Keep Track of Liberal Supporters!
As noted in our introduction, our main objective is to identify people who will vote for Cathy Candidate on election day.
As you go door-to-door and engage the voters in conversation, you should be able to identify those voters who are prepared to support Cathy and vote Liberal. With "miniVAN", you can easily record this information.
Put a "Tic Mark" in the appropriate "Check Box" on "miniVAN".
Why?
We have access to the Liberal Party's database called "Liberalist". This provides us with a list of every registered voter in the riding. Through Liberalist we are able to provide customized "Walk Lists" sorted by address such as the ones you'll be working on.
What is miniVAN?
We have an app called "mini-VAN" that can be downloaded onto your iPhone, SmartPhone, iPad, or Tablet. Your "Walk List" is an inter-active file downloaded onto the miniVAN app. miniVAN allows us to record our canvass results. When we return to the campaign office, we can easily sync the results of our canvass (including the supporters we have just identified) back up into our "Liberalist" database.
(Training on mini-VAN is a separate exercise. Always make sure that one or more people on your canvass team has the "Walk List" on miniVAN.)
Sync Annotated miniVAN "Walk List" back up to Liberalist!
Make sure you sync your miniVAN "Walk List" back up to Liberalist before you leave the Campaign Office! From the notations made on the miniVAN files, we can upload this information back into the "Liberalist" database. We're then able to follow up with our Liberal supporters on Election Day and ensure that they get out to vote through our GO-TV activities on Election Day.
Make sure your miniVAN info is sync'd back up into Liberalist!!
Part 5 - Those Irritating Situations!
- Avoid situations that may put you in harms way!!
- Don't go into an apartment building by yourself.
- Don't enter houses no matter how persuasive the homeowners are!
- Don't put yourself in any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
- Keep hydrated. Bring along water (available at the campaign office).
- If necessary take a snack with you.
Start At The Top.
Whether it's working apartment buildings or in a subdivision, start at the top -
- the top of the apartment,
- the top of the street, or
- the top of the hill.
Going door-to-door will give you a good workout. Start on the top and work your way down to the bottom. It'll save you lots of time and energy.
Don't Argue. Don't Debate
You're going to run into people who will definitely not be voting Liberal. Don't spend a lot of time with them - 30 seconds at most. You aren't going to change their mind. Simply note how they'll be voting and move on to the next door.
You'll also run into households when it's not a good time to have that conversation - the person's tired, they're looking after an irritable child, a children's birthday party is in full swing, they're in the middle of supper. Simply hand them the literature, apologize, and move on. Tell them we'll catch them next time around.
Don't focus on or get upset at any negative reactions you get at the door. What is important is to win support, to hand over a leaflet, and to determine if they will vote for Cathy Candidate.
What should we do if the person engages us in a long conversation?
When conducting a door-to-door campaign, we should expect to devote about 3 minutes to each person. If we exceed this limit, we should say "I'd very much like to speak with you further but I've got to visit 30 other people today". "We can come back to talk to you later?" "Or you can call us or send an e-mail to our office." "All our contact details are in the leaflet." However, in all cases, the call is yours. If they're a supporter, more conversation may result in a new volunteer, someone who wants a lawn sign, or directions to another supporter.
Next up: "When Is A Debate Not A Debate?" (subtitled, "Boy did I ever screw up on that call, eh!?)
If you don't want to be masochistic, you can skip over the above link and take a look at "Facebook Groups & Volunteer Engagement For Riding Associations".
Part 3 - Conversations Win Elections
The conversation between you and the voter allows us to identify Liberal supporters. It's the most effective form of campaigning.
What is a good message?
A good message consists of 7 sentences or less that answers the question: "Why should I vote for Cathy Candidate?" A good message gives a reason to vote Liberal.
How should conversations be conducted?
Your conversation can be constructed in the following 7 steps:
- The Greeting ("Hello! How are you today? My name is Kevin Kanvasser.")
- Why Am I Here? ("I'm canvassing on behalf of Cathy Candidate")
- The Introduction ("Cathy is our Liberal Candidate in the riding of Main Street - Bankton in the upcoming election.")
- The Facts ("Cathy is looking for your support on election day, Monday, February 29th."
- The Handover ("I have this pamphlet which outlines Cathy's credentials and her values on key issues.")
- The Ask ("Can we count on your vote for Cathy Candidate, our Liberal candidate?")
- Close ("Thank you very much for your time. We'll see you on February 29th."
To recap:
- "Hello! How are you today? My name is Kevin Kanvasser."
- "I'm canvassing on behalf of Cathy Candidate.
- "Cathy is our Liberal Candidate for Main Street - Bankton in the upcoming federal election."
- "Cathy is looking for your support on election day, Monday, February 29th."
- "I have this pamphlet which outlines Cathy's credentials and her values on key issues"
- "Can we count on your vote for Cathy Candidate, our Liberal Candidate on February 29th??"
- "Thank you very much for your time. We'll see you on February 29th."
Your Conversation
The above is a suggested script. You may be more comfortable in a more engaging conversation. Or, you may be equally comfortable with the above. In the spaces below, try writing out your own script that you'd like to use.
The Greeting ("____________________________________________________________________________________________________")
Why Am I Here? ("___________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Introduction ("____________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Facts ("__________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Handover ("_____________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Ask "___________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Close ("____________________________________________________________________________________________________")
Messaging (Other scripts)
- Err on the side of "more" rather than "less" - more information, more facts, more connection, more conversation.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat - Repeat Cathy's name at least 4 times. Include "Candidate" at least 3 times.
- A good message is simple and clear. It's delivered in plain language, not in flowery phrases or artificial slogans. It's a conversation. Be yourself.
Additional Messaging?
- Can we count on your vote for Cathy on Monday, February 29th?
- It's an exciting race but its going to be close and your vote can make all the difference.
"The Ask!!"
Most important. Our objective is to identify our supporters - people who will vote for Cathy Candidate on election day. It's therefore very important that we ask for their vote!
- NOT whether they'll be voting on election day .....
- NOT whether they'll consider voting Liberal on election day .....
- NOT their support .....
BUT
- Can we count on your vote for Cathy Candidate, our Liberal Candidate, on February 29th??"
Survey Questions
Part of our campaign effort will include survey questions on key issues of importance to Canadians. You'll be given a sample script for these questions. Make sure you include them in your conversations. They're important to the campaign.
Up Next?
Parts 4 & 5 - The Follow-up - Keeping Track of Liberal Supporters and Those Irritating Situations!
