An innovative way to help Democrats win elections

Ground Truth is designed and led by Swing Left, a national grassroots organization dedicated to helping volunteers and donors direct their time and money to the elections that determine the balance of power in our country. 

Since 2017, Swing Left has built one of the largest and most effective grassroots networks in the country—mobilizing 1 million grassroots members, raising over $140 million to elect Democrats, making more than 50 million voter contacts, and organizing 450+ local groups across 40 states. As Swing Left’s most ambitious program to date, Ground Truth is designed to operate at the scale required to win competitive House races nationwide in 2026—and fuel Democratic wins for years to come.

Ground Truth reimagines voter contact by starting earlier, reaching more voters, and prioritizing listening over transactional outreach. 

Traditional voter-contact programs often begin late in the election year, rely heavily on voter file modeling, and focus primarily on “likely” Democratic voters. Ground Truth engages everyone in the most competitive swing districts—including voters who are disengaged, disillusioned, or often overlooked.

Using new technology, Ground Truth volunteers capture what voters are actually saying and share those insights directly with Democratic campaigns so they can shape their messaging, platforms, and outreach strategies based on actual voter input.

Persuadability is often difficult to predict using voter file data alone. Ground Truth’s early conversations can reveal meaningful openness among voters coded as Republicans or Independents—groups traditional canvassing programs often skip.

By listening first and engaging broadly, we can uncover opportunities to win back voters, rebuild trust, and expand the coalition Democrats need to win.

Ground Truth complements existing Democratic and progressive voter outreach efforts. We start earlier than most campaigns, reach voters often missing from the voter file, and focus on deep listening.

Swing Left coordinates closely with Democratic campaigns and party committees to ensure insights flow both ways. With the on-the-ground insights gathered from early Ground Truth conversations, campaigns are better prepared to persuade and turn out voters later in the election cycle.

Ground Truth launched in January 2026 following successful 2025 pilots in competitive House districts. Early conversations surfaced insights that traditional voter outreach often misses—including issue priorities, trust gaps, and unexpected openness among voters across the political spectrum to support Democratic candidates.

Ground Truth is now nationwide! Canvassing and phone banking opportunities are available across 33 targeted swing districts.

Ground Truth volunteers have meaningful conversations with voters—at the door in swing districts or on the phone no matter where they are located.

Volunteers reach out to every voter in a swing district—not just “likely” Democratic voters—asking open-ended questions and listening deeply to what matters most in their communities. No prior experience is required; training and support are provided by Swing Left’s team of experienced organizers. Sign up here for our next volunteer orientation.

You can make a donation online to support Swing Left, the organization behind Ground Truth. If you would like to give more than $5,000, please email development@swingleft.org to get in touch with our team.