When canvassing in Vottiv, you may occasionally notice homes that do not appear on the map or apartment complexes that show only a single icon rather than individual units. This article explains why this happens and how to work with those locations.

1. Why Some Houses Do Not Appear on the Map

Vottiv’s map is built directly from your campaign’s voter file.
Because of that:

A household will only appear if it contains at least one registered voter.
If a house is missing, it typically means no registered voters currently live at that address.

What if I talk to an unregistered voter at that location?

If you help them register:

They will appear on your map automatically after the next voter file update (based on your state’s update schedule).

2. Why Some Areas Look Empty on the Map

If you see a cluster of homes on the street but no dots on the Vottiv map, there are two likely explanations:

A. No registered voters in those households

This is the most common reason for “missing dots.”

B. The area is an apartment complex

Apartment units do not appear as individual household dots.
Instead:

Vottiv combines all units from the same building into one apartment complex icon.
Clicking the complex icon will open the list of all units included in that building.

This keeps maps cleaner and easier to navigate, especially in high-density areas.

3. Can I Add Information for an Unlisted Household While Canvassing?

Currently, Vottiv only allows you to record data for addresses that exist in the voter file.

If you encounter an unlisted home:

You can speak with the voter and assist with registration.
Once they are officially registered, the address will appear in future voter file updates.