Here are some broad guidelines and tips:
Try to go with another person. It’s safer, and it’ll go a lot faster.
Make sure you're physically comfortable. Comfortable shoes and clothes, well fed, and hydrated. Bring healthy snacks and drinks.
Have a good playlist that gives you energy.
Try to be friendly and relaxed at the door.
After you ring the doorbell, take a step back to give them space.
Instead of thinking of persuasion as a debate, think of it as teaching. Think of your favorite teachers. Why were they so effective at teaching? I’m sure they didn’t make their students feel stupid for not already knowing something. They were excited to share their knowledge and patiently explained things.
Make sure you are prepared with answers to basic election questions. The answers to these are in the minivan app: When is the closest early voting location? Where is the polling location on election day?
Keep the opening short:
My opening: "Hi, I’m looking for Mark Johnson. Are you Mark? I’m Annabel. I’m a volunteer for the Kamala Harris campaign. We are out checking in with folks about the election, really hoping that you will vote for Harris."
Usually, they will tell you right away if they are voting for Harris.
If you come across hostile people, retreat quickly. Don’t argue and debate them. Just thank them for their time and go onto the next door. Try not to let the hostile people get under your skin. We have to save our energy for others.
Before presenting talking points, try to get them to talk so you can get more information about what they’re thinking. Listening is a good idea because they feel like there’s a connection, and you get more information about how to approach talking to this person. You can ask them questions such as: what makes you unsure about Trump? What are the issues that you’re concerned about right now?
You can ask them if you can follow up with them with links to more information on issues.Talking Points for Undecided Voters
Economy
VOTER: I haven’t decided who I’m voting for.
ME: Okay. What makes you uncertain about Trump?
VOTER: I can’t trust him. He says crazy things.
ME: I agree with you. I can’t trust him either. I can’t deal with his lies and selfishness. That’s why I’m out here volunteering for Harris.
VOTER: I don’t know about Harris either. What has she done? I don’t see Democrats changing anything. Things keep getting worse. I don’t like Trump, but I had more money when he was president.
ME: I hear you. I wish things were better also. But here is how I see our situation. Let’s start with the economy. People think they were better off when Trump was president because when Trump began his term, we were enjoying Obama’s economy.
Economic programs and policies take time to take effect. It doesn’t happen overnight as soon as someone new sits in the White House.
Also, I think people are forgetting how badly Trump managed the pandemic. We had many more deaths in the US than in other places like Canada because Trump was not prepared at all for a pandemic, and he ignored experts.
And the stimulus checks sent out during Covid did not come from Trump. They came from Congress, and Democrats were trying to get more money for people, and Republicans fought that. In the end, no Republican in Congress voted for the stimulus checks in 2020. It was Democrats who got us the stimulus checks. Trump just put his signature on it. That's it.
Here’s the main problem. Democrats would have made a lot more progress under Obama and Biden if we didn’t have Republicans doing everything possible to stop them. If we want to see real progress, we have to have more Democrats in the White House, in Congress, the state and local governments. They haven’t had the votes, the power, to do everything that they know would create change.
The bottom line is we need the government to do more to help people struggling in the economy. Republicans have convinced the public that the government cannot and should not help people. Democrats want the government to help people, to serve the people. That’s why I’m supporting Democrats. It’s our best shot at improving our lives.
VOTER: Hmm.
ME: So, what do you think about voting for Harris?
VOTER: I’ll vote for Harris.
ME: And Democrats all the way down.
VOTER: Yup.
Gaza
VOTER: I was going to vote for Harris, but I'm leaning toward Trump.
ME: What changed your mind?
VOTER: Too many innocent people, especially children, have died in Gaza. I can't vote for that.
ME: But Trump has said that Netanyahu should be even more aggressive. He says Biden is holding Netanyahu back.
VOTER: I never heard that.
ME: It's true. I can send you links about it.
VOTER: I'll look it up.
ME: Please do. Trump will escalate the conflict even more.
Immigration
In my experience, three issues come up when talking to undecided voters: the economy, Gaza, and immigration.
I had this conversation about immigration with an undecided voter, and I think he came around to Harris.
VOTER: I’m leaning toward Trump because I like his policies better, even though I don’t like him as a person.
ME: Which policies?
VOTER: Immigration.
ME: You mean mass deportation of 11 million people?
VOTER: Yeah.
ME: Mass deportation may sound like a good idea, but it is a terrible idea that will destroy our local and national economy. First of all, do you know how much that will cost to do? Economists estimate that the cost of deporting just one million people will be about 90 billion dollars. Where is that money going to come from? Also, if you are worried about how much things cost, deporting migrants working on farms and in poultry plants will send the prices of food way up because they are working for low wages on jobs that are hard to fill. And you’d be surprised how many undocumented people own businesses in your communities. Those businesses hire people and add to the local economy. If you get rid of those people, those businesses are gone, and the jobs are gone. I’ve seen this happen to communities at the local level when they find ways to drive out immigrants.
Also, just culturally, it will be hideous to have people ripped out of their homes and families who have been here for many years. They are all around us.
VOTER: I didn’t think about that.
ME: Is that something you want to see happen?
VOTER: No. We have to do something, though.
ME: Absolutely, and we are trying. There was a bipartisan bill worked out by Republicans and Democrats in Congress to do something, and Trump told Republicans to squash the bill because he wanted to run on the immigration issue and blame Democrats for the problem.
VOTER: I didn’t know that.
ME: Immigration is a complicated problem that affects our economy. We have to address it thoughtfully. It’s not just about punishing people who cross the border.
VOTER: Yeah. I didn’t think about that.
ME: I do think Harris and the Democrats will approach immigration in a way that addresses the problem and does not create more problems. They know it’s a problem. Trump uses the issue to rile up people and will make things worse.
VOTER: Hmm.
ME: Any other policies?
VOTER: Immigration was the big one.
ME: What do you think about voting for Harris? Want to think about it?
VOTER: I will think about it. I think you’re right about immigration, though.
ME: Well, thank you for your time. I do hope you vote for Harris and the Democrats all the way down the ballot.
VOTER: Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the information.
