Ground Game and Canvassing
How campaigns organize direct voter contact through door-knocking, phone banking, and community organizing.
Why Door-Knocking Still Matters
In an age of digital communication, the most effective form of political persuasion remains the oldest: a real person knocking on a real door and having a real conversation. Meta-analyses of voter contact experiments consistently find that personal canvassing increases turnout by 7-10 percentage points among contacted voters, far exceeding the effect of phone calls (1-2 points), mail (less than 1 point), or digital advertising (negligible).
The reason is simple: people respond to people. A volunteer who says 'I'm your neighbor and I'm voting for this candidate because...' is more persuasive than any advertisement because the interaction feels genuine and personal. The voter can ask questions, express concerns, and feel heard in a way that no broadcast medium can replicate.
