Comfortable Shoes

Door knocking is an opportunity for you to look a voter in their eyes and welcome their participation in public policy, and there is no better way than it coming from the candidate at the voter’s doorstep. Once you start door knocking, you will see why this community-building effort can make all the difference in a political campaign. Voters will remember a connection with a candidate, and more than what you said, they will remember how you made them feel.  In this episode we will cover everything you need to know about door knocking! 

Learn more about Organizing to Win: The Art & Science of Running for Office - including free downloadable guides - by visiting OrganizingtoWin.com.

Transcript

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You're listening to the audio version of Jimmy Tickey's book Organizing to Win. The Art and Science of Running for Office. This book will teach you how to enter the political arena, manage a campaign, and run for office.

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Comfortable shoes. Door knocking is the picturesque American effort to have a clipboard in hand and go door to door in a neighborhood. You'll be having conversations with people one by one, block by block, winning over a district through meaningful conversations as the breeze flows through your hair, birds sing to you, and people give you a thumbs up as you stroll down their street. The idea of it is romanticized more than the actual practice of it. In reality, you'll be walking up a hill, unable to find a number of the house you are looking for, sweating on a hot summer day as cars are buzzing by, knowing your friends are at brunch, and you are left wondering, why am I doing this to myself? You are in essence knocking on the doors of strangers. People are busier than ever with their noses in their phones, and a ring at the doorbell isn't as welcome as it used to be. We have grown accustomed to even our meals and packages being dropped off quietly, and the slightest motion of a leaf blowing in the wind triggers the motion doorbell. So to see a stranger approach the doorstep can leave people feeling leery. But the truth is when you engage people in a conversation, they are more likely to be interested in the issues and in the upcoming election. Doorknocking is an opportunity for you to look a voter in their eyes and welcome their participation in public policy, and there is no better way than it coming from the candidate at the voter's doorstep. Once you start door knocking, you will see why this community-building effort can make all the difference. Voters will remember a connection with a candidate, and more than what you said, they will remember how you made them feel. Voters view a candidate in two ways. First, were you likable? And second, were you capable? Being likable means did they trust you and find you warm? People don't care what you know until they know that you care. Then the other piece is more about authority. Did you have some level of perceived competence and reliability? So, on their doorstep, were you just popping by and dropping off information? Or did you ask if they had thoughts about the district? Did you explain your plan as to how you will improve quality of life? Did you listen to them and hear their thoughts? One time, while I was door knocking with a candidate, the candidate mentioned the down tree at the end of the street to the voter. The tree was on town property, and the tree brush was impeding the shoulder of the street. The voter was frustrated that City Hall had not yet addressed the fallen tree. The candidate took note of it and later inquired with City Hall. That kind of interest and care makes voters feel like you would be just as accessible and helpful in office. By the way, the tree was cleaned up by the town. Talk about getting something done before you've served in office. Once you have a universe identified, you are going to start to canvas to reach voters. As you look to the first person on your list, know that this voter is critical to your election. With each conversation, you're one vote closer to that win number. People will live together in that household too, and suddenly one conversation could multiply to two, three, or four voters. Take a step back and give the voters space as they answer their door. Then be prepared for anything with the goal of pitching your candidacy and asking for their vote. I have been invited into people's homes and politely declined because I wanted to keep moving, and one time was told, My wife wanted to meet you, come around back. Walking around the house through the yard, I was thinking, what is happening? Sure enough, his wife was having a summer get together with friends and they were discussing my candidacy. They were shocked I was knocking on their door as they were talking about me, and I was just as surprised to hear people actually talking about my candidacy. Doorknocking can give you a morale boost as this did to me and motivate you to keep going. Many people are thinking about who to vote for, and you need to go and meet them. Ready to door knock. You know your district best, whether you are running up the stairs of an apartment building or down country roads. You will also have a sense of timing, as you should not door knock at the crack of dawn on a weekend, nor should you door knock at sunset. Set yourself up for success by making sure you have everything you need in your car or bag before you go door knocking. Door knocking checklist. Check your appearance. Are you put together comfortable sneakers? Bottle of water, a fully charged phone, canvassing list with clipboard, palm cards, plus ones that have sorry I missed you already written on them. Voter registration forms, or the website if you can register online, dog bones, umbrella, snack, protein bar, nuts, fruit. You will have a walking list, which is a list of the voters you will be contacting, either printed on paper or electronically on your phone, which voter list vendors provide. Even if you lose cell service, it will sync your data the next time your phone connects to the internet. Appearance is important when you are door knocking. You don't need to dress in business casual attire when door knocking, especially on hot days, but you should look presentable in a way that fits your district, whether it's a rural farmland or inner city area. Fashion stops at the ankle though, always wear comfortable shoes. So people can clearly identify you, wear a name tag or a button, the quit essential symbol of a political campaign in America. Often, candidates will walk with a partner if they are covering a neighborhood or share their location on their phone with a trusted team member with safety in mind. That's because you never know what might happen when door knocking. It was another summer day when I was knocking on a door on behalf of a candidate with a local councilman, and we noticed the bushes by the door were smoking. Smoking? As we knocked and rang the doorbell with urgency, the homeowner came around from her pool, and at this point we were yelling, You have a fire! Apparently her husband removed weeds by lighting them on fire on this hot day. The underground roots were smoldering and lit the bushes above a blaze as we were standing there. After we dealt with the bushes and helped hose them down, we pivoted, somehow, to letting her know that we were door knocking for a local candidate. Needless to say, we earned her vote. POM card. A palm card or leaflet is a sturdy piece of paper with your logo, photo, and date of the election with early voting information. The POM card should not have too much text but evoke some kind of emotion while communicating what you plan to do. You should share why you are running and what your priorities will be in office. Noting your social media channels, phone number, and website will help if voters want to look further into your candidacy. Vote for me. Your inner monologue will be rolling as you door knock. Knock knock. Deep breath. The light is on, they must be home. Oh, nice paint color. I think someone's coming to the door. Maybe not, it's been a minute now. Oh, hi there, how are you today? As you approach the door, look for indicators of what this voter may care about. Do they have lawn signs, bumper stickers, or evidence of priorities? If they have your state university on a bumper sticker, chances are they have kids attending school there. Is the driveway full of antique cars, potted garden vegetables, or toys on the deck? You can learn something about them which will aid in conversation. If they answer, you'll identify yourself in a friendly manner, say what you are running for, and ask what's on their mind. Never ask the voter if they have a minute to talk. No one really has the time. We make the time. So asking for their time makes a voter feel like this is going to be a real time commitment. Once they answer their door, get right to it by introducing yourself. Some voters may have thoughts and others won't, but may listen to you, follow their lead and ultimately pitch your candidacy. Then hand them your POM card, and with that they may offer something for you to work with. For example, you know what, what is going on with our schools? They are so underfunded, it's outrageous. Now you have some information. They believe the schools are underfunded, and they are not happy about it. Always look for a way to find common ground with the voter and listen to their opinions with respect. Other voters will not give you a sense of where they stand, and in those instances, you still want to make your pitch and leave them with information. Alternatively, others may keep chatting for a while, and you need to conclude the conversation to meet other neighbors. While a longer conversation can be delightful, or the opposite, someone grilling you on every topic, you need to manage your time. Depending on the time you have available, you may even go back and knock on these doors again, particularly for people who did not commit to voting for you, which we will discuss. Motion detected. Increasingly, candidates are staring at a home security camera, knowing full well the resident is watching from afar or even from a corner of their home, unwilling to answer the door. I have door knocked with many candidates who will leave a message on the voter's motion device as if it were a 30-second infomercial live on their doorstep. You can say who you are and that you are in the neighborhood to introduce yourself. Sometimes the homeowner will start to talk to you virtually as you stand on their doorstep talking to them about your race. Voter contact, even through a security camera, is still voter contact. Identifying the voter. At the conclusion of each conversation, you will ask the voter if you can count on their support. Pause and allow them to answer. Thank them for their time no matter their answer. Move along, and as you are walking away, identify ID how the conversation went in your database. Having a volunteer with you helps, and with the power of technology, you can input it into your voter database and move on to the next house. IDing a voter in politics is universal through a scale of one to five. One committed to supporting you. Two leaning towards supporting you. 3. Not committed. 4. Leaning toward your opponent. 5. Committed to your opponent. Many voters will not tell you exactly where they stand in the race. They may not be tuned into the race yet, don't know enough about you, or simply want to keep their preferences private. Use your judgment as to how the conversation went and err on the side of non-committed when in doubt. If someone had a nice conversation with you but clearly said they are not sure yet, do not mark them as a one supporting you. Be honest with yourself in your campaign as this information will be helpful later. Having meaningful conversations while door knocking is a good practice in keeping you on your toes about community matters and speaking about the same issue in different ways. You may be surprised by the issues that are on voters' minds. Is there a campaign issue you had not identified that you are now being asked about? Is there an issue bubbling up that you can get ahead of in your messaging? When you have a great conversation, consider writing that person a handwritten note afterward to strengthen the relationship. It won't be forgotten by that voter. As you door knock, you will go from trepidation to a laser focus as to how many doors you can get to in a day because you will see the tangible difference it can make. People will share with family or friends that you've been on their street or were in their apartment building. In fact, when I was door knocking in one of my local races, a woman opened the door before I even could knock and said, Jimmy Tiki. Wow, I thought. Yes, that's me, I responded. Unbeknownst to me, I had knocked on her daughter's door in town the day before. And today, here I am in another part of town. We are human beings that enjoy connection and we talk with others about it, so a canvassing effort can have a multiplier effect as you are making connections across the district. Have treats handy in case dogs start barking or come to the door with the owner, and always ask the owner if you may give the dog the treat. Usually, when you hear a dog come to the window at your first knock, the voter is likely not home, and they're protecting their house. If you hear dogs bark and go further into their house, the dogs are telling their family, somebody is here. Of course, not every door you knock on will be answered. In those instances, leave your POM card with the handwritten note saying, Sorry I missed you. Write these out beforehand and keep them separate so when a voter is not home, you can quickly drop off the handwritten POM card. Always leave this on their door handle or in the door jam, never in one's United States Postal Service mailbox. You will then mark that voter as not home. So the campaign has a record of an attempt but no voter contact. Don't get demoralized when people are not there to answer the door. Just keep canvassing. Your efforts will make a difference. Not one size fits all. Not every door will be a single family home on a plot of land, so you need to plan for urban organizing and multi-unit dwellings, apartment buildings, and senior living residences. First, take note of the multi-unit residences and mark them in your voter file. Over time, your campaign should gather all the residences you've identified as multifamily. Once this is done, you can share that for future use, so you won't need to figure out where the multifamily units are every election. Having volunteers who are from those neighborhoods will help with knowledge of the area before you door knock. For apartment buildings, go out with a team and canvas within that building for the candidate. For senior living facilities or condos where you often cannot solicit, ask your team to find someone who has a connection to that location and talk with the property manager to explain campaigning is not soliciting, it's doing your civic duty, and ask if you can knock on the doors or leave your campaign information at a central place. If this is not successful, find a supporter living in that development and have them share your campaign information with those living there. Perhaps they will invite you in and have some neighbors over. If all else fails, you can mail letters to the addresses in the complex that are in your universe, personalizing the message while informing these voters of the election. Rural areas. Rural areas will have homes spread out over many acres, through farms and sprawling land. Personal contact is even more influential in areas like this, where people are widely dispersed, so communicating on their land holds significance. I've door knocked with candidates in rural areas where it's too far from house to house to canvas, so we rode in the back seat as a volunteer drove us. On a hot day, it was nice to pop into an air-conditioned car that was parked at a distance before we walked to the next house. I wouldn't suggest having the car bring you literally house to house. Do some walking yourself. Another time, a candidate in a very rural area told me what she would bring with her on a day of canvassing, which includes everything I've shared with you, and one more item, toilet paper. I didn't ask questions and really respected her unwavering dedication to door knocking. In rural areas, keep a lookout for trespassing signs and heed caution. In these areas, consider where people congregate, transfer stations, post offices, or local delis. Your town may also have a public calendar of events for more ideas as to where people gather. While this is not targeted outreach, your options to contact voters may be limited, so if everyone is going to the transfer station every Saturday morning, then so be it. Go and meet folks at the dump. Don't cede any area of a district, even in rural areas. Coordinated campaigns. A coordinated campaign is a blend of federal, county, state, and local candidates in a year when they are all running in the general election. Consistent with your state laws, volunteers go door to door and ask for support for all the candidates on the ballot. Instead of a voter getting a knock at the door for each candidate, they are getting one knock for everyone up and down the ballot. It's a true example of campaigns of the same political party working together to get out the vote. Often it takes preparation to coordinate every campaign's targeted groups, but it can be well worth it and it saves time for the campaigns, candidates, and voters. Coffee and canvass. Once you have mastered how to door knock, your campaign will start putting together canvas kickoffs where supporters are encouraged to come out at a specific time on a weekend and meet at headquarters, a supporter's home, or even a supportive business. Of course, a nice way to attract people is to offer food. So if it's in the morning, offer coffee and some breakfast treats. You may want to have a guest kick it off, perhaps a statewide official supporting you or a party leader. Make it fun, an event people would want to be at. Having an event with a huge crowd and a guest is helpful in capturing action photos. It's the kind of scene that press will want to cover, a huge crowd there to support you. Your campaign will be viewed as having something every candidate wants. Moment. Use that momentum to get these volunteers to go out and door knock. Here's a sample timeline for a successful Canvas kickoff. 9 30 AM Setup for volunteers and staff. 10 a.m. Candidate, special guest, and volunteers arrive and guests enjoy coffee. 10 15 AM. Brief program begins. Host or party leader welcomes all, introduces special guest. Special guest speaks, reminding people we need to work for the candidate. Candidate speaks, introduces campaign staff. Campaign staff moves into action. 10 30 a.m. Staff equips everyone with clipboards and turf with instructions. 10 45 a.m. Volunteers head out in pairs to canvas their district, and some may stay behind and make calls at headquarters. As fun as the speaking program can be, the purpose of this activity is to get people to volunteer. So move people to action swiftly. I have attended hundreds of these events where I would be ready to go out and door knock, but needed to listen to many political speeches. Try to space out your political guests at canvassing shifts throughout the weekend rather than having one event with handfuls of speeches. One time, at a rally where volunteers were supposed to go out canvassing, there was a speaking program so lengthy that by the time the event concluded, volunteers were exhausted and the crowd was lost. It was a good rally, but it was not the best organizing. A veteran political operative leaned into my ear and said, Everything has been said, but not everyone has said it. We all love a rousing speech, but by the 10th one, what more is there to say? Let's get out there and campaign already. Whenever you have a crowd of people ready to volunteer, ensure there is a call to action so their presence has a purpose for your campaign. There's nothing more powerful than volunteers from all walks of life working together toward the same goal. That's when your effort can move from a campaign to a movement. Just like with phone banking, volunteers can role play in advance to prepare for real conversations on the doors. For those volunteers using paper walking lists, they will need to drop off the results at the end of their canvassing, so the campaign should track what packets are outstanding. As volunteers become experienced, a campaign may transition to a distributed canvassing model. This means instead of a volunteer needing to be trained and then asked to come back with IDs after canvassing, they simply get a link dropped on their phone with the list, and they will get to work, uploading IDs using the link sent. A distributed canvassing model means the volunteer needs no training. Before you move on to that model, go the more traditional route of vetting and training each volunteer as they gather for a day of door knocking. Step by step, you'll grow your voter outreach and emphasize door knocking. A phrase you'll hear on campaigns is winning the day, and it's when your campaign feels they maximize the day by outorganizing your opponents. After a day of organizing and door knocking, especially if you end the day with a positive interaction with a voter, you may think we are winning the day. For more on voter contact, visit organizing to win.com.

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The political how-to book by Jimmy Tickey is available everywhere books are sold and at organizing to win.com. All rights reserved. Copyright Organizing to Win LLC.