Does it work in Kiswahili?
Yes. Polls go out in English and Kiswahili and count replies in either, USSD menus and campaign websites come in both, and the inbox reads the mood and issue of a message in English, Kiswahili or Sheng.
Polling
Polls that reach any phone, in English and Kiswahili.
Ask the estate, hear it back. Write a question in English and Kiswahili, pick the wards, and send it by SMS, USSD or a web link. Results are weighted to the register before anyone reads them.
Any phone
Every reply counts.
Polls and sign-ups work by SMS reply and by USSD on any phone. A reply of "2" or "maji" counts, and so does a USSD menu on a kabambe.
- Thank people properly. Airtime or M-Pesa, paid once per person, automatically.
- Honest numbers. Margin of error and response rate on every result.
- Weighted to the register. Results are weighted to the register before anyone reads them.
*384*27#
Nini kirekebishwe kwanza mtaani kwako?
1. Taka
2. Maji
3. Barabara na taa
4. Usalama
5. Mafuriko
Channels and consent
SMS and USSD carry the automated sends.
Meta's WhatsApp Business Policy doesn't allow political campaigns on its automated Business Platform. Your team can run WhatsApp from their own phones and log conversations in the Groundwork inbox.
SMS and USSD
Polls and sign-ups work by SMS reply and by USSD on any phone.
Web link
The web link and WhatsApp are there for people who prefer them.
Consent, per channel
Consent is checked per person, per channel, at the moment of sending. Broadcasts respect STOP.
One record per person
A poll reply, a message, a website sign-up and a door knock land on the same record when the number matches, and the history stays.
Do our supporters need smartphones?
No. Polls and sign-ups work by SMS reply and by USSD on any phone. The web link and WhatsApp are there for people who prefer them. Agents use the field app on a low-cost Android phone, and it keeps working without data.
Book a demo
Book a demoSee your ward on the map.
Tell us the seat you're running for. We'll show you Groundwork with your own wards loaded, in 30 minutes.