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Canvassing Tips and Techniques
Canvassing Preparation Ideas
Pre–canvassing Planning
Before the event, be sure that you have enough materials for everyone that is attending your Walk For Change event. If you have a large group attending your event, feel free to ask others to bring some of these items with them. It will be helpful to have the following materials:
- Fliers;
- Contact sheets;
- Voter Registration Forms;
- Area Maps (especially useful for large groups so that houses aren’t canvassed twice);
- Talking Points and Difficult Questions (helpful for those that aren’t conversant on the subject of Obama);
- Clipboards;
- Pens;
- Highlighters;
- A sheet of plastic (to keep papers dry in case of rain);
- A large manila envelope (for putting contributions into).
You might also want to give enough time before the canvass for people to understand some of the canvassing techniques presented here. For those who are not knowledgeable about Senator Obama, covering a few of the talking points might also be helpful.
Depending upon how many people are attending your event, you should also have clear maps so that everyone has their own areas in which to canvass. This will insure that no house is canvassed twice.
It is a good idea to carry Voter Registration Cards with you. These cards are available at all public libraries. Upon occasion you might find someone that is new to the area that has yet to register to vote. Make this easy for them by providing them with the appropriate forms.
Use The “Buddy System”
Use the “buddy system” when canvassing. When canvassing, a partner should be working next door or across the street. This is not only a matter of safety, but it will also serve to make the situation more comfortable for the canvassers. If one of the canvassers has a question, there is somebody close at hand to brainstorm with.
Post-Canvassing Activities
Post–canvassing activities present a great opportunity to collect the information that has been gathered, and debrief each other on the day’s activities. It is also a wonderful opportunity to get to know the other participants in a more social–type atmosphere. Such a social setting is a great opportunity to make new friends with a common interest, and thereby solidify the support and activity levels for the overall campaign.
Several groups are planning potlucks or other such social events immediately following their canvass activities. Where appropriate, it is not necessarily a bad thing to invite those that you’ve just canvassed out to this post-canvass activity. This will give such people an opportunity to become more quickly involved with other Obama supporters.