Referendum Strategies & Community Surveys
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Baker Tilly’s referendum and community survey services and tools are consistently proven to produce reliable results. Our methodology is tested in real-time to ensure the survey closely reflects the demographics of your entire community.
Plan and execute a successful, data-driven referendum based on bona fide community survey and voter mapping results.
State and local governments, school districts and other entities conducting operating, facility and bond referenda need accurate data and constituent feedback to be successful on election day. To execute an effective campaign and get the “yes” votes needed to pass a referendum, policy makers need to strategize on what to put on the ballot – and how.
Run your referendum with Baker Tilly’s Value Architects™ who understand how to help you prepare, plan and implement a winning campaign.
Our strategic approach
We help organizations solve referendum challenges with:
- A rigorous methodology that doesn’t burden your stakeholders
- Representative samples – survey responses we collect closely mirror the demographics of the community as a whole
- Access to sophisticated demographic and predictive databases that can be appended to registered voter data to analyze the demographic makeup of a community's population. Data from Baker Tilly can also be uploaded into GIS systems for geographic analysis
- Flexibility – we work with your schedules to meet your needs beyond November elections
Referendum services
- Scientific, random sample feasibility surveys
- Opt-in/online surveys
- Voter files and target structures
- Post-election analysis (PEA) and planning
- Master tasks and timelines
- Strategic referenda planning
By the numbers
92%
of our clients passed their referendum on election day in the last five years
19 of 20
ballot measures that used our survey methodology passed their referendum on election day in the last three years
Survey depth and breadth
- Conduct surveys for small, medium and large populations
- Serve urban, suburban and rural communities across the country
- Experience supporting all types of communities and districts
- Target the right voters to pass your referenda
- Beyond referenda, surveys can be designed to measure community or customer satisfaction, gather feedback on a strategic plan and guide budget planning
The end deliverable to your leadership is a comprehensive, yet flexible planning model of analytical and strategic resources intended to maximize the potential for a successful election. Survey data and results by demographic groups provide decision makers with a feasibility analysis of the ballot question content and voter tax tolerance. Aligning the ballot proposal with community values and its willingness to pay result in better outcomes on election day.
“We were very pleased with the Baker Tilly survey services. The incredibly high levels of professionalism and survey knowledge of the Baker Tilly team helped us every step of the way in developing a high-quality communication tool. We plan to use this tool to communicate again and again with members of our community over a period of years to continue to gather important longitudinal feedback and constructive input regarding our efforts to best serve the community.”– Dr. Michael Redmond, Superintendent, Shakopee Public Schools
School Tax Elections – Planning for Success in the New Normal – 3rd Edition
This book represents a combination of research and successful practice, presenting a comprehensive planning model for leaders preparing for and conducting school tax elections.
About the authors
Don E. Lifto is a director and consultant with Baker Tilly. Previously, he was a school superintendent in Minnesota for twenty-five years, having served in rural, suburban and intermediate districts.
Barbara Nicol, APR, has more than thirty years of experience in the communications field. She founded Barbara Nicol Public Relations in 1990 and focuses her work on providing strategic and high-quality communications expertise to school districts and education-related organizations.
“In School Tax Elections: Planning for Success in the New Normal, Third Edition, Don Lifto and Barb Nicol provide a recipe for success. They offer practical, research-based advice for preparing for an election campaign, anticipating potential challenges, and managing the process to increase the chances for a successful outcome. Today, school tax referenda are often won and lost by small margins. With such little room for error, anyone involved in leading, planning and executing such an initiative should read this book carefully.”– Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators
“The customer service and survey fidelity, accuracy, and support for decision making significantly enhanced our referendum efforts and is easily a major contributing factor to our success.”– Michael Baumann, Superintendent, ISD No. 194 – Lakeville Area Schools
School district increases voter turnout and executes a successful election
Public school district passes referendum to improve building needs and support students and community with survey data and targeting tools