The core of organizing is one-on-one conversations, and canvassing is the perfect environment to apply and practice them. Each door answered is an opportunity to reset and try a new tact or improve on a rhetorical strategy that is already working.
When a canvasser speaks to voter after voter, they are asked more questions from more perspectives, and each interaction is an opportunity to learn about the issue, practice advocating for it, and learn about what resonates most.
Being able to quickly latch onto what resonates with a voter is key to effectively communicating with them. Someone's worldview won't be changed with a few minutes of conversation, but they can be nudged in the right direction when the issue is put into a framework they understand. One doesn't need to agree on everything to give that nudge. Meet them where they're at.
The best way to bring someone around to your way of thinking is to have them do it themselves. Ask incisive, leading questions about their priorities and how they believe the issue on the ballot will affect those priorities. This might convince someone already on the fence, but when they are working on a faulty premise, they probably won't come around. That's okay too. Try digging at that premise to leave them thinking about it, and with any luck, they'll have moved one step closer to a sound analysis.
In Kentucky, this year's Amendment 2 would change the state constitution to allow the allocation of public funds towards private schools, another in a frightening trend of attacks on public education across the US. Kentucky's Republican super-majority state legislature tried establishing a school voucher program in 2021, but the Kentucky Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional in December 2022. To pave the way for a lasting voucher program, they want to amend the state's constitution and remove the obstacle in the court.
In opposition to this amendment, I have knocked on more than a thousand doors in DSA Cincy's campaign. To help illustrate the canvassing experience, I want to share some of the lessons I've learned while speaking with voters on the ground. Some voters are eager to talk, and some with a yard full of Trump signs and "don't tread on me" flags might yell at you for missing their "no soliciting" sign. Some voters answer the door and immediately share that their family works in public schools, and others with a statue of Mother Mary in their front yard will tell you they plan on voting Yes.
One voter of the latter kind, a catholic planning on voting for the possibility of a voucher program, expressed her concern about affordability to me: "I'm split because my daughter sends her kids to a Catholic school and she's paying out the butt for it, but I have other family going to public schools," she said. Not every Catholic voter will be in an identical situation, but this one isn't uncommon, and it's perfect for nudging her from undecided to leaning against the amendment.
This woman had family in public schools, so I emphasized that. "Many people are in public schools like your family, and a lot of them have no other option. Going to a Catholic school is great, but this amendment wouldn't just help your grandchildren go to parochial school, it would take money away from your family in public schools, and the other kids who don't have the means to go elsewhere," I told her, "it sucks that parochial school is expensive for your daughter, but if it ever gets to be too much, she can always fall back on public schools." The woman responded well to this, and she thanked me for helping to clarify a concern she already had.
Not many voters are in the position to be convinced though. Another house I approached had a couple of banners with depictions of Jesus in the yard, along with a sign saying, "Vote Yes on 2.". I introduced myself to the woman at the door, and I asked her, "I saw the sign on your lawn. Can I ask: why do you want to support school vouchers?" Her response was something I hadn't heard before: "I work at the diocese, so I know the truth about it. They won't even let them talk about it! Don't you think they should be able to talk about it?"
She clearly had some strong convictions about something she didn't understand—far from not being able to "talk about" it, the legislature had passed a voucher law already—so I tried to explain the legal situation and why people opposed the amendment. Still, she insisted on her bizarre free-speech interpretation, so I wished her a good night and took off.
Not every voter is going to be responsive to what you have to say, and it's important to take the hint and move on. This story is similar to one a friend told me about a door he knocked on this campaign. The man who answered listened for a moment, then insisted that he have Amendment 1 explained to him before he would listen to anything about Amendment 2. My friend tried explaining that Amendments 1 and 2 were entirely separate issues, but the man didn't care and seemed to think something was being hidden from him.
Now, would it have been nice to remember Amendment 1 well enough to explain it off the cuff, while canvassing for another issue? Yes. But it's good to read the signs when someone is confrontational. If you could perfectly answer every question he has, you might, just might, convince this man. But your time is better spent speaking with a voter who is interested in what you have to say.
Another door I knocked had an older man who was eager to talk to me. The more someone talks, the more you learn about what might bring them around, so I listened for a few minutes. Eventually, he began sharing a story about when his son was in school and kids in his class were sharing poems they had written. "Must've been half of those kids wrote about their daddy in prison or their parents addicted to drugs," he said to me, "I nearly started crying." And I piggybacked off of this emotional example he gave.
"That's awful. And when those kids don't have anyone helping them at home, who's there for them? Who helps to make sure they don't end up in the same place?" I asked. I was hoping he'd see the same picture as me, that their public school could be a positive force in the lives of these children, and he did.
It's easy to focus on adapting your message to the individual, but it's also important to understand your foundation for the issue you're canvassing. More than a couple of voters asked me why I cared enough to be out volunteering, and there's not one right answer. Whatever rings true for you will also be the most compelling message you can give to others.
Not every voter will have a productive conversation, but that's okay! I have had someone who mostly wanted to talk about why we need corporal punishment back in schools and another who warned me to renew my passport in case I need to get out of the country. Some people will immediately agree with you after you explain the issue, and some have no interest in being swayed to your point of view. It's never your fault when someone isn't open to being convinced, but you can leave them with something to think about at the least. The real effect comes when you're able to canvass a large number of doors.
If a motivated organizer canvasses a hundred doors over a couple of hours and nudges one in ten of those households to change their vote, now he is punching above his weight. When a motivated group canvasses together, that force is amplified. Organize a campaign of canvasses over a month, and now a small group of dedicated activists can have a huge impact on the outcome of an election.
The strength of democracy doesn't end with our vote, though it's easy to stop there. It also lies in our ability to influence others. Advertisements, yard signs, and political events can all move a vote, but nothing is more effective than personal conversations. And that is an advantage that socialists have over groups that can't do anything but throw money at an issue. It's something that any organizer can do, and it's better than what money can buy.
Canvassing also helps to develop crucial skills for a successful socialist organizer. One-on-one conversations with workers, meeting people where they are, and understanding how to effectively use our words to agitate and evoke a response are key to any campaign. Everyone interested in organizing should get out and canvass at least once or twice an election, whether they do it to learn new skills, keep old ones sharp, get a feel for what voters are thinking, or swing some votes.