PTP Field Update: Dispatches from the Doors

Hello!
My name is Alex and I’m the National Field and Training Director here at PTP. This is the first in what I hope will be a series of updates from the field. We’re grateful to all of our supporters for making this project possible. Your support helps us hire incredible Field Representatives and give them the tools they need to make an impact in competitive congressional districts across the country. As a small gesture of gratitude, I wanted to give all of you a window into the rewarding, tough, and inspiring world of field organizing, and bring you along on our journey this election cycle. 
What do Field Representatives learn at training and why?
Last week our first group of Field Representatives arrived at our Illinois headquarters for a week of intensive training. They learned the basics of community organizing: what organizers before them have accomplished, how to tell their personal stories, and how to build connections with others in order to make progressive change. As always, I was moved and inspired by the reasons all of our Field Reps gave for wanting to be here and help get out the vote–everything from wanting to give underrepresented communities a voice, to reforming the criminal justice system, to protecting the environment. They received briefings from our research team on how we use the data they collect at the doors each day, what candidates are on the ballot this year, and the intricacies of the voting laws in their state. Perhaps most important, they had an opportunity to get to know each other and really started becoming a team.
    
 
Out on the Doors
Last weekend we finally went into the streets and began knocking on doors! Lucky for us the first few days of canvassing here in Illinois have been sunny and warm, and I went out to meet up with our Field Reps, knock on some doors with them, and see them in action.  
We know canvassing works. Decades of research show that one-on-one voter contact is the best way to get Democrats to the polls. For example, experiments have shown that having conversations at the door increases turnout more than seven percent and makes a lasting impact on voting behavior. Recent research has even shown that having an authentic conversation at the door can reduce prejudice and permanently change people’s minds about divisive issues like abortion.
But even though I know canvassing works, I have to say it’s always amazing to see it in action. Check out some of my photos from the weekend:

Ask anyone who’s ever worked in politics and they’ll tell you that being a Field Rep is the hardest job on any campaign. Field Reps work long hours, walk miles and miles, deal with angry dogs (and sometimes angry voters) and make thousands of phone calls. I’m so proud of the amazing group of Field Reps we’ve brought onto our PTP team and I can’t wait for you to get to know them at your doors this summer.