Twenty students from Princeton College Democrats headed to Chester County, Pa. over the weekend to knock on doors just days before the election, as early voting in Pennsylvania was already well underway. Moving from house to house, volunteers promoted policy and encouraged voting in a last-minute effort to activate voters for Kamala Harris. Students felt the trip contributed to their sense of involvement in the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 5.
The trip, sponsored by the College Democrats of New Jersey with assistance from the Harris campaign, brought together canvassers from Princeton University, Rutgers University, and The College of New Jersey. The effort was the students’ eighth in-person canvassing trip of this election cycle. Pennsylvania has become the focus of campaigning by both Republicans and Democrats, which is predicted to be decided by just a few swing states, including Pennsylvania.
The trip kicked off at 9 a.m., where the Princeton Democrats greeted students from other schools near the Princeton Dinky. There N.J. District 16 Democratic Assembly Members Roy Freiman and Mitchelle Drulis gave speeches to embolden students for the day ahead.
“We’re fighting for so many things, and it all comes down to what you’re doing today … Go out there, feel energized, know that you are making a difference, and thank you for all that you’re doing,” Drulis said.
Students embarked on their hour-and-a-half-long drive around 10 a.m.
For some, the Chester County event was their first time canvassing this election season. Izabela Konopka ’25, who had previously canvassed in Illinois and New Jersey, shared her reason for canvassing in Pennsylvania with The Daily Princetonian.
“I find that a lot of issues that are very important to me are on the ballot this year, especially LGBTQ+ rights, health care, and immigration rights … that’s why I’m canvassing today,” she said.
For others, it was their first time canvassing at all. Ovinabo Banerjee ’25, who joined the Princeton Democrats just a week before the event, appreciated how simple it was to get involved.
“The Princeton Dems made it really easy for us students on campus to come out and get out into a swing state and help reach out to voters in person. I saw the publicity that the group was doing, and said, you know, I have a free Saturday. Might as well get out there,” he said.
Even those seasoned canvassers experienced something new in Sadsburyville, a small township about an hour outside of Philadelphia. For Aidan Davis ’26, Saturday’s trip allowed him to explore a political landscape beyond his typical “suburban canvassing environment” with “very cookie cutter houses.”
“You don’t really understand American politics until you get down here on the ground and you talk to voters,” Davis said.
He further explained that interacting with voters like those in Sadsburyville “gives you a gauge on how our elections are decided.”
Davis is a former Humor and Opinion contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Pennsylvania’s position as a key swing state in the presidential election heightened stakes for all canvassers, but especially for those who did not live in swing states themselves.
“My vote maybe doesn’t matter as much as these people’s votes do,” said Banerjee. “So I’m trying to help them make their voices heard and ensure that I can actually make a greater impact than just what I do at the ballot box.”
In Chester County, students received a route of several houses, where public data indicated potential Democratic voters on the volunteers’ MiniVAN canvassing app. They knocked or rang doorbells and waited for a resident to respond. Michelle Miao, the president of Princeton College Democrats, described the typical procedure after occupants answered the door.
Miao explained to the ‘Prince,’ “First, ID their support for Kamala [Harris] and Bob Casey, who’s running for Senate. Then ask about their voting plan … you can tailor your question to that. Usually, [the exchange] is pretty brief.”
Miao is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Residents who came to their door and were correctly ID’d responded to volunteers’ questions. Canvassers were prepared to answer questions from voters and promote Democratic policies.
The majority of residents, however, did not respond to knocking, prompting canvassers to leave campaign flyers on doorsteps and porches or to record a message for homes with video doorbells. Miao noted that technology like the Ring Camera had an impact on canvassing procedures for the Harris campaign, which Miao had not encountered in past years.
“They basically record you as soon as you step foot onto their property,” she said. “It’s one of the important things that we’re taking into account with the training this year … making sure you’re acting appropriately.”
Not everyone with whom canvassers interacted was happy to see them. At one house, where MiniVAN indicated a registered Democrat lived, the homeowners demanded students leave the property, yelling that they should leave the neighborhood because all of their neighbors were voting for Trump.
While intense, interactions like these did not slow down students, who canvassed for about six hours before meeting for dinner and making the drive back to campus. Though the day was long, canvassers say it was rewarding.
Davis said he came away from the day more hopeful for the future.
“Everyone has their reasons for supporting a certain candidate. You can’t really prejudge what a person is like by who they support,” he said.
“So throughout all of this, I have hope in general that people kind of know what they’re doing. They have things figured out, and then it’s a matter of disagreement, as opposed to ignorance,” he continued.
Isabel Jacobson is a senior Podcast producer and News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Vitus Larrieu is head Podcast editor and senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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