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Door-to-Door Canvasser

Door-to-Door Canvasser

Join a canvassing shift, speak with residents at their doors, and help the campaign keep track of what people are hearing and asking about.
No Experience Needed, Public-Facing, Student Friendly

At a glance

Commitment

2–3 hours per canvassing shift

When

Weekday Evenings, Weekends

Location

Otonabee Ward, Peterborough

Format

In Person

Frequency & Schedule

Flexible / Occasional

Most canvasses will run on weekday evenings and weekends between now and Election Day. You can sign up for individual shifts rather than committing to every canvass. New volunteers will normally start with an experienced canvasser or team lead.

Why this role matters

Door-to-door conversations are one of the campaign’s best ways to meet residents directly. Canvassers help introduce the campaign, hear what people are concerned about, and make sure useful feedback gets back to the team instead of disappearing into the void.

What You'll Do

Walk an assigned route and knock on doors with campaign materials
Have short, respectful conversations with residents using the campaign's canvassing guide
Listen for questions, concerns, and local issues that should be passed back to the campaign
Record the outcome of each contact accurately in the campaign's tracking system
Leave literature where appropriate and follow the campaign's instructions for no-answer homes
Check in with the canvass captain before and after the shift

This could be a good fit if…

You enjoy talking with people, or you'd like a structured way to get more comfortable doing it
You're a good listener and can stay polite when someone disagrees
You can follow a simple script without sounding like you're reading one
You're dependable once you've signed up for a shift
You don't need previous campaign experience and are willing to learn
No previous campaign experience is required. Volunteers do not need to live in Otonabee Ward. Volunteers under 18 may be paired with an adult or experienced canvasser depending on the shift.

Before Your First Shift

A plain description of what a canvassing shift actually asks of you, so you can decide for yourself whether it fits.

Physical Activity

This role normally involves walking outdoors, climbing some steps, and standing at doors for two or more hours. Routes can often be shortened or adapted, and volunteers who prefer a seated role can be moved to phone or data outreach.

You’ll get a short orientation covering the campaign, the canvassing script, common questions, how to record results, and what to do if a conversation becomes uncomfortable. First-time canvassers can be paired with someone experienced.

Equipment Provided

Campaign literature and any printed walk materials
Canvassing script and quick-reference information
Access to the campaign's voter-contact or tracking tool where required
Campaign identification or authorization where required

Volunteer Brings

Comfortable walking shoes
Weather-appropriate clothing
A charged mobile phone if you have one
Water

Canvassers should stay with their assigned team, avoid entering private homes, and disengage from hostile or unsafe situations. Follow the campaign lead’s instructions about weather, visibility, apartment access, and when to end a conversation.

Tell the canvass captain about mobility, sensory, communication, or other accessibility needs before your shift. We can often adjust route length, pair volunteers, choose more accessible areas, or offer an equivalent phone-based role.

If you need an accommodation or a different way to participate, tell us what would make the role workable. We can often adjust the task, schedule, location, pace, or tools.

Interested?

Expressing interest doesn’t commit you to a shift. Send us your information and someone from the campaign will follow up.

  • No experience required
  • Training provided
  • Flexible scheduling
I'm Interested
EXPRESS INTEREST

Interested in this opportunity?

Share your availability and any questions. This does not commit you to a shift.

Applying for: Door-to-Door Canvasser
First name * *
Last name (optional)
Email
Phone
Address (optional)
Postal code (helps us find shifts near you)
How should we reach you?
What would you like to help with?
Skills you'd like to use (optional)
When are you usually free?
Accessibility or accommodation needs (optional)
What made you want to get involved? (optional)
Contact and update permission * *

Expressing interest is not a commitment. Someone from the campaign will follow up before anything is scheduled. Volunteer applications are never published, your details are used only to organize volunteering, accommodation notes are seen only by the organizer, and you can ask to be removed at any time.

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