Presidential or high-profile campaigns already use organizing software. But since operatives in political hotspots such as Washington, DC, New York City and Los Angeles went into isolation, Luciani senses a new urgency from advocacy groups, consultancies and nonprofits that previously hesitated exploring new tools.

Those who control political budgets for events and in-person organizing networks (i.e. campaign operations) must figure out how to convert those programs into something useful, Peruri said.

Platforms such as OutreachCircle, The Tuesday Company and Buzz360, a conservative digital organizing company, use phones as the linchpin. Volunteers can download an app for a list of targets in their area. The main use case right now is peer-to-peer texting, so candidates can get the word out about their campaigns without rallies and TV studio appearances.

The most impactful way to reach a potential voter – aside from news coverage – is through their friends and family members, said Buzz360 CEO Lisa Schneegans. Organizing software lets a campaign push names to volunteers, so they can try to persuade people they know, or even just find out which issues matter to them. That’s the kind of data campaigns would get from door-to-door canvassers.

If candidates embrace digital organizing this year, they may even find advantages compared to in-person outreach, Peruri said. A stranger knocking on a door is more productive than a stranger making calls, but messages from a friend are more effective than both.

It is slower and more difficult though. If a campaign hires organizers and has a pool of volunteers, it can knock on hundreds of doors and reach thousands of people in a short time, Peruri said. Digital organizing requires the campaign to obtain data – phone numbers, primarily, with a splash of email – in order to target people.

But campaigns don’t need volunteers and contacts in every district. The 2016 presidential race was decided in 15-20 precincts in a few key states, Peruri said. Candidates are focusing where they can make the most difference, even if they can’t knock on every door.

Digital organizing also requires more grassroots training. With in-person operations, a campaign organizer keeps volunteers focused and contextualizes the work, Luciani said. Volunteers need to understand that they’re canvassing in a crucial area for turnout, say, or that they’re reaching potential supporters who previously donated for a specific issue.

“One thing we have to convey to our clients is that they still have a big burden to help their supporters understand what and why they’re being asked to do certain things,” Luciani said.

Democrats have more quickly adopted digital organizing. In the past two weeks, the Democratic National Committee has made a big push to educate organizers.

And it isn’t just this cycle. Of the 44 House seats that flipped from Republican to Democrat in 2018, 34 were campaigns where the Democrat used digital organizing tools and the Republican did not, Schneegans said.

In this cycle, successful candidates will pioneer digital outreach, she said. Peer-to-peer texting is taking off. Campaigns will measure success by engagement with their apps if states are still locked down by mid-summer, and virtual town halls and webinars could draw potential supporters.

“The most effective thing is to look someone in the eye and make a personal connection. But that’s just not happening,” Schneegans said. “What’s critical now is to reach people who want to find out about the candidates and, frankly, probably have a lot of time on their hands.”