We;ve been using Ground Truth here in northern NH. It's everything Steve describes, and also a lot more fun than "normal" canvassing. I hate to think of the conversations we would have missed if we were not knocking every door! And because our initial presentation in nonpartisan, we haven't been shot yet, which is good.
I have been knocking doors with Swing Left Ground Truth in Mike Lawler’s district (NY-17). I agree completely. I am having meaningful conversations with Ds, Rs and lean Rs that are valuable and are giving me hope. I encourage everyone to try GT canvassing. The training is excellent and the script is well structured and thoughtful. Join us!
These numbers are really astonishing -- I knew KED would be better but this head-to-head test is a great validation of that. The "we're too resource constrained to knock more doors" argument is bogus for a bunch of reasons, but the most damning is that Republicans and their aligned groups are targeting a broader group of people for persuasion than we are. They're messaging at people we don't, and we see the results in slipping support with those same groups. GT KED is one part of a broader shift that needs to happen -- we need to widen our aperture of who we talk to and about what. The support is there -- we need to go out and harness it, and the first step is listening.
I am so glad to see this as I have done both - It is important to emphasize that Ground Truth not only knocks on every door but is focused on listening. Some people don’t canvass because they don’t think they know enough - but listening is far more important. And speaking of not knowing enough, a potential voter I spoke to was a registered Democrat, had had funding cut off for her agency, but HAD NEVER VOTED because, she said, she didn’t know enough. But after our 15 minutes chat said she was going to rethink her non voting habit. Which raises an important point: Because long conversations are encouraged and detailed notes for the campaign’s future use are part of the model, doesn’t KED take a lot more time? How long did it take you to have all those conversations in green on your map? This is not a reason not do it, but important to recognize…
Hi, Yes, KED does take more time, but it is worth it. Persuasion takes time. But moving individuals from not supporting Democrats to supporting Democrats, is worth it. It's also important to recognize that the kind of conversations that are encouraged by the Ground Truth program have a ripple effect, because the people we talk to are likely to also talk to family, friends and co-workers about what they heard and/or about shifting their views.
My take is that those genuine connections are worth it. In my previous canvassing experience, trying to follow a script felt stilted and I rarely felt like I was having an impact. Fewer, higher quality conversations should move the needle more than more low-quality conversations -- and as Steve points out, it also opens the door to increased volunteer recruitment and engagement. If you pick up 1 extra volunteer shift when canvassing, the extra time will start to pay for itself!
I think this is an extremely important idea. I think that we have fallen into a belief system that we can only reach people on certain parts of political ideology. In truth, labels mean very little nowadays to largely disenfranchised voters across the country. Keep up the fight!
How does this KED work in the rural areas? Your graphic shows all these lovely green check marks (or not) and they are all a 30 to 45 second walk from each other. In rural areas its not that easy.
I’m in Carroll County AR. You could use this model in town but out in the countryside? You might spend 1-2 minutes talking with someone, if they want to talk, then it’s back in the car and 5 minutes to the next house. If they don’t want to talk or are not home then the ratio is even worse.
Plus its still a manpower problem - getting people to do canvassing or even phone banking.
All the folks I’ve seen commenting here are gung-ho, activist types. The true believers. that is simply not how it is in my lived experience, as they say. I dont get volunteers by asking at a meeting. Usually I get them by going down my membership list and buttonholing people.
Hi Margaret, That's a great question. Reaching people in rural areas can be a huge challenge. I canvassed is a somewhat rural area of Montana in 2024, and I know what you mean about the time it takes to drive from one house to another. Realistically, if you don't have at least 50 to 100 people in reasonable walking distance, the efficiency of KED (or any other kind of canvassing) obviously declines rapidly.
In rural areas, calling on the phone can make more sense. One good way to get volunteers is to invite them to a social event at a local bar or restaurant, with phone calls (if you have numbers) and flyers. In 2024 Mecklenburg County, NC, they used this method to go from 50 volunteers to over 3,000 volunteers in 16 months. They gradually moved people from socializing to volunteering. As you have experienced, volunteer recruitment is not easy. In Kings County CA, they used a booth at a local Farmers' Market to sign people up, and site-based recruiting (e.g. at county fairs or festivals or concerts) can sometimes result in new volunteers.
You can just do the best you can, and keep your eyes and ears open for other Dems willing to help you. Having a team focusing on recruitment makes it easier.
Finally, I appreciate your hard work. Get as much rest as you need. We really need help in rural areas, so I hope you won't give up.
I love this story, and the work Swing Left /Ground Truth is doing to change how we do voter contact. I hope that all the field organizing groups, firms, and campaigns read it. There is so much to unlearn and so much to rethink about how we campaign, and this is a great story about why.
Excellent piece and one that resonates with my experience in Iowa both as a candidate and an organizer. I would add that knocking on every door has an additional impact, provided one leaves literature at the door where people aren't home (which, of course, is SOP). It means that even if people are not at home, they are likely to know that someone visited and was interested in speaking with them. As a candidate, that means people know you were in their neighborhood and tried to reach you (and not bypass you) and were taking time to do so (working hard and accessible). My response to folks who said they were not going to vote for me (usually it was pleasant on their part) was, "If I am elected, I do hope you will feel free to contact me when you have concerns."
Very useful information. I’m in western MA, and we started phone banking into Iowa last night through the coordinated campaign (calling voters in CD-01, 02, and 03 on behalf of those Congressional seats, plus Senate and Gov seats). Any thoughts about how to apply the canvassing ideas you’re writing about to phone banking?
Elizabeth, Ground Truth does phone banking as well. And we carpetbaggers from MA who are using it in NH absolutely love it. The NH coordinated campaign script is useless IMHO.
Join us for a Ground Truth phone banking session and you can see for yourself how well it works. Training is provided at the beginning, support is available throughout, and we debrief at the end.
This is great to know heading into midterms. If it's helpful to canvassers, I recently did a webinar for Rural Urban Bridge Initiative on how to talk across lines of difference: https://youtu.be/DBmXtZMp_cc?si=A3HYky9CFtTDYGRe
Great to hear first hand accounts from you fearless canvassers.
We;ve been using Ground Truth here in northern NH. It's everything Steve describes, and also a lot more fun than "normal" canvassing. I hate to think of the conversations we would have missed if we were not knocking every door! And because our initial presentation in nonpartisan, we haven't been shot yet, which is good.
I have been knocking doors with Swing Left Ground Truth in Mike Lawler’s district (NY-17). I agree completely. I am having meaningful conversations with Ds, Rs and lean Rs that are valuable and are giving me hope. I encourage everyone to try GT canvassing. The training is excellent and the script is well structured and thoughtful. Join us!
This is so thoughtful and inspiring. Thanks so much.
These numbers are really astonishing -- I knew KED would be better but this head-to-head test is a great validation of that. The "we're too resource constrained to knock more doors" argument is bogus for a bunch of reasons, but the most damning is that Republicans and their aligned groups are targeting a broader group of people for persuasion than we are. They're messaging at people we don't, and we see the results in slipping support with those same groups. GT KED is one part of a broader shift that needs to happen -- we need to widen our aperture of who we talk to and about what. The support is there -- we need to go out and harness it, and the first step is listening.
This is great insight. Here are some Ground Truth canvassing and phonebanking opportunities
https://volunteerblue.org/calendar/ground-truth-deep-canvassing-in-pa-07/2026-09-26/
https://volunteerblue.org/series/call-voters-in-arizona-cd-01-with-ground-truth/
I am so glad to see this as I have done both - It is important to emphasize that Ground Truth not only knocks on every door but is focused on listening. Some people don’t canvass because they don’t think they know enough - but listening is far more important. And speaking of not knowing enough, a potential voter I spoke to was a registered Democrat, had had funding cut off for her agency, but HAD NEVER VOTED because, she said, she didn’t know enough. But after our 15 minutes chat said she was going to rethink her non voting habit. Which raises an important point: Because long conversations are encouraged and detailed notes for the campaign’s future use are part of the model, doesn’t KED take a lot more time? How long did it take you to have all those conversations in green on your map? This is not a reason not do it, but important to recognize…
Hi, Yes, KED does take more time, but it is worth it. Persuasion takes time. But moving individuals from not supporting Democrats to supporting Democrats, is worth it. It's also important to recognize that the kind of conversations that are encouraged by the Ground Truth program have a ripple effect, because the people we talk to are likely to also talk to family, friends and co-workers about what they heard and/or about shifting their views.
My take is that those genuine connections are worth it. In my previous canvassing experience, trying to follow a script felt stilted and I rarely felt like I was having an impact. Fewer, higher quality conversations should move the needle more than more low-quality conversations -- and as Steve points out, it also opens the door to increased volunteer recruitment and engagement. If you pick up 1 extra volunteer shift when canvassing, the extra time will start to pay for itself!
I think this is an extremely important idea. I think that we have fallen into a belief system that we can only reach people on certain parts of political ideology. In truth, labels mean very little nowadays to largely disenfranchised voters across the country. Keep up the fight!
How does this KED work in the rural areas? Your graphic shows all these lovely green check marks (or not) and they are all a 30 to 45 second walk from each other. In rural areas its not that easy.
I’m in Carroll County AR. You could use this model in town but out in the countryside? You might spend 1-2 minutes talking with someone, if they want to talk, then it’s back in the car and 5 minutes to the next house. If they don’t want to talk or are not home then the ratio is even worse.
Plus its still a manpower problem - getting people to do canvassing or even phone banking.
All the folks I’ve seen commenting here are gung-ho, activist types. The true believers. that is simply not how it is in my lived experience, as they say. I dont get volunteers by asking at a meeting. Usually I get them by going down my membership list and buttonholing people.
It takes a lot of time. And I’m getting tired.
Hi Margaret, That's a great question. Reaching people in rural areas can be a huge challenge. I canvassed is a somewhat rural area of Montana in 2024, and I know what you mean about the time it takes to drive from one house to another. Realistically, if you don't have at least 50 to 100 people in reasonable walking distance, the efficiency of KED (or any other kind of canvassing) obviously declines rapidly.
In rural areas, calling on the phone can make more sense. One good way to get volunteers is to invite them to a social event at a local bar or restaurant, with phone calls (if you have numbers) and flyers. In 2024 Mecklenburg County, NC, they used this method to go from 50 volunteers to over 3,000 volunteers in 16 months. They gradually moved people from socializing to volunteering. As you have experienced, volunteer recruitment is not easy. In Kings County CA, they used a booth at a local Farmers' Market to sign people up, and site-based recruiting (e.g. at county fairs or festivals or concerts) can sometimes result in new volunteers.
You can just do the best you can, and keep your eyes and ears open for other Dems willing to help you. Having a team focusing on recruitment makes it easier.
Finally, I appreciate your hard work. Get as much rest as you need. We really need help in rural areas, so I hope you won't give up.
I love this story, and the work Swing Left /Ground Truth is doing to change how we do voter contact. I hope that all the field organizing groups, firms, and campaigns read it. There is so much to unlearn and so much to rethink about how we campaign, and this is a great story about why.
Excellent piece and one that resonates with my experience in Iowa both as a candidate and an organizer. I would add that knocking on every door has an additional impact, provided one leaves literature at the door where people aren't home (which, of course, is SOP). It means that even if people are not at home, they are likely to know that someone visited and was interested in speaking with them. As a candidate, that means people know you were in their neighborhood and tried to reach you (and not bypass you) and were taking time to do so (working hard and accessible). My response to folks who said they were not going to vote for me (usually it was pleasant on their part) was, "If I am elected, I do hope you will feel free to contact me when you have concerns."
Very useful information. I’m in western MA, and we started phone banking into Iowa last night through the coordinated campaign (calling voters in CD-01, 02, and 03 on behalf of those Congressional seats, plus Senate and Gov seats). Any thoughts about how to apply the canvassing ideas you’re writing about to phone banking?
Elizabeth, Ground Truth does phone banking as well. And we carpetbaggers from MA who are using it in NH absolutely love it. The NH coordinated campaign script is useless IMHO.
Join us for a Ground Truth phone banking session and you can see for yourself how well it works. Training is provided at the beginning, support is available throughout, and we debrief at the end.
https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/872281/?utm_medium=website&utm_source=sl_action
This is great to know heading into midterms. If it's helpful to canvassers, I recently did a webinar for Rural Urban Bridge Initiative on how to talk across lines of difference: https://youtu.be/DBmXtZMp_cc?si=A3HYky9CFtTDYGRe