You are reading this on the Internet, and you might be wondering if meatspace interactions still matter when it comes to elections. The Superspreader-In-Chief had his massive rallies and lost to the guy who adhered to social distancing guidelines. Nothing prevents you from voting for a candidate that you will never meet in person. It's all going to be about campaign cash, media coverage, and MyFaceTweetX+ followers going forward, right?
I'm old enough to remember when campaigns didn't even have websites. If I could predict the future of the Internet, I would have bought key tech stocks at the right time and I would be way, way more wealthier than I am now. But I will say that canvassing still matters here and now. Many voters are gratified to see when a campaign volunteers goes to the trouble of meeting them in person.
Canvassing can show that a campaign cares about every neighborhood within the constituency. Working class voters, unemployed voters, disabled voters, and the one registered Democrat in a solidly red suburban housing addition all appreciate when a campaign takes the time to visit.
Still technology has impacted canvassing. Democratic candidates can have their volunteers use the MiniVAN app to provide locations of likely sympathetic voters. The volunteer talks to the voter, and enters feedback into the app. So all I have to carry with me is my phone and the campaign flyers.
In the past while canvassing, I have met voters who did not know that elections were being held that year. I have met felons who did not know they were eligible to vote in Indiana.
Some people might mistake me for a bill collector, a process server, or a Jehovah's Witness. Whatever the reason that they don't want to talk, I leave behind a campaign pamphlet and move on.
This year, I'm working on Audrey Davis' campaign for Fort Wayne City Council At Large. Audrey believes that Fort Wayne can be both an affordable place to live and a fun, vibrant, diverse community at the same time. Whether or not Democrats control the city council of Indiana's second largest city may hinge on the success of this very campaign. You can find out more here. https://www.electaudreydavis.com/