on improving canvassing and GOTV for '08

Written by: Ann Rea on Nov 15, 2006 11:08 AM EST

I was  a volunteer supervisor for   paid canvassers in Bridgewater NJ 11/7 3:30-8 pm.

The paid  GOTV /canvassers  seemed pretty diligent in their work and rightly noted after our first go around that people were not home  from work at 5:30 PM so we took a break to wait for people to come home.  So I had  a great opportunity to meet and  talk with  2 very nice  college women who I never would have met other wise. Over the break and the  4.5 hours that we worked together I got to know  a few interesting things about them:

They were working for the  money,(ok for the 4.5 hours but the transportation from and back to their school made it  not so great)
They were surprised to find out  that I was a  volunteer. I explained to them that I had also donated money.
We had  a conversation re minimum wage and they  were surprised to learn that it was not $11.00/hour  which they explained to me was the going wage for unskilled work  in Jersey City where they had both lived before college. I countered with : this is why we should support the Dems(of course!).
One of them told me  she wasn't sure if she was a republican or democrat. The other did not mention it.
Both of them were not voting because they were too busy to get back to Jersey City.
We also talked about  college curriculums, boyfriends,  sports and career choices.
I really enjoyed meeting them.

I do think that Linda Stender's campaign could have been served better if these girls had been employed earlier, given a 'mentor' volunteer to canvass with in September. This way they would have also gotten  an education on the electoral process,  become familiar with voter registration and absentee ballots and would have perhaps voted  at their school for Linda.  And they might have introduced some political conversations and maybe  activities  back at school.

on my earlier canvassing efforts- voter ID:

I dearly hope that  the staff  at Stender campaign headquarters followed up with  my notes on the walk sheets(canvassing in September and early October).   Specific voters asked me to follow up with information on issues of importance to them; the environment and  taxes are 2  that I remember.  I am sure  that if these voters received a targeted letter on the information they were curious about  they would vote for Linda- Out of support for her  views as well as  being impressed that her staff could communicate with them.   An organized  campaign has to be a good recomendation for  future governing skills.

I spoke to a lot of people in the run up to the election and  a few  actually listened and were considering what I said. I do believe that all the work, even thought Linda did not win, did a lot of good.  I hope we are all still around for the next go around in '08 and can use this experience to good effect.

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Location: NJ