What Canvassers Should Record at the Door?
Canvassers should record only information the campaign has approved and can use: whether contact was made, the individual voter’s identification result where appropriate, not-home or moved information, do-not-contact requests, and clear follow-up needs such as a sign, volunteer interest, ride, or candidate callback. Notes should be factual, brief, respectful, and connected to a real campaign action.
On this page
Record the result the campaign can act on
The purpose of canvass data is to guide the next action. A support result may move someone into a future turnout universe. A sign request should become a delivery task. A wrong address should trigger record review. A do-not-contact request should stop future outreach.
If the campaign cannot explain how a field will be used, it probably should not ask volunteers to collect it.
Use a consistent outcome set
- Support, possible, undecided, no support: individual identification where appropriate.
- Not home or no answer: an attempt without useful contact.
- Moved, deceased, wrong address, or unknown: data-quality review.
- Do not contact: suppression and possible manager review.
- Volunteer, sign, ride, event, or callback: a follow-up workflow with an owner.
- Already voted: a turnout update where the campaign is permitted and able to record it.
Keep individual records inside the household
A canvasser may speak with one person at the door. That answer should not be copied to every voter at the address unless the campaign has a clear, lawful reason and the information genuinely applies. Household display is a route convenience, not a reason to erase individual differences.
When one person reports that another has moved, record the source and route it for review rather than silently deleting the record.
Write notes as though the voter could read them
A useful note is short and factual: “Requested callback about transit policy after 6 p.m.” An unacceptable note insults the person, speculates about private characteristics, or records unrelated household details.
Campaigns should train volunteers on what not to record. Free-text fields are not a substitute for a clear outcome system.
Close the follow-up loop
Every request should move to a queue with an owner, date, and status. The voter should not have to repeat the same request to three volunteers because the first note was never assigned.
Review unresolved requests regularly. A data system that records everything but closes nothing creates frustration rather than organization.
A practical example
A resident says they support the candidate, would like a lawn sign, and asks a detailed question about a local road project. The canvasser records the individual support result, creates a sign request, and enters a factual callback note. They do not write a long summary of the resident’s family, home, or political history.
Working checklist
- Use the approved individual response code.
- Record not-home and data-correction outcomes accurately.
- Create separate follow-up requests for signs, volunteers, rides, and callbacks.
- Use factual notes only when a standard field is not enough.
- Apply do-not-contact requests promptly.
- Sync or return the list through the approved process.
- Review unresolved requests and data corrections.
Common mistakes
- Applying one person’s answer to the whole household.
- Using vague notes instead of standard outcomes.
- Recording insults, assumptions, or unrelated personal detail.
- Marking a request without assigning it to anyone.
- Deleting or changing voter records based on an unverified doorstep comment.
Sources and further reading
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada — Guidance for political parties on protecting personal information
- National Democratic Institute — Voter Contact
Election law, privacy, calling rules, voting methods, and campaign-finance requirements vary by jurisdiction and can change. Verify current requirements with the applicable election authority before acting.
What campaign teams should remember
- Record individual outcomes even when the approach is by household.
- Use standard response codes before adding free-text notes.
- A follow-up request needs an owner and status.
- Do not record gossip, insults, assumptions, or unnecessary sensitive detail.
- Correcting bad address or phone data is part of field work.
Common questions about what canvassers should record at the door
Should canvassers write detailed notes about voters?+
Usually no. Use standard outcomes and only add a brief factual note when it supports a legitimate follow-up.
Can one result be applied to everyone in a household?+
Not automatically. One person may speak for themselves but not for every voter at the address.
What should happen to a do-not-contact request?+
Record it immediately and suppress future campaign contact through the relevant channels, subject to the campaign’s approved process.
Should issue concerns be recorded?+
Record them only when the campaign has an approved, useful category or callback process. Avoid speculative or overly personal notes.
Editorial reviewReviewed by CampaignGateway Operations Team on 2026-06-17. Campaigns should always verify legal, election, privacy, accessibility, and voter-contact requirements with the appropriate election authority or qualified adviser.