Tales and reflections from the doorstep: canvassing as a young female in 2024

By Eleanor Sollis

Politics is about people. This is one of the reasons I love canvassing as it’s a chance to connect with people in all layers of their complex lives. But it is also essential to the political process. Connecting, talking and reflecting with people in the community about their problems should be a primary concern for elected MP’s and Councillors, not just as a mechanism in a political campaign.

Helping as a volunteer with door knocking is equally daunting as it is interesting. The majority of the time you are faced with friendly faces who, even if they politically disagree with you, are respectful of your dedication to get out there and participate in democracy, especially as a young person. In fact the most positive response often stems from people seeing a fresh face on the doorstep. In canvassing for this General Election I was in Birmingham and spoke to a man who reminded me so much of my own grandad, it was heartwarming. We spoke for a while about voting and how he would get to his polling station. He was the sweetest gentleman who clearly enjoyed a conversation with a fresh face. These types of interactions with strangers demonstrate that in reality people tend to be more friendly than you think and that connecting with people outside of your network is super important and I believe it can be truly impactful. Sharing stories and concerns could be a step in better representation for these individuals, which brings immense value to canvassing and draws you back in to volunteer.

But there is always the fear of being judged, screamed at, ignored or dismissed on the doorstep, especially as a young female, which unfortunately is a disincentive to get involved with canvassing. The experience which always sticks in my mind, was a time I canvassed in tiny, rural villages in Wiltshire for my godmother. I knocked on this thatched cottage house and a woman didn’t open the door but instead poked her head out her second floor window. I asked her how she intended to vote and tried to say she should place her vote with my godmother. But she began angrily shouting at me from above, questioning me as a person saying ‘how could I as a young woman be canvassing for this party’. She continued to shout and angrily slammed her window shut. I was shocked.Despite me being friendly and explaining my views and situation, someone could so strongly judge and dislike me after a few sentences. That was the moment I realised the strength of tribalism in politics, which was something I had never aligned to. However despite this experience I still see the value in canvassing over the infrequent potential conflict I could face.

On the flip side of those who are very loud in their views, I’ve had so many interactions while pounding the pavements that leave me feeling a bit hopeless and frustrated. This happens mostly when people are politically disengaged. ‘I don’t vote’, ‘I am not into politics, it’s not my thing’ or ‘they are all useless so I am not voting’ are all phrases I have heard many times. I have noticed an increase in those types of comments in 2024. It’s mind-boggling as someone who is heavily politicised that someone would consider themselves out of politics or that it is something that wouldn't affect them, when in fact it shapes so many things in our lives.

This disengaged response can be attributed to so many factors but my personal observations of this General Election are that an anti-voting sentiment goes deeper than just being politically unaware. Rather, people are actively not choosing to vote because they feel politicians are failing to represent them and behave appropriately. I believe that deciding not to vote is a really worrying narrative to democracy as it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If disenfranchised and alienated individuals don’t vote, politicians' policies and actions will turn towards those who do (a sad truth of politics). And that really highlights the importance of canvassing and reaching those politically demotivated. Explaining the importance of voting and the promise of helping to solve peoples' issues on the doorstep, puts politics into perspective for many whose lives rarely feel like they are involved with politics. While some won’t and will never vote (no matter how hard you try and convince them otherwise), the chance of getting one extra person to vote is special. Although canvassing could be seen as self interest by the candidates and political parties (which is an element don’t get me wrong), it’s a crucial part of local democracy and giving a voice to the unheard in the political sphere.

Canvassing, despite the occasional bad response, is an enriching experience whether you are politically active or not. To understand others' positions and lives makes you realise humans are hugely layered beings. Despite some awful politicians trying to divide us into camps and pit certain types of people against each other, canvassing has shown me we are much more connected by common experience than we think.