Hi Acronym,Only just read your post. I've been on a number of...

Hi Acronym,

Only just read your post. I've been on a number of campaign commitees. My observations are as follows.

1. A candidate on a doorstep is worth 10 mailouts, ads, etc. No matter how cynical voters are they connect to some extent with a face to face with a candidate. However timing is important. It's no good turning up just as they're sitting down to a meal or to watch a grand final or somesuch.

Issues. To the bloke in X Street the fact that the garbage truck was 2 hours late last week is more important than a solution for world peace. If it isn't he/she probably isn't going to vote in a council election anyway so don't waste much time.

Your candidate needs local knowledge, but the main thing is to listen. Voters don't really want to hear solutions they want a listener to complain to. You win more votes listening than talking. If you need to talk don't move into policy until you have to. The best doorknocking politician I ever met always used to find a subject that the doorknockee was interested in. If they had a lovely garden he'd comment on that and then stand and listen for 5 minutes. At the end the would have the vote in the bag without ever mentioning policy. Pets, cars, sport, there's always something that 90% of wouldbe voters are a damn sight more interested in than politics

The incumbent always has a start because he is better known usually, and because he/she has some official status at the various meetings in the electorate.

Research to see if you can find a group that he doesn't bother attending. See if you can get the Pres or Secretary on side. They may let your candidate have a few minutes to talk about policy issues. 2 advantages of this. One is that you get to 20 or more people at a time. Two is that people who belong to community groups are more pro-active as a rule and are more likely to vote.

Phoning is difficult. You don't make the same connect and I've heard people say 'oh he's too lazy to get out and doorknock". Wouldn't recommend it unless time is too short to do anything else.