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Door
Knocking
How to door knock and what do I say
To campaign effectively you need to plan and be prepared. It is
important that you know:
- Information about the area for which you are
standing.
- Information about the procedure of the election
and voting processes.
The earlier you start your campaign, the more effective it will
be. Your approach will depend on the likely strength of your opposition, what
methods are most effective in reaching voters in your area, your own time
availability, the number of helpers you can organise, and the size of the area.
Door knocking is one of the most effective and important ways of
campaigning. It brings you face-to-face with the community, providing you the
opportunity to hear about their concerns and issues.
A suggested good opening line is: “Good morning/afternoon my name
is John I am door knocking in your neighbourhood today as I have decided to
stand for council at the coming elections on... Are you aware there are council
elections happening?”
Important points when door
knocking:
- This is a very important time for you as you
have the opportunity to learn and understand issues and concerns that are
important to residents. It is an opportunity to harness these concerns
that could provide detail for future campaign platforms and brochures.
- Always know and understand the voting detail.
For postal ballots, know when to expect ballot papers to arrive in the
mail and when they need to be returned by. For attendance voting make sure
you are familiar with the hours that the polling booths are open and where
they will be located.
- Always look presentable. Door knocking may be
the only opportunity voters will actually have to meet you in person, so
remember, first impressions are important.
- For safety reasons, you may prefer to have
another person with you when door knocking.
- Try to avoid door knocking at inconvenient
times of the day such as meal times.
- Time permitting, visit a block of houses in
one area then travel to another part of the ward and door knock another
area in order to obtain a cross section of views across the entire ward.
- While it is preferable to visit every
household, if you have restricted time you may choose to knock on every
second or third door in a street.
- Always leave the voter with a calling card, as
it is something for them to remember you by when you have left.
- Depending on the situation and the amount of
time you have try not to be held up for too long at each house.
- If asked or prompted to follow up on concerns
raised always try to do so, either in writing or over the phone, even if
the response is not to the voters liking.
- If residents are not at home leave your
calling card in the letterbox but not under the front door, as this tells
everyone that no one is home.
- Always close the gate.
