Only candidates for public office need to read further. And if you are a candidate, I hope you read and align with this: https://garyhooser.blog/2022/12/07/the-fundamental-political-question/

I’ve written recently about how walking (and eating right) has changed my life. As a candidate for public office, it can change yours as well – if you have the discipline to do it. Most don’t.

Incumbents as a rule will ride on their name recognition and ability to raise the money needed for the multiple mailings that will show them walking, and in general out in the community. But they rarely do any actual walking door-to-door once they are first elected.

New candidates too often make up reasons why they never get to the serious sustained door-to-door canvassing needed to win. And when they do knock on doors they do it only in “friendly” districts who match their own demographics – avoiding those neighborhoods whose residents are not their so-called “natural constituents”.

The reality of winning an election at the State legislative and County Council level is clear. Candidates that walk – win. 

You can tell people you are “gonna walk”, you can think about walking, you can even walk once in a while, but unless you take it seriously and walk the entire district you will not win – not against an incumbent anyway.

Walking the district twice ensures success. Trust me on this one. An incumbent will not walk it even once. You walk it twice. You knock on peoples doors and speak to them twice – they will be impressed, they will notice the incumbent never bothered to come by even once, and they will vote for you.

But you gotta put away the excuses and you gotta walk. Your sweat equity is much more impactful than the money spent on radio ads and plastic banners. 

It goes without saying that the sooner you start the better. It’s never too early to start walking.

Divide the number of voting households by the number of days left before the primary, and that is the number of houses you need to knock on every day.  Average it out to compensate for a few days off here and there – but develop a plan and then follow it.

Your first pass through a neighborhood can be simple. Just you and one or two volunteers and a simple door hanger or campaign brochure – “I just stopped by to say hello, introduce myself, and see what issues are important to you and your family” type message. Invite them to contact you, include your email address and cell phone number. Don’t panic. People will be impressed that you are giving them your cell phone but very few people will actually call.

Carry a clip-board and take notes when you meet them at the door or on the street. Ask about what’s important to them and their neighbors. Listen closely, this is more about them than it is you. Most candidates talk too much.

Voters want to elect people who will listen to them. LISTEN, take notes and when you knock on their door a 2nd or 3rd time in the months ahead – refer to your notes so they know that you did listen. Voters want to feel seen and heard. You need to show them that they do really matter to you. 

Wear a lei and look like a candidate. Remember, people are always watching. Through their kitchen window, when they drive by in the car, they are watching and they are forming opinions of you, the candidate – based on the candidates looks and actions AND on how the campaign volunteers look and act. Campaign volunteers are an extension of you and should look and act accordingly. 

If you have volunteers that sport “purple mo-hawks” either literally or figuratively – leave them home and assign them to phone banking or stuffing envelopes.

For both public perception and security reasons, the candidate should not walk alone.

Never walk past anyone on the street without smiling and saying hello (voter or nonvoter). Pick up trash when you see it. 

The candidate (or volunteers) should never enter into someone’s home, even if invited.

It serves no purpose to argue with people at their doorstep. Most people will not have much to say anyway, and a handshake and a few words will suffice. If the person at the door has a different opinion or different values than the candidate – it’s best not to argue, engage, or debate – just “thank you” and keep walking, making a note not to return in the future.

Have the person walking with you keep track of the “voter list” and make notes as to people’s reactions. This entire process is also about “Voter ID” – so later when the ballots are mailed out, you will visit or call those homes who indicated they liked you and would vote for you – and remind them to vote.

Do not skip houses that aren’t on the voter list, you don’t want someone (perhaps watching you through the window) to say you didn’t care – at the minimum a volunteer should visit these homes while the candidate focuses on voters.

The person or persons walking with you should look like the demographic of the neighborhood or at the minimum a different demographic than the candidate. In our multi-ethnic community, it is essential that the campaign reflect that same multi-ethnicity.

The campaign should have a street map of the entire district and “color in the streets” as they are walked – until the entire district is colored in. Then switch to a new color and do the same thing a second time.

While walking the candidate will see potholes, broken street-lights, abandoned cars on public property, etc etc.  The candidate should make a note of these things and inform the appropriate agency – asking them to take action.

The candidate can/should keep a public social media journal with pictures of people, streets and neighborhoods they are walking – so the entire world knows they are walking the entire district – every single day.

During the second round of walking, the “volunteer crew” should be larger but remain diverse. This walking is more “visible” to the entire community as volunteers are putting up signs and banners along the way.

Volunteers can knock on the doors of both nonvoter and voter. When a volunteer makes contact with a voter at the door they should be asked “Would you like to meet the candidate?” And then if the answer is in the affirmative, the candidate who is nearby will be brought over to say hello.

If/when the person at the door is positive and expresses supportive interest in the candidate, they should be asked “So can we count on your vote on election day?” And then the response so noted – in the voter ID log. 

Every single person that comes to the door (whether outwardly supportive or not) should be asked prior to leaving – “Would you mind if we put up a sign? – (ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE OTHER SIGNS ALREADY PRESENT).

When the person at the door says, “Yes sure, just leave it with me and I’ll put it up later” respond with “Thank you! But I have a crew that’s right here and can do it now…does this location work for you?” Note: The person at the door may have good intentions but if the sign is not put up right away, it will likely remain in the carport or garage forever and not ever be put up.

This second-round walking group will have two people dedicated to “putting up signs and banners”.  They know the signs must be on private property, and that signs and banners must be put up to last the duration of the campaign and not sag etc. They will note the address of each sign and banner so it can be removed efficiently in the future.

All volunteers must know to NEVER ever touch other candidates signs or materials.

Candidates that do the work of door-to-door canvassing will win.

It’s totally possible to canvas an entire State House and a State Senate district. Council districts are generally larger (except Kauai which is equivalent to a single large Senate district) – so more “targeted walking” of Council district will be needed.

Granted, many urban districts have high-rise apartments which make canvassing challenging or impossible. For these areas intense direct mail, frequent coffee hours, and other methods of reaching voters are necessary – However even in these districts there are sections that are “walkable” and they must be walked!

Essential tools:
Campaign “business cards”
Campaign “door hanger or mailer piece” to leave
Online voter list
Clip board with simple “survey” to take notes as to resident issues, priorities
Water bottles to hydrate and sunscreen

Second Round:
Banners
Yard signs
Mallet to pound in yard signs
Zip ties and bungee cords for banners
Food/Bento for the volunteer crew to eat at end of the day.