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Weekly Canvassing Report for Nevada & Montana because Hope Springs from Field! [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-08-03

We couldn’t canvass in Las Vegas last Saturday, either, because of excessive heat but we were still able to go out in Reno. Canvassers in the Reno area finished before it reached the 90s. We haven’t knocked on doors in Las Vegas for the entire month of July — but at least we were able to get some shifts in up north. As you can imagine, this stop-and-start thing confuses some volunteers who don’t always read the weekly email.

In Ohio, we are seeing evidence that conservatives are pouring resources into the “Yes” vote, especially in light of the explosive Early Vote turnout there. There’s only one item on the August 8th special election ballot (Issue 1), which would make it harder to amend the state constitution. A “yes’ vote would approve the changes. A “no” vote would reject them. This is what we are working to defeat.

Mohave County is among other counties across the U.S. that have explored tabulating ballots by hand. Prior to the 2022 general election, rural Cochise County in southeast Arizona pursued a hand count before it was stopped by a judge . A similar effort in Nye County, Nevada, was also subject to litigation last year .

Even though we were unable to canvass in Arizona due to the weather, there is one piece of relevant news in that state. The deep-red “ Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday against adopting a hand count” ballots in the 2024 elections” “after the local elections director warned that it would cost more than $1.1 million and involve hiring hundreds of new workers.”

But what is notable is that, this week, Hope Springs from Field PAC volunteers in Montana came out in greater numbers than Nevada! And, as it my tradition here, that means Montana goes first in this week’s diary!

The Early Voted on Issue 1 now exceeds everyone’s expectations. “The trend remains especially pronounced among suburban and urban counties, but it’s starting to even out, with rural counties closing the gap compared to earlier in the election calendar.” We are also seeing signs that conservative orgs are bringing in their field operatives from other states. One volunteer talked to someone who had been brought in from Wisconsin for the special election. Nonetheless, we persist!

111 volunteers showed up to canvass in Montana on Saturday. Senator Tester is running for re-election and is considered among the most vulnerable Democrats running in 2024. Tester has his own support network that is largely independent of the Democratic party and our effort is designed to reinforce that supporter network among (mostly) independent voters in Montana. We start a little later in the day here, meeting up at 11am instead of 9 (elsewhere) or 10 (Nevada).

They knocked on 8,036 doors on Saturday and talked to 553 voters. 351 of those voters answered at least some of our questions on the Issues Survey.

You may have noticed that our volunteer recruitment in Montana has not been as successful as Hope Springs has been elsewhere. We haven’t had the kind of exponential growth we have witnessed elsewhere. It has been more difficult because we didn’t really start with much of a list in the first place. Kinda making it up as we go along.

Housing Issues was the Top Concern among the voters we talked to. Not exactly sure why, perhaps interest rates. Healthcare Costs was the second most frequently cited concern (again). One voter defined it this way: “I don’t want my mother to be choosing between her health and groceries.” Political Stability was the third most frequently mentioned concern. Still, Montana is not exactly a blue state.

Joe Biden’s Approval numbers was 44% last Saturday; his Disapproval number was 13%. Senator Tester’s Job Approval was 66% with 6% of the voters we talked to on Saturday expressing Disapproval. Approval of Governor Gianforte, meanwhile, was 25%; Disapproval was 31% last Saturday.

21 voters filled out Constituent Service Request forms. We send completed CSRs to Democratic elected officials responsible for the requested functions, but if there are no Democrats who can further the request, and the appropriate office is held by a Republican, we still send it along. For Democrats, though, we encourage them to reach out immediately to the voter who filled out the Constituent Service Request forms and let them know they are working on the issue. This credit-taking is enormously valuable to the Democratic office-holder.

Volunteers re-registered 6 voters to comply with federal law.

This week, we are focused on GOTV in Ohio to defeat the onerous Issue 1. Hope Springs from Field PAC has been knocking on doors in Ohio since May 6th in a grassroots effort to prepare the 2024 Electoral Battleground in what has been called the First and Second Rounds of a traditional Five Round Canvass. We are canvassing Democrats and unaffiliated voters with a systematic approach that reminds them not only do Democrats care, but Democrats are determined to deliver the best government possible to all Americans.

Obviously, we rely on grassroots support, so if you support field/grassroots organizing, voter registration (and follow-up), GOTV and our efforts to protect our voters, we would certainly appreciate your support:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/hope4ohio

Hope Springs from Field understands that volunteer to voter personal interactions are critical. Knocking on doors has repeatedly been found to be the most successful tactic to get voters to cast a ballot and that is the goal of what we do.

88 volunteers turned up to canvass in the Reno area on Saturday. They knocked on 6,468 doors and talked to 471 voters. 290 of those voters answered at least some of our questions on the Issues Survey.

The Top 3 Issues canvassers found in Nevada last weekend were, first, The Economy. Voters do seem very frustrated by their lack of confidence in the economy. After Covid, they really want things to “return to normal,” and it is hard to tell from our conversations who or what they blame for this lack of certainty. Climate Change was Second, although not everyone identified it as Climate Change. The Heatwave is included with this because voters connected the two. And the shrinking Colorado River, although i am unaware of a formal connection between the two. Voters asked the rhetorical question can we afford to grow — and can we afford not to. Water, the Heat, people reacting to various Climate related health issues — all were mentioned. It’s apparently an ongoing debate right now. Partisan Gridlock was Third.

Biden’s Approval numbers among the Nevadans we talked to was at 53% last Saturday, with a Disapproval number of 9%. Senator Rosen had an Approval rating of 65% with 4% of the voters we talked to on Saturday expressing Disapproval. Approval of Governor Lombardo was 34% and Disapproval was 26% last Saturday. Lombardo’s numbers definitely vary according to what percentage of voters we canvass in Reno are included, but he is doing better up north than he was earlier in the cycle!

Volunteers re-registered 4 voters.

12 voters filled out Constituent Service Request forms. We send completed CSRs to Democratic elected officials responsible for the requested functions, but if there are no Democrats who can further the request, and the appropriate office is held by a Republican, we still send it along. For Democrats, though, we encourage them to reach out immediately to the voter who filled out the Constituent Service Request forms and let them know they are working on the issue. This credit-taking is enormously valuable to the Democratic office-holder.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/3/2184962/-Weekly-Canvassing-Report-for-Nevada-amp-Montana-because-Hope-Springs-from-Field

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