There is a good chance political candidates have knocked on your door recently, but is door-to-door campaigning actually effective?
UNB Saint John political scientist J.P. Lewis told our newsroom it can be — especially in ridings where close races are expected.
“Whether it’s pursuading someone to put their vote with a different party or just simply building enthusiasm,” Lewis said. “Maybe you have someone who would have voted NDP, Liberal or Conservative already, but the visit by the candidate in person makes them excited to go out and cast a ballot.”
The election campaign also brings lots of signs, but do they really have an impact on voters, or are they simply an annoyance.
“There isn’t much academic research that I’ve found on the impact of lawn signs,” Lewis said. “I think it might be a useful tool for the party and the candidates, an internal measure of how many enthusiastic voters we have out there.”
Those signs cost money and not everyone has the same amount to work with, but that does not mean they cannot make an impact.
Lewis said there is no doubt money can help, but you can do lots of door-knocking and be social media savvy on a modest budget.
