Giving Compass' Take:
- Errin Haines discusses how amidst rising political tensions, Americans across the country are engaging in bipartisan canvassing for democracy.
- What do the concerns about democracy across the aisle indicate about the U.S. political landscape?
- Learn more about key issues in criminal justice and how you can help.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits focused on criminal justice in your area.
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Across the country, bipartisan canvassing for democracy fueled by concern for our shared future has been prevalent. Patricia Dean of Tucson, Arizona, has been canvassing for Vice President Kamala Harris all month, knocking on doors throughout her community. She’s also planning to talk to her brother and a friend to try to persuade them to vote for Harris.
“I don’t want to sit at home after the election and say, “I sure do wish I had done something to help her get elected,” said Dean, 59. “I feel like I’m doing everything in my little way to get the word out.”
Virginia Lamp has voted for former President Donald Trump twice and plans to do the same again this fall. She said she’s worried that “the Democrats might pull something” and concerned about political violence after a second assassination attempt against Trump in Florida last weekend.
The 60-year-old Republican has been praying about the outcome of the election and talking to neighbors in Savannah, Georgia, through her church, at her local food bank, at the convenience store, about the issues on their minds and the importance of voting, engaging in bipartisan canvassing for democracy.
The Impact of Political Violence on Bipartisan Canvassing for Democracy
“I’m not telling people how to vote, but telling them to vote and talking to them about the state of the country,” Lamp said. “People have to make up their minds for themselves. Otherwise, they’ll come back and blame you if it doesn’t go their way, and that’s going to cause even more violence than what we have now.” It is not about a certain candidate, but rather about bipartisan canvassing for the future of democracy.
Barbara Bennett, 70, said her husband, son, daughter and son-in-law are all on the same page and plan to vote for Harris. But she’s already dreading Thanksgiving, after confirming her suspicions that her sister is likely supporting Trump — or at the least, may not vote at all this year.
“She’s not saying it, but she’s got an excuse for everything Trump does or says,” Bennett said. “I tried to say, ‘hey, this is not about a policy, this is about democracy. This is a binary choice here.’ She just isn’t listening.”
Read the full article about bipartisan canvassing for democracy by Errin Haines at The 19th.