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Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team (and during elections a candidate) will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters. Canvassing may also be performed by telephone, where it is referred to as telephone canvassing. The main purpose of canvassing is to perform voter identification – to poll how individuals are planning to vote – rather than to argue with or persuade voters. This preparation is an integral part of a ’get out the vote’ operation, in which known supporters are contacted on polling day and reminded to cast their ballot. Similar techniques may be used by non-governmental organizations, labor unions, religious denominations such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, poll takers, and even commercial enterprises such as door-to-door salespeople. 
Types of canvassing For Contractors utilizing "Field Canvassing" it works best when working around a current or previous jobsite. Otherwise called Jobsite Radiation. On election day itself a Party will often visit the homes of known supports asking them to vote, this process is often referred to as ’Knocking up’. A variation of the field canvass is a candidate canvass; these are done with the actual candidate in a district. With only one candidate, however, time is a valuable commodity. The candidate is thus usually accompanied by a half dozen or more volunteers who knock on doors. If they find no one home, the candidate does not go to that home. If they find a person, the volunteer finds out if they would like to meet the candidate. If they would, the volunteer signals the candidate. Canvassing can also be done by telephone by activists who will be working from a script. The following is an excerpt from a script used by the UK Labour Party in the build up to a general election:
The script then divides into two sections based on whether the voter intends to support Labour or another party. The section for Labour supporters encourages the use of postal votes, asks whether the individual would consider displaying a poster in their window or deliver leaflets on their street and asks whether the individual would consider joining the party. The section for non-Labour voters asks the following questions: This sample script is also representative of elections in the United States, in which a volunteer might ask, "if the election for (congress, governor, president, etc) were held today, would you vote for (Candidate A) or (Candidate B)?
The script concludes by thanking the voter before ending the call. While canvassing is often performed by unpaid volunteers, many organizations and campaigns may also hire paid canvassers. This allows organizations to reach a larger number of people by hiring and training a dependable staff. While many organizations recognize the importance of paid canvassers, usually they are not paid a living wage. Job security may also be limited by short canvass cycles, often taking place before elections or in months with comfortable weather. Some organizations, such as the AFL-CIO, may have year-round, permanent canvassing offices. Depending on the difficulty of the required tasks and the level of pay, these positions often have a high turnover rate. Some employees of advocacy groups and political campaigns may be required to canvass as part of their larger job requirements, in order to supplement canvassing staff. However, some individuals do work full-time as canvassers. Some canvassers, including those employed by the Fund for the Public Interest, have been blocked in their attempts to unionize in order to receive better wages and benefits. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : Canvassing |
