The introvert’s guide to volunteering for a political campaign

If knocking on people’s doors and having conversations with strangers about the candidate you support doesn’t seem appealing, there are other ways that you can volunteer for a campaign and perform important tasks.

As Election Day draws closer and you’re learning more about who’s on the ballot, you may be thinking about volunteering for a campaign. 

But if knocking on people’s doors and having conversations — sometimes contentious ones — with strangers about the candidate you support doesn’t seem appealing, keep in mind that you can still volunteer for a campaign and perform important tasks that don’t involve intense social interaction. 

Here are some ways even the most introverted people can volunteer for a campaign. 

Writing postcards

Many get-out-the-vote organizations and campaigns include postcards as part of their strategy for reaching voters. 

This is an activity anyone can do at home — alone or with friends — through organizations like Postcards to Voters, Vote Forward, Postcards to Swing States, and Postcards for America.

You can also reach out to a specific candidate’s campaign and see if they are looking for volunteers to write and mail postcards to voters. 

Texting voters

While cold-calling voters may give an introvert the heebie-jeebies, many people find texting much easier to do. 

Many advocacy groups and campaigns offer text banking as a volunteer option. Organizations will help you set up an anonymous number so you don’t have to text from your personal phone number. Sometimes you may not even need a phone — some groups use apps you can access from a computer to send and respond to text messages. 

Organizations will provide you with a list of phone numbers to contact, and they’ll usually set you up on a communication platform like Slack where you can communicate with other volunteers.

Posting and delivering signs

Campaigns may also need help getting out the word with signs. You can volunteer to put up signs around town, which is an activity you could do alone or with friends from the comfort of your own car.

You could also volunteer to deliver yard signs to voters who have requested them, using no-contact delivery, or maybe a simple hi-and-bye. 

Posting on social media

A very simple way to help a campaign is by expressing support for them online.

You can create your own content about a candidate, or campaigns may have their own social media assets you could offer to post on your accounts.

You can also share a candidates’ posts to help reach more people, along with your own testimony as to why you’re voting for them. 

And to encourage people to vote in general, you can post about your personal voting experience and show off your “I Voted” sticker to inspire others to cast their ballots. 

Donating

If none of these options sound like a good fit for you, you can always consider donating to a candidate’s campaign to support efforts like the ones listed above. 

If you want to go a step further, you can also encourage others in your circle to donate to a campaign you support — maybe even by hosting an online fundraiser. 

When in doubt, just ask

Another avenue to consider is reaching out to a group or candidate you align with and asking what tasks you could do that involve little social interaction. 

Campaigns often need help with all sorts of things they may not explicitly list online, like picking up materials from stores, helping with data entry, assisting with graphic design, or providing IT assistance. You never know where your skills may come in handy!

Are you ready to vote? Make sure to check your voter registration status, see who’s on your ballot, and make a voting plan here.