Host guide

How to host a Swing Left canvass

Thank you for organizing a Swing Left canvass! This guide has everything you need to get started, even if you’ve never hosted a canvass before.

Why we canvass

Canvassing — or going door to door to talk to people face to face — has been shown time and again to be the most effective way to engage with voters. The campaigns are not yet up and running, but now is still a critical time to talk to voters. Canvassing early shows the community that we’re not waiting until right before the election to reach out.

Who we are talking to

You’ll be talking to likely Democrats in a targeted area of a key swing state or district where we’ll need every last vote. We’re telling them about the stakes in the upcoming election, and asking them if they’ll commit to remind three friends to vote. If they agree, you will have them fill out a postcard which you will then store and mail back shortly before Election Day. This approach has been shown to significantly increase a voter’s likelihood of voting and also to increase the likelihood of people in their house or neighborhood voting.

Snap shot of the vote tripling postcard that volunteers will use in this canvass


Note: Once campaigns are up and running, you can plan your canvass with them directly. If you are planning to canvass with an existing campaign, follow this guide instead:

Canvass meetup or carpool host guide


We encourage you to follow national and local guidelines when it comes to COVID-19 safety and precautions, and as a rule of thumb, do not do anything that makes you or others feel uncomfortable or unsafe. You can find more information on Swing Left’s in-person event guidance for COVID-19, get in touch with your Swing Left contact, or email our national helpdesk. If you are not comfortable with in-person events, try hosting a phone bank to support volunteers who want to contact voters from home.


Getting started

  • Check out Swing Left's target races to choose where you want to canvass, and review the standard script. Then request your turf list and a Swing Left staff member will follow up with you:
    • As the canvass organizer, you’ll complete this form no less than 72 hours before your canvass, indicating your canvass details and any modifications you would like to make to the script.
    • Then, Swing Left will send you a list number, which is a unique code that tells the MiniVAN app the voters we’re targeting and the script to use. Each list number is specific to the targeted area you are canvassing (regardless of how many volunteers are participating in the canvass) - and it expires in 30 days. That means that you can come back within a month to continue your canvass.
    • Each time a volunteer enters the list number, MiniVAN will generate a new list of doors: the 40 closest doors that have not already been knocked. We can share a map of the full targeted area so that you can identify a good place for your canvass launch.
  • Once you get your list numbers, familiarize yourself with the MiniVAN canvassing app, including the script and questions, so you can train and troubleshoot with your volunteers. Check out the MiniVAN guide.
  • Order your postcards: Fill out this form to request free vote tripling postcards from Swing Left. Note: Please order the postcards at least 10 days before your canvass.

Screen grab of vote tripling postcards

Preparing to host


Preparing your volunteers

  • Share some canvassing basics with your volunteers that might help them feel more confident committing and following through with their shift.
    • Set realistic expectations. On average you’ll knock on 35–55 doors during your canvass shift, and many of the voters on your list will not be home. Your job isn’t to convince people to open the door, it’s to find the people interested in talking to you, collecting data, and cleaning up lists so we can be as effective as possible. Every time you contact a voter is valuable, no matter the outcome.
    • Be friendly and conversational. Think about the personal reason for why you are engaging in this work and share that with the voter. Review the script carefully, but make it your own.
    • Don’t worry about being perfect! If you are new to canvassing, don’t be afraid to say it’s your first time—there’s nothing wrong with making it clear that you aren’t a professional. We do this work because we believe in the cause and there is no message more powerful that we can send to voters.
  • Share the "Know Before You Go" Canvassing Guide with the volunteers who are joining you. This guide includes a checklist of what to bring, plus tips and tricks for talking to voters. You can download a PDF version to print or email them (File > Download > PDF Document).
  • Optional pre-canvass training: Consider hosting a training a few nights before the canvass to get your volunteers comfortable with canvassing. Plan to go over what canvassing is, the typical script, info about your destination district/state, canvassing app basics, and other best practices. You can even use this as a recruitment tool to get newer volunteers to sign up for a shift. Customize these slides for your training.
  • Ask volunteers to download the MiniVAN app in advance, and create an Action ID/password if they don't already have one.
  • Contact all volunteers a day or two before the canvass to confirm their participation—especially those who have agreed to drive a carpool!

Lead your event

  • The day of your canvass, you’ll already have everything you need. No need to go to a staging location or pick up any materials – just grab your postcards and get ready to lead your event!
  • Before you head out to knock doors, lead a short training with your volunteers:
    • Provide the list number to your volunteers and have them download their respective lists in MiniVAN.
      • Important note: Unlike canvassing with a campaign, you will have one single list number for your group. When each volunteer enters the list number, MiniVAN will automatically make them a list of the closest 40 doors that have not yet been assigned to someone else. Have the volunteers enter the number one after another, so the turfs are nearby each other. Canvassers who want to do less walking should enter first; canvassers who want to walk more or have access to a car should enter last.
    • Go over the script. Explain what you’re talking to voters about and how to use the postcards.
    • Train volunteers on how to enter accurate data into the app depending on the answers they get from the voters.
    • If possible, give volunteers time to practice with each other and make the script their own.
  • Alternatively, if you’ve got a team of experienced volunteers and you don’t need to meet up beforehand, arrange a plan to distribute postcards in advance, and provide volunteers with the list number and general area for where they can canvass. Remember, volunteers should not enter the list number until they’ve arrived at their desired starting point. Email your Swing Left contact with any questions about how this would work.

After canvassing

  • Collect the postcards from your volunteers, stamp them using a postcard stamp, and store them safely. Swing Left will remind you when it’s time to mail them. We’ll use the same date as Vote Forward’s mail date. If you need financial assistance for stamps, please reach out to your organizer or [email protected].
  • Debrief the canvassing experience: what worked well at the door? What do you want to do better next time?
  • This is an opportunity to check in about what’s coming up next and when you can all canvass again. Make a plan to check in soon, if you don’t have something on the calendar.
  • Show everyone what Swing Left looks like! Share a group photo, video, or anecdote from your event on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (or all three)! Tag @swingleft and use the hashtag #SwingLeft to help us retweet/repost!
    • Important note: Since you are talking with private citizens and using proprietary scripts, please make sure to obscure or cover names, emails, scripts, and any other personal data in your photos.
  • Update who attended and who didn’t in Mobilize. Check out the Mobilize guide to learn how to manage your attendees. This process helps you track who came to your event, and will allow you to follow up with the right folks.

Resources for your volunteers

Share these how-to guides with your volunteers and group members:

“Know Before You Go” Canvassing guide

MiniVAN guide