WHAT IS NEIGHBOR to NEIGHBOR?
With the help of the Ulster County Democratic Party, the Gardiner Democratic Committee has chosen to begin a formal “Neighbor-to-Neighbor” initiative. Neighbor to Neighbor (or N2N) is a form of “relational canvassing” where members of our Democratic Community here in Gardiner reach out to other members of our community to accomplish three objectives:
- Build a community of like-minded Democratic political activists;
- Engage Democratic voters and keep them up-do-date on current and upcoming political issues; and
- Improve Democratic voter turnout in all elections, not just in presidential election years.
The key goal of N2N is to get more people involved in the activism that is needed in these perilous times for our democracy. Consequently, when we talk to Dem voters, we are hoping to convince them to get involved in N2N, and thereby multiply our numbers. Getting involved in N2N means, hopefully, agreeing to go out yourself and knock on doors in your election district to build relationships with voters, listen to their needs and concerns, and inform them of key developments they need to be kept abreast of. However, knocking on doors is not everyone’s cup of tea (although once they have knocked on a few doors most people find it to be fun and engaging), so there are other ways to get involved, for example, writing post cards, making phone calls, or helping with political events or fundraising. As a grass-roots activist-based organization, the Gardiner Democratic Committee has a need for your skills no matter what they are.
It is important to understand that in N2N we do not argue or try to convince voters of anything (except maybe encouraging other Democrats to get out an vote). There are plenty of Democratic households in Gardiner. We won’t send you to anyone who is likely to be hostile or unfriendly. And we will train you by going out in pairs with one of our more experienced canvassers before you ever go out alone or with another inexperienced canvasser.
We want you involved.
CHOOSE TO VOLUNTEER WITH N2N VOTER OUTREACH IF:
If you’re for campaign finance reform:
People-powered volunteer driven voter outreach saves money for campaigns. We use a consolidated information sheet about our candidates and our volunteers can talk about or research any questions the voter may have. Instead of 5 campaigns printing 5 separate sets of literature and each one needing volunteers to go around and deliver, N2N Voter Outreach volunteers carry the lit for all of them. And they are hand-delivered so it is far more likely that the voter will read and reference the information.
If you think that trust is missing from our news and information sources:
Building a relationship with our neighbors, sharing information, being available to them for questions about elections is the best way to build trust. We are far more likely to trust a person who shares our common, local interest than a solicitation from a stranger.
If you are tired of multiple calls or mailers from impersonal campaign sources:
In N2N Voter Outreach, we visit once, maybe twice during the year with voters we have come to k1nowand we give them all the information they would need to be informed and ready to participate. No need for robo calls or dozens of campaign calls.
If you believe in local and sustainable practices:
N2N Voter Outreach is all about building community through civic engagement in our own neighborhoods. People living in closer proximity often have similar concerns and goals for their region. Visiting your neighbors can help build your immediate community and make it stronger and more resilient. We learn about things our neighbors are doing and we can network together for improvement in our communities.
If you care about the climate crisis:
In N2N Voter Outreach, volunteers drive only as far as is needed to reach people who live in their own Election District. In many cases, voter turfs can be walked. Anytime we reduce car time, we help the environment.
If Civics is something that you believe can be fun, informative, exciting and community building:
The relational canvassing, we do in N2N Voter Outreach will be very fulfilling for you. And if you want to bring American voters back into the Constitutional Family, we were all blessed to be able to enjoy, then please volunteer to visit with your neighbors and be part of the solution in our unique and precious Democracy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR, CONTACT:
Glenn McNitt
mcnittfg@gmail.com
(845) 255-1398