The purpose of this guide is to make doorknocking seem like something you, even you, could do. I am an introverted, elderly, white woman. If I can doorknock, so can you. Put your questions in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Any political work is valuable. Democracy thanks all of us for writing letters, post cards, phonebanking, texting , handing out leaflets, donating money, raising money, and more. I have done all of those things but, to my surprise, I prefer doorknocking because doorknocking is:
The most effective Get Out the Vote Strategy.1 Many local elections are decided by a few votes. You can be the person who gets out those votes that win an election.
A civic education. You get to venture outside of your bubble. It’s fascinating!
Powerful. I have had good conversations over the phone, but I have had many, many more of those good conversations in person. Plus, by your presence alone, you are showing how important voting is. Just by being interested and polite, you are showing people that their vote matters.
How It Works:
If I had known how easy it was, I would have done more canvassing sooner! There are three things that make canvassing easy.
A turf. The campaign pre-selects certain houses and people in those houses for you to canvas. The campaign never intentionally sends you to people who will be hostile. At this point in the cycle, most doorknocks are “low propensity voters.” I have never been greeted with hostility in over 100 hours of doorknocking.
A script. The campaign supplies a script. It is usually very simple. Will the person vote for the candidate? How will they vote (mail, in person)? Sometimes: what are the issues that matter to you? Are you interested in volunteering? Follow the script! I once canvassed with someone who stuck exactly to the script and he was very effective. He didn’t seem stiff. He came across as friendly and receptive. I noticed that people would talk to him at length. It’s common to worry that you don’t “know enough” to canvass, but I have come to believe that listening is the best canvassing strategy.
3. MiniVan This is the free and easy-to-use app where you will download your turf. For each house, you will be given the name, age and party affiliation of each person you have been assigned to canvas. When you click on each person, the relevant script will open up. MiniVan will store your data and send it to the campaign. It will also show your percentages. Expect to reach about 20% of doors knocked, on a good day.
Be Prepared:
Wear comfortable shoes. You will probably walk more than you expect.
Doorknocking might be the most effective GOTV strategy, but while you are doing it, it feels like the most inefficient. On a given block, you might knock on only a few doors.
Stay hydrated and fed but not too hydrated and fed. Chances are there won’t be any restrooms where you are canvassing. Dried fruit, nuts, vegggies, apples, oranges have sustained me over many a long day of canvassing. Bring a water bottle.
Bring a smallish shoulder bag or crossbody bag. You’ll have a lot of literature to hand out or leave at doors (NEVER leave in mailbox or put through letter boxes). I lose stuff in a larger bag or knapsack.
Always be polite! I tell myself that nobody has to open their door to me and nobody has to speak to me. Sometimes people want to complain or argue. Fine! You can smile and wish them a good day.
I can think of more things to say, but I don’t know what questions you have about canvassing. I’ll try to answer any canvassing questions in the comments.
Get Out the Vote: How To Increase Voter Turnout by Daniel Green and Alan Gerber. The first edition of Get Out the Vote! broke ground by introducing a new scientific approach to the challenge of voter mobilization and profoundly influenced how campaigns operate. In this expanded and updated edition, the authors incorporate data from more than one hundred new studies, which shed new light on the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of various campaign tactics, including door-to-door canvassing, e-mail, direct mail, and telephone calls. Two new chapters focus on the effectiveness of mass media campaigns and events such as candidate forums and Election Day festivals.
Thanks for your service, Shifra!
This is great, Shifra! Thank you for doing this.