On the last Saturday before the midterm election, many gathered to help the governor Deval Patrick re-elected. In front of the metro station, people were holding huge blue signs with the name of the governor. I asked them where the Deval Patrick's office is there. People were friendly toward the canvasser and pointed out the building across the street. On these occasions, when they are calling out to people for support, people get friendlier than usual for the obvious reasons. I share the same objectives with them as well. I thanked them when they instructed me to the office. "You see the red car there? Do you see the signs on the window? That is the office here. It is not the office you are looking for but you can ask there where it is."
At the office, on the table there, there is a paper holder that has the names of the volunteers. When I came in, first I was asked to write my name on the paper. I was already registered, I insisted. "Just write your name," she said. They were excited and pretty eager to get people to move on. I asked where the office on Mass Ave. "It's 2285 Mass. Ave", he said. "I will show you. Here. Go that way, on Day Street. Mass Ave is at the end. Do you see the blue van there? That is that." I thanked him and left for the office.
The area was not empty. The air is clear and chilly, the trees are in red and orange. The leaves were on the ground, and most of the shops were not open at that time. I went on the street. Mass. Ave was at the end of the street. Just around the corner, there are the blue signs in front of the office. I was glad when I got into the warm room from outside. The office was busy with people coming in and out. On the corner, there are many signs like the ones around the metro station. There on a small round table, again the list of names of volunteers which I was supposed to write mine in. Marjorie was there and greeted me. She introduced me to Margaret and Gary. I was given the map and the list of people's name for canvassing. Margaret was trying to explain where the map is pointing at. "This area is where I live. I should know where this place is. Let me have a look," she said. "Yes. Go there this way, and the Walden street is right there". I know the procedure by now, so with a bunch of the fliers, I set out to go for 'Get-out-the-vote' canvassing, knocking the doors and asking the people to vote for the coming election on Tuesday.
For a while, there had been no luck. Nobody is at home or unwilling to answer, or even moved entirely out of the address in the database. There are a few people on the street, loading or unloading something from the car. The first person I could be able to reach was a woman who just came back and was getting out of the car. I look at the listing and pronounced her name, and she replied that was her name. "Hi, my name is Erica, I am from Deval Patrick's Election Headquarter office. I am here to ask you to vote on Tuesday. Are you voting for the election or did you already voted?" She has not voted yet, and said will vote. "Are you voting for Deval Patrick?" I asked. She said yes, and I wished her the best weekend possible, and said that I left the fliers at her door knobs. How you put the fliers at the door knobs, I learned from Ann with whom I went out canvassing the first time. There typically a piece of paper that are written in some hard paper among the fliers that you are providing. Using the elastic nature of the hard paper, rolling them in a bunch and tuck it between the door knob would do most of time.
It does not go well all the time. At times, not the whole people at the residence are in the same opinion. There was a case while the voter was in favor of voting while the parents were rather cold about the whole thing. "Well, he is not here at this moment. I will give it to him when he gets back. Yes?" While I could talk about the election, some voters are discrete about to whom they vote for. "I prefer not to tell you," he said. There was a case with "Well, you came to a wrong house." But mostly, the responses were generally positive. "I will vote. No, I have not voted. Yes, I am thinking about voting for Deval Patrick." "I have been voting for every election. Yes, I am leaning toward the Democratic candidate." "Yes, we will be voting," "Yes, I am voting," "Yes, of course, we are Democrats." "The Republicans are terrible."
It was a fine autumn day, and there were a baseball stadium in the area. Over the field, the colorful trees were swaying with the wind. Nobody was there in the field. The outside the fences, I sat on the empty bench and had my lunch. It had been a such a day. There were signs of the blue Deval Patrick signs scattered among the houses. The tree leaves have been accumulated on the streets. I talked to the person working in the yard. She said, "I would like to volunteer but I cannot this Saturday" and pointing at the Deval Patrick sign.
On the way to go back to the office, I met another canvassers canvassing in the area next to mine. "I am done with the list, I am going back to the office," I said to them. "We are getting very good responses," they told me. When I got back to the office, my nose was numb with cold. I counted the doors knocked, the numbers of people I actually talked and got answers, etc. I had such a savory cup of coffee at the office. When all was done, I had some further instructions for the election day.
At the office, on the table there, there is a paper holder that has the names of the volunteers. When I came in, first I was asked to write my name on the paper. I was already registered, I insisted. "Just write your name," she said. They were excited and pretty eager to get people to move on. I asked where the office on Mass Ave. "It's 2285 Mass. Ave", he said. "I will show you. Here. Go that way, on Day Street. Mass Ave is at the end. Do you see the blue van there? That is that." I thanked him and left for the office.
The area was not empty. The air is clear and chilly, the trees are in red and orange. The leaves were on the ground, and most of the shops were not open at that time. I went on the street. Mass. Ave was at the end of the street. Just around the corner, there are the blue signs in front of the office. I was glad when I got into the warm room from outside. The office was busy with people coming in and out. On the corner, there are many signs like the ones around the metro station. There on a small round table, again the list of names of volunteers which I was supposed to write mine in. Marjorie was there and greeted me. She introduced me to Margaret and Gary. I was given the map and the list of people's name for canvassing. Margaret was trying to explain where the map is pointing at. "This area is where I live. I should know where this place is. Let me have a look," she said. "Yes. Go there this way, and the Walden street is right there". I know the procedure by now, so with a bunch of the fliers, I set out to go for 'Get-out-the-vote' canvassing, knocking the doors and asking the people to vote for the coming election on Tuesday.
For a while, there had been no luck. Nobody is at home or unwilling to answer, or even moved entirely out of the address in the database. There are a few people on the street, loading or unloading something from the car. The first person I could be able to reach was a woman who just came back and was getting out of the car. I look at the listing and pronounced her name, and she replied that was her name. "Hi, my name is Erica, I am from Deval Patrick's Election Headquarter office. I am here to ask you to vote on Tuesday. Are you voting for the election or did you already voted?" She has not voted yet, and said will vote. "Are you voting for Deval Patrick?" I asked. She said yes, and I wished her the best weekend possible, and said that I left the fliers at her door knobs. How you put the fliers at the door knobs, I learned from Ann with whom I went out canvassing the first time. There typically a piece of paper that are written in some hard paper among the fliers that you are providing. Using the elastic nature of the hard paper, rolling them in a bunch and tuck it between the door knob would do most of time.
It does not go well all the time. At times, not the whole people at the residence are in the same opinion. There was a case while the voter was in favor of voting while the parents were rather cold about the whole thing. "Well, he is not here at this moment. I will give it to him when he gets back. Yes?" While I could talk about the election, some voters are discrete about to whom they vote for. "I prefer not to tell you," he said. There was a case with "Well, you came to a wrong house." But mostly, the responses were generally positive. "I will vote. No, I have not voted. Yes, I am thinking about voting for Deval Patrick." "I have been voting for every election. Yes, I am leaning toward the Democratic candidate." "Yes, we will be voting," "Yes, I am voting," "Yes, of course, we are Democrats." "The Republicans are terrible."
It was a fine autumn day, and there were a baseball stadium in the area. Over the field, the colorful trees were swaying with the wind. Nobody was there in the field. The outside the fences, I sat on the empty bench and had my lunch. It had been a such a day. There were signs of the blue Deval Patrick signs scattered among the houses. The tree leaves have been accumulated on the streets. I talked to the person working in the yard. She said, "I would like to volunteer but I cannot this Saturday" and pointing at the Deval Patrick sign.
On the way to go back to the office, I met another canvassers canvassing in the area next to mine. "I am done with the list, I am going back to the office," I said to them. "We are getting very good responses," they told me. When I got back to the office, my nose was numb with cold. I counted the doors knocked, the numbers of people I actually talked and got answers, etc. I had such a savory cup of coffee at the office. When all was done, I had some further instructions for the election day.