public display. |