Great Falls Tribune: Group to launch Montana canvass to spark more Democratic votes

A Chicago-based political action committee said Thursday it will begin door-to-door canvassing in Montana on Saturday as part of a $52.5 million project to increase voter turnout for Democratic candidates.

The Progressive Turnout Project (PTP), which described itself as the largest grassroots-funded national field organization, plans to visit 10 million doors nationwide to encourage people to vote in 17 presidential and Senate battleground states. It is targeting inconsistent Democratic voters who didn’t turn out in 2016.

PTP said it has endorsed Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate against incumbent GOP Sen. Steve Daines in the Nov. 3 election.

“This is the most consequential election of our lifetimes,” said Alex Morgan, executive director of Progressive Turnout Project, adding the Republican Senate has  “proven time and again that they are not up to the job.” 

Morgan said in these days of COVID-19, they would be taking precautions to protect staff and voters — including only going door-to-door once a metro area has met several public health criteria.

Saturday’s launch will be in Missoula. There will also be visits to Billings, Bozeman and Helena later, PTP officials said.

PTP said it targets registered, inconsistent, likely Democratic voters and new voters and hires paid, trained canvassers who aim to have multiple, in-depth conversations with voters between June and Election Day.

Since it began in  2015, PTP has invested in voter turnout programs in 130 House and Senate races.

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