Clipboarding and Canvassing Tips!
Tips for Clipboarding
Clipboarding (aka street canvassing) is one of the best and most effective ways for us to educate our communities and spread the word about the campaign. There is no better way to build your base and recruit volunteers than having these one on one conversations!
Find a Busy Location
Make a list of high foot traffic areas in your community. Some places to check out: Locally owned grocery stores, farmer’s markets, college campuses, etc… Be sure to call ahead to get permission if it is private property. Also be sure to check out community events, parades, festivals etc..Even if you can’t have a table, it is always ok to bring clipboards and talk to folks in public areas.
Give yourself time for setup and training
Make sure you arrive at your clip boarding/tabling location on time to set up materials and check-in. You also want to be sure you meet with new volunteers. Be sure to give yourself a few minutes to explain talking points and goals to volunteers. It also helps to do a little role play with first timers so they feel comfortable with messaging and making the ask.
We call it clipboarding, NOT tabling, for a reason.
We use the term clipboarding, NOT tabling because this is active outreach where you need to be approachable and not try to yell at folks while sitting behind a table. Can you have a table? Yes, but do not sit behind it. It creates a physical barrier and makes it difficult to engage people. Don’t wait for people to come talk to you; make sure you are greeting and engaging folks as they approach. Having clipboards helps you keep mobile!
Don’t be afraid to initiate the conversation.
Wave and Smile. This may seem different for those of us who normally don’t greet people like this. However this ensures that you are a friendly approachable person. Don’t wait for people to come talk to you; make sure you are greeting and engaging folks as they approach.
Greet early and confidently
You want to leave enough time for you to say hello, ask how they are doing, ask if they have a minute for you, and leave on a positive note. If you greet someone a few feet away, they have already made their decision to pass you. You should start waving about fifteen feet away if not further.
Don’t get derailed by people who disagree with you
Not everyone will agree with our stance and that’s ok. While its ok to chat for a bit, it’s not a productive to use a lot of our time arguing with someone who has clearly already made up their mind. Try to politely disengage with these folks by saying something like “Sounds like we aren’t going to agree on this one, but have a nice day!”
Leave on a Good Note.
You want to leave everyone with a good image of the organization no matter what they say. Even If they say nothing, sincerely tell them to have a good day. It also helps you stay positive. Sometimes folks are genuinely busy, but if you are friendly, odds are they will come back and chat with you when they have some time.
Ask them to Volunteer!
Don’t assume people won’t want to get involved. After all, you got involved! And probably because someone asked you to at some point in time. Ask everyone you chat with if they are interested in helping out. The worst thing they can say is no. Be sure to get their phone number too! Phone numbers are more direct form of contact than e-mails which many people ignore.
Door to Door Canvassing
Door to door canvassing is a great way to make direct contact with voters by chatting with them where they live.
●Timing is Key- The best time to canvass door to door is in the evening or weekends when more people are home from work.Weekdays between 4pm-8pm is a good bet!
●Walk Quickly, Talk Slowly – More doors = more votes turned out. Move quickly from door to door and from house to house, but don’t rush when you talk to someone.
●Teamwork can be fun! If you have enough volunteers working in pairs can make folks (especially new volunteers) more comfortable.
●Use your Map and Walklist – This will keep you from getting lost or double-knocking doors, and make you more efficient. (For folks organizing canvasses, take the time to print maps or walklists for your canvassers so they can use their time efficiently.)
●Knock every door! Even if you don’t see lights on or cars in the driveway, knock or ring the bell anyway. Someone may be home, so try anyway. And if you can’t hear the doorbell from the door, knock loudly.
●Clearly mark your results for each door. Use a “turf sheet” to take notes and use a 1-5 scale to indicate level of support: NH=Not Home; MV=Moved; 1= Strong Supporter; 5=Strong Opponent, etc. Make a note if it’s helpful for people coming back to the door, such as that they speak a different language, or you’re told they work nights.
●Smile, be conversational and listen! – When you’ve talked to someone, remember to be kind to them, to thank them for their time, and to wish them a nice day.Some folks can be are skeptical of people who just show up at their door. Let them know you are local, a volunteer and make your interaction more conversational than formulaic.
●Give Literature – You will have nifty and informative stuff to hand out so use it! You cannot leave literature in a mailbox – it’s illegal. If you have a flyer or pamphlet to leave, close it into the storm door. Sometimes you can curve the literature and wedge it between the door handle and the door jamb, or under an open lever-style handle. If you have space, you can write a “Sorry we missed you” note on the literature.
● It’s Ok to Say “ I Don’t Know” Sometimes a voter will ask you questions about your candidate or issue that you don’t know how to answer. Mark their question down and be sure to follow up with a phonecall once you do some research!
●Be Comfy and Safe – A comfy canvasser is an effective canvasser, so take care of your needs. Use your judgment on the street; never put yourself in a situation where you do not feel safe.
●Leave No Canvasser Behind – Meet up with your team before you leave the turf. Make sure everyone is accounted for. Don’t leave your partner behind.
●Get comfortable with the message, and practice it! – No one becomes an amazing canvasser overnight-it takes practice! We use scripts or “raps” for door canvassing to help us refine our message and practice it BUT we also don’t want to just recite a script at people. So practice staying on message while also being conversational.. When we stick our messaging, we tend to get much better return rates of voter registration cards, ballots collected, and volunteer interest cards.
Clipboarding and Canvassing Tips and best practices provided courtesy of the Bus Project and the Oregon Student Association