How can I be a good canvasser?

July 25, 2017 12:48 PM

I've decided that the thing I want to do to make a difference politically is to help swing congressional seats in the 2018 midterm elections. This will entail canvassing, which I've done a little bit of in the past. But the problem is I myself hate being canvassed, and thus I assume most people resent the intrusion as much as I do. That may be true, and it may not. But how can I reframe it in my own mind so I can get into it and do it well?
posted by wheeler10 to Law & Government (11 answers total)

I think Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston Churchill's mother) put it best. Recalling when she went out canvassing on her husband's behalf:

...On one occasion I was received in sullen silence; when I inquired why, one, speaking for the rest, said they did not like being asked for their vote.
"But you have something I want," I cried; "how am I to get it if I do not ask for it?"
This struck them as quite reasonable and when I left they cheered me.
posted by Lunaloon at 1:11 PM on July 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

You can do it respectfully, which is something I've never experienced in my interactions with a canvasser, door to door or otherwise.

If your canvassing takes you door to door, respect posted 'no trespassing' and 'no soliciting' signs, even if your local laws don't enforce them. If your trainer or supervisor tells you to ignore these, memail me for my phone number and have them contact me directly so I can fully illustrate how awful this practice can be to certain populations.

In short: You might be knocking on the doors housing people with PTSD, Sensory Processing Disorders and Austism Spectrum Disorders. These folks can be dysregulated at best, and fucking wrecked at worst, by surprise visitors. Sometimes this can be a temporary bad time for someone, other times it can impact them for hours/days. Also, if you get yelled at, screamed at, threatened, etc, don't assume these people are assholes automatically (that may be the case), they might be having an involuntary reaction to an unexpected situation outside their control. Respect people's wishes. Don't approach them if they've asked you not to (by the presence of their sign).
posted by furnace.heart at 1:23 PM on July 25, 2017 [5 favorites]

I hate doing this too. But in the past I've gotten my best results by being genuinely friendly. You have to think of the people you approach as people you want to talk to, to be honest with them (a la Lady Churchill), and to be respectful if they don't want to participate.
posted by bearwife at 1:25 PM on July 25, 2017

I have canvassed thousands of homes. I have managed canvassing efforts on a dozen campaigns. You will persuade very few people that already have an opinion. Your job is to remind your supporters to vote, and to give attention to the undecided. So, take your canvassing script and put it into a 30 second pitch in your own voice. Make sure you get the "who are you? Who are you here for? What do you want?" out quickly. People hate being canvassed because canvassers waste time better spent doing anything else. If you minimize that with efficient interactions you will get fewer door slams and speak to more voters.

But no matter how nice, polite, and quick you are, there are always jerks on the other end of some doors.
posted by munchingzombie at 1:26 PM on July 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

Tell people how to get you to stop coming to their door. (assuming you're already respecting no soliciting, etc signs)

For me, it was someone telling me that if I applied for an absentee ballot and sent it in, I would drop off their lists and would stop being called/visited. I had no idea that was how it worked, and was getting really frustrated that I had already *told* them how I was voting, and they kept calling and visiting - sometimes multiple times a day! Then, the volunteer came to my door with an absentee ballot application and explained what would happen if I filled it out, and then sent in the absentee ballot when I got it. I was thrilled.
posted by needlegrrl at 1:31 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Agreeing with munchingzombie - your job is usually to remind people to vote. Some people hate canvassers and won't answer or will close the door in your face. In my experience, though, there's a lot of misinformation out there about when and how to vote, so by sharing instructions clearly I am helping - and helping even more if they tell relatives, friends, etc.
posted by violetish at 1:43 PM on July 25, 2017

I have done a fair bit of canvassing in the past even though I am an introvert who doesn't so much like surprise people at my own house. I think the key to doing this well is to be SUPER POLITE and AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE. I'm pretty sure you can figure out the super polite part on your own, but this is what I mean by being helpful: A lot of people don't vote because they don't know what the issues are or who the candidates are for the upcoming election, don't know when the election is, don't know where their polling place is or what its hours are, don't know what ID they have to bring to the polls, don't know if they can mail in a ballot instead of going to the polls or if they can receive accommodations at a polling place for a disability they have, etc. So if you educate yourself really, really well on candidates, ballot issues, and voting rights and resources in your area you can actually provide a real service to people who want to vote but aren't really sure where to look for the information they need, which helps you both personally feel and be perceived by others as more of a help than a nuisance. So, my advice is, go beyond your candidate's boilerplate pitch, and memorize helpful facts about voting and and voter resources in your area so that you can show up at a stranger's door not just as a candidate's salesperson but as a voter educator and voting rights expert. Yes, you're still going to get some annoyed people slamming doors in your face but those people were probably not going to change their minds anyway.
posted by BlueJae at 1:44 PM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]

Don't cut across yards. Walk down the path or sidewalk to the street and on to the next path or sidewalk up to the next house.

Try as best you can not to take things personally.

I've canvassed door-to-door for funds and for votes. For votes is much easier!!!

Good luck.
posted by jgirl at 2:32 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

My friend was an extremely successful canvasser in an area where very few people spoke his language. He found that if he could greet people in their language it would break down a lot of barriers and that they'd actually appreciate the relief from their isolation (many of his victims clients were Chinese housewives at home during the day.) I don't know thing one about canvassing, but he said that made a huge difference. He ended up being an ESL teacher in Asia for 14 years.
posted by klanawa at 3:36 PM on July 25, 2017

Be polite, and let the people you're canvassing talk. Canvassing is one thing when you're just reciting a script to each person; it's another thing entirely when you actually engage in a dialogue with the other person. Ask them questions, listen to their answers, and tell them you'll pass their concerns up the chain of command. (And, of course, do so. But at the same time, don't make promises you can't keep.) People just want to be heard, especially on political matters in a democracy. Listening is what can set you apart from the other "salesmen".
posted by kevinbelt at 5:32 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you're stationed at a bus stop/subway entrance, do not block people's way. I don't care if you're campaigning on behalf of the most perfect candidate who 100% aligns with my views, I don't vote for people whose staff harass me.
posted by TravellingCari at 10:40 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]