As I knocked on what was at least my 1,000th door canvassing for Virginia candidates in 2017, I wondered. Will it be a solid consistently-voting Democrat? An independent? A low-frequency voter? Would I be able to connect with them? Ever hopeful, as the door opened and I saw someone answering the description of my walk list, I began:
“Ms Jones? My name is Jim Shelton. I’m a volunteer with the Democratic Party here in Manassas. We’re reaching out to voters in the neighborhood to talk about the upcoming election in November. We’re interested in hearing what’s on voters’ minds and what’s important to them.”
Because I’ve had so many of such conversations, I’ve decided to lay out for you the persuasion canvassing techniques that seem to work for me, also drawing on research and basic behavior change principles. You can find the full write up here – the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Persuasion Canvassing in Virginia.
The guide is oriented to the “persuasion” phase, targeting people who might not have made up their minds or be aware of the candidates or election. (Canvassing approaches shift in the later “Get-Out-The-Vote” or GOTV phase.) I’m omitting basic walk list mechanics, because you will pick that up easily or already know them. Although every conversation is different, and the order and content will vary, here are some key concepts:
Overriding Principle: Connect with the voter at a genuine, personal and human level. Be open and sincere. Listen and adapt as the interaction proceeds, recognizing differences among people. Not really so hard - something we do every day.
Warm Up: Campaign scripts generally move quickly to the candidate(s) – e.g., asking whether the voter knows and supports the candidate(s.) That can certainly work. But I like to stay in the listening mode. Key questions:
“Have you been following our election in November?” “As a voter, do you tend to vote in most elections or just selectively?” The Trump Card – the great icebreaker – “How do you feel about how things are going in Washington with Mr. Trump?”Soliciting Voter Views. “Let me ask you, what things or issues are important to you now?” Typically it is one of these:
Health Care Women’s Health Transportation (and overdevelopment) Environment Education Gun Safety Gerrymandering/Voting Rights Bad things happening in WashingtonAsk them to elaborate. Listen, validate, affirm, connect, and bring in your own experience. Be respectful and don’t get in debates. Remember, such active listening is really motivating.
Use the voter’s issue(s) to focus on the candidate(s.) For each issue it is good to have a simple “sound bite” message contrasting your candidate(s) with their opponents.
For example, for education: “I really agree about the importance of education, Ms Jones. Our children’s futures depend on it. And my candidate is strongly in favor of much better support to public schools. But you know the Republicans want to take money away from public schools and give it to private schools through vouchers.” Then comes a good opportunity to introduce the candidate(s). You can present the campaign literature and point out their faces, reinforcing their support for education as well as personal qualities.
The campaigns provide talking point bullets to help. You don’t have to be an expert on every issue. You are just a volunteer and can refer a question to the campaign if necessary.
Target the entire Republican legislature as wasting time on distracting ideological issues like - bathroom bills, transvaginal ultrasound, defunding Planned Parenthood and voter suppression.
Voters who are not issue-oriented. They vote more on likability, things in common with the candidate or “character.” Point out positive characteristics, e.g. family background, military service, leadership experience, community service, gender. The campaign literature will help.
Closure. Many “persuasion” voters will at best only move several notches in the blue direction, but sometimes you sense the voter is leaning Democratic. If so, reinforce it. But manage your time. You have other doors to knock. When concluding, come back to their issues and your candidate(s).
Low-frequency voters are crucial. They may readily agree with you. The real key is motivating them to turn out. The Trump card is often highly effective. Reinforce the importance of the election stressing connection to their issues, and the need to vote for all the Democrats. Note for the campaign that this voter merits a return visit during GOTV.
Key Actions for the Persuaded
Commitment Cards and handshakes. Some campaigns use commitment cards that I like to call reminder cards that demonstrate the voter’s commitment and are later mailer to them. If the voter declines to fill one out, I will say. “Okay, I respect that. But in that case can we at least shake hands and say we have a deal?” At which point I extend my hand, look them in the eye and without fail they smile and shake my hand.
Reaching out to others. Ask who they know that they can encourage to vote. If they provide examples, reinforce them. Importantly, thinking through whom they might contact, enlists them in the voter turnout process.
Greater involvement. For really committed voters, I ask if they are willing to volunteer, make donations or put up a yard sign, in that order. If they agree, note it on the walk list.
Registering the voter’s tendency (Voter ID). Campaigns really want to know how likely it is the voter will vote for your candidate(s,) especially to come back at a later time to those strongly supportive or leaning. Register on the scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 is the most likely) their likely support for your candidate(s.)
Some additional thoughts,
Write liberally on the walk list. Talk to anyone who answers the door. Ask for the person(s) the walk list specifies. But otherwise talk to household members or new occupants when it seems useful. People are very seldom hostile in my experience. For the voter in a hurry, adapt to the situation. Focusing on the candidate(s) and providing the literature is generally the highest priority, although for low- frequency voters, stress the importance of their participation. Talk to people on the street if it seems promising. It can be very rewarding! When people are not home, leave the literature in a secure place, e.g. not under the doormat and of course never in a mailbox or mail slot. Take food and water with you. “Mentoring “– i.e. partnering new canvassers with experienced ones really helps new canvassers learn and gain confidence.The more you canvass the better you will be. I find canvassing rewarding because I really enjoy the conversations – and I’m contributing substantially to a vital effort both for Virginia and our country. Canvassing really is the best tool to win elections. Do it your way, the best way you can. When we vote, we win!