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Case Study

50,000 Verified Doors: San Francisco Recall Defense

How TouchStone's field teams delivered a compressed-timeline canvass in the Outer Sunset — every door GPS-verified, reported to donors daily, finished ahead of schedule.

September 2025
Outer Sunset, San Francisco
Stop the Engardio Recall
50,000
Doors Knocked, Ahead of Schedule
25
Canvassers at Peak
3
Languages at the Door
0
Technology Failures

The Campaign That Exceeded Expectations

When San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio faced a recall election, the Stop the Engardio Recall Committee turned to TouchStone's canvassing teams to execute a door-to-door campaign.

With a mandate to knock on 50,000 doors, TouchStone deployed experienced field teams to deliver verified results.

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The Challenge

The recall was fueled by the Great Highway closure controversy and a divided political climate in San Francisco's Outer Sunset district; the committee needed professional canvassing mobilized quickly before the September 16 election.

Critical Requirements

  • Deploy experienced canvassing teams to reach tens of thousands of voters in a compressed timeframe
  • Build donor confidence through verifiable accountability and transparent reporting
  • Keep every door-to-door conversation genuine, compliant, and properly documented
  • Reach the Outer Sunset's diverse communities with multilingual canvassers

Our Approach

TouchStone deployed its full canvassing operation from day one, pairing field teams with the platform, with efficiency and contact rates tracked live throughout.

Key Program Highlights

GPS-Verified Accountability

Real-time location tracking that gave donors confidence in our field teams

Multilingual Breakthrough

Instant script translation to Spanish and Mandarin for neighborhood canvassing

Advanced Reporting

Dashboard visibility that drove same-day campaign decisions and resource allocation

Quality Assurance

Photo verification and follow-up protocols for data integrity

Results That Speak Volumes

Our canvassing teams exceeded all initial projections.

Success Highlights

  • Goal Achievement: 50,000 door target completed ahead of schedule
  • Quality Conversations: Verified voter interactions delivered by trained canvassing contractors
  • Clean Operations: Zero significant issues throughout the campaign
  • Multilingual Success: Community canvassing with Spanish and Mandarin-speaking residents
  • Operational Efficiency: Program scaled smoothly to 25 paid canvassers

The Result

On September 16, 2025, District 4 voted to recall Supervisor Engardio, with 62.7% in favor — the first successful recall of a San Francisco supervisor. The field program TouchStone ran for the committee hit every operational target it was given: 50,000 doors, ahead of schedule, with zero technology failures.

TouchStone’s promise is operational, not electoral — no vendor decides an election. What the committee could control was whether the program ran as reported: every knock real, every conversation documented, every result verified as it came in. It did.

Why This Campaign Matters

The Engardio recall campaign demonstrates how professional field teams running on a verified platform turn traditional outreach into a precise, accountable voter engagement operation.

Critical Success Factors

  • Trust Through Accountability: How verified canvassing results changed donor confidence
  • Inclusive Outreach: Breaking language barriers in residential canvassing
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Real-time field reporting from canvassing teams
  • Scalable Excellence: Maintaining quality while rapidly expanding operations

Ready to Start Your Success Story?

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