It can be an intimidating prospect, talking to strangers about one of the most hot-button issues of our time. But once you get the hang of it, going door to door can be fun and super impactful, especially in the weeks leading up to a big election or policy decision.
Doing a door to door campaign prior to an important political event can be helpful in getting signatures for a petition as well as educating your community on the issue.
Contact Students for Life Action about door to door campaigning opportunities.
Steps:
- Select your door-to-door campaign.
- Is there an important election approaching?
- Is your local government voting on an abortion-related bill, like Fetal Pain or Ultrasound?
- Is Planned Parenthood re-opening its doors in your town?
- Has the abortion facility nearest you had any recent scandals?
- Do you want to take a poll on a certain abortion-related topic?
- Select your location, date, and time.
- Choose a local neighborhood in which you feel safe; avoid gated communities.
- These campaigns are flexible, as you don’t need permission from anyone. Choose the date that works best for your group, keeping in mind that more people will answer their doors on weekends.
- Don’t go door-to-door any earlier than 10am, or any later than 8pm. If possible, avoid the general “dinner time”.
- Decide who is participating in the campaign.
- If you aren’t comfortable going alone, recruit a friend to go door-to-door with you, but don’t exceed two people; any more would make your target audience feel ganged up on.
- Be knowledgeable about your topic and have talking points ready to go.
- Gather materials.
- If you’re asking people to sign a petition, have it on a clipboard with a pen, ready to put in their hands.
- If the goal of your campaign is education, have your materials in hand and ready to pass out.
- If you have the time and funds, make a door hanger related to your campaign to leave at houses where no one was home.
- Get out there!
- If someone answers the door and is rude or doesn’t want to talk, exit gracefully. For example, “Thank you, have a nice day/evening.”
- If you’re trying to get a certain number of signatures on a petition or similar, try not to spend all your time dialoguing with someone who’s pro-choice. Try to exit gracefully and thank them for their time.
- If you ever feel unsure about a situation, leave. Nothing is worth your safety.
Questions? Contact Students for Life Action for more information.
