Host guide
How to high-traffic canvass
Thank you for organizing a high-traffic canvass with Swing Left! Winning back power for Democrats starts with face-to-face conversations. Especially in a media environment plagued by polarization and misinformation, talking to voters – and in turn encouraging them to engage their own networks – is a critical way to increase our impact. Our 2025-2026 high-traffic canvass program is designed to build a sustained relationship with individual voters, and give them an easy on-ramp to connect with people in their lives who might be less likely to vote.
What is high-traffic canvassing?
High-traffic canvassing—or going out to areas with a lot of foot traffic to talk to people face to face—is a high-impact way to reach voters (and potential volunteers!) you would not otherwise meet.
Who are we talking to?
When high-traffic canvassing, you’re seeking out areas where you can talk to like-minded supporters: Democratic voters who want to help, but are not yet plugged in. You’ll be giving these folks an opportunity to help spread pro-democracy messages among their friends, remind friends to vote, or even take the next step to get more involved with Swing Left. Because you’re looking for Democrats who are likely to be on board with your goals, think about showing up to a local protest, town hall, political event, farmers market in a progressive neighborhood, etc.
What are we talking to voters about?
This early in the election cycle, the impact of a single conversation with a voter may only last a few weeks. We need a way for a conversation that happens now to still matter when it comes time to vote. That’s why we’re focused on continued engagement in three ways, using the relational postcard below:
Vote tripling: During our conversations, you’ll ask voters to commit to reminding their friends and family about the election by filling out our relational postcard. You’ll mail the postcard back to them in October 2026, so they’ll get a reminder much closer to the election (and hopefully remember your initial conversation when they receive the postcard!)
Pro-democracy messaging: With our updated relational card, you can take it one step further and ask voters to commit to continued engagement with their network. With this, they sign up to receive one text every other month with pro-democracy messages to share with their three friends. We know that sustained engagement with a single voter makes a lasting impact. You’ll enter the data, and Swing Left will take care of the rest.
Volunteering: The last ask on the relational postcard is simple – does the voter want to volunteer? If you’re canvassing with a group, you can invite them to join your group. Otherwise, they can sign up for Swing Left to get plugged in.
Can I use high-traffic canvassing to recruit volunteers instead?
While this guide focuses on using high-traffic canvassing with our relational postcards, there might be a situation where – if you’re a Swing Left group – you only want to focus on volunteer recruitment. This could be when you’re in a fast-paced environment and you need a quicker way to engage (pride parade, etc), or you’re specifically trying to grow your Swing Left group. Here are a few quick modifications:
Order volunteer recruitment pledge cards: Instead of the relational postcards, you can fill out this form and be sure to select "volunteer recruitment pledge cards." View a sample of the cards here.
Check out this folder of printable materials, including a suggested script and a printable sign-up sheet that can serve as an alternative to the pledge cards.
After your canvass, enter volunteer data on your own by inputting volunteer info into your Group Builder page or other volunteer management system – rather than using the process outlined in this guide.
Can I use high-traffic canvassing for voter registration instead?
While this guide focuses on using high-traffic canvassing with our relational postcards, there might be a situation where you want to focus on registering voters instead. Here are a few quick modifications:
Check out this folder of printable materials, including a suggested script, printable QR code to swingleft.org/register, and a sign-up sheet so you can follow up with folks.
Swing Left does not have a localized voter registration program because there are different guidelines in each state/county. You can direct folks to swingleft.org/registerfor basic assistance, or you can connect with a local party or organization to make sure you have the proper materials and you’re complying with local laws.
If you helped register people to vote, we recommend collecting their contact information to make sure they registered successfully. Remember, don’t automatically add these folks to your group email list unless you have their permission (but we do hope they choose to volunteer with you in the future!). There’s a way to indicate this on the printable sign-up sheet in the materials folder.
If you’re heading out to register voters, we highly recommend bringing along our relational postcards (order form and data entry process described below). Encouraging new voters to contact their networks not only reinforces their commitment to voting but also creates opportunities to reach other first-time voters through their personal connections.
Getting started
Choose where you’d like to high-traffic canvass. Pick a location where the kind of people you’re looking for are likely to be. Use your best judgment to decide whether the neighborhood is likely to be progressive or Democratic-leaning. This might be in your own community, or you might travel to a target district to reach voters who live there instead. Take a look at social media groups and talk with fellow activists to find out when upcoming events are happening.
Regularly attending protests? This is a great place to find big crowds of like-minded activists who are ready to take meaningful and strategic action
Rallies, town halls, and other political events
Local farmer’s markets or flea markets in progressive-leaning neighborhoods
Get creative – the sky is the limit!
Walk around your local park with creative signs
Head to the popular bus/train route and talk to people waiting to board
And many many more places!
Need help deciding where to knock doors? Email host@swingleft.org for assistance.
Preparing to host
Post your event.
Once you have the date/time/location settled, post your event on Mobilize so you recruit volunteers to come canvass with you. This Mobilize guide will walk you through the process.
Recruit folks to canvass with you. This recruitment guide can help. Let folks know that it’s OK if they’ve never done something like this before–they’ll receive the training they need to feel comfortable talking to voters.
Gather your materials.
Request free relational postcards online through this form. Be sure to select the "Relational Postcard” option (sample shown above). Note: Please order the cards at least 10 days prior to the day of your event.
Print a script for each volunteer that they can put on their clipboard along with their cards.
Optional: Create a flyer from one of Swing Left's templates that you can print to give out, or paste to the back of canvassers' clipboards for folks to scan / take photos of.
Bring pens and clipboards for your canvassers.
Consider providing snacks and water as well!
Preparing your volunteers
Share the “Know Before You Go” High-Traffic Canvassing Guide with 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). Be sure to at least share these canvassing basics with your volunteers:
Set realistic expectations. Don’t get discouraged if you struggle to get folks to stop and talk. You may get commitments from 3-6 people while you are canvassing. That is OK—it may feel slow, but you’re making a critical difference.
Be friendly and conversational. Think about the personal reason for why you are engaging in this work and share that with the voter.
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.
Capture accurate data. Make sure you collect the necessary information for what the voter has committed to, and that everything is legible.
Important: If the voter commits to vote tripling, be sure they’ve filled out their own address on the back of the postcard. Then, you and your volunteers keep the postcard and enter the data (outlined below).
Create space to share learnings and best practices. If time permits, schedule a break in the middle of the shift for a quick huddle. Have volunteers share what has been working, what hasn’t been working, any “hacks” they’ve found – before heading out for the second half of the shift.
After canvassing
Enter data accurately: After your canvass, collect the completed postcards from your volunteers. You’ll then enter the data yourself (or enlist a few trusted volunteers to do it with you!).
Use this single data entry form to enter information for all three pieces of the postcard: vote tripling, pro-democracy texting, and volunteering. If the voter did not complete the whole card, that’s OK – just enter for the pieces you did get. Follow the instructions on the form itself.
Once data is entered, store the postcards until the mail date in October of 2026 (we recommend sending 2-4 weeks before the election)
Before mailing, tear off and dispose of the shorter side of the postcard with the voter’s phone/email.
In October 2026, stamp them using a postcard stamp, and mail the postcard.
Debrief the high-traffic canvassing experience. What worked well? What do you want to do better next time?
Make another plan. This is an opportunity to check in about what’s coming up next and when you can all high-traffic 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 pic, video or anecdote from your event on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (or all three)! Tag @SwingLeft and use the hashtag #SwingLeft to help Swing Left retweet/repost! Important note: Since you are talking with private citizens, please make sure to obscure or cover names, emails, and any other personal data in your photos.
Resources for hosts
Post your high-traffic canvass on Mobilize
Post your high-traffic canvass on Mobilize (College Program)
Guide: How to post your event on Mobilize
Relational postcard request form
Printable script, signup sheet options, and flyer templates
Get support from a Swing Left organizer
Resources for your volunteers
Share this how-to guide with your volunteers in advance: