I canvassed in Lincoln and Omaha for Nebraska's Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn on the weekend of October 19th. It was an incredible experience—I gained valuable insights into voter sentiment and felt I made a meaningful contribution by providing useful information to undecided voters. You can also sign up here to canvass in Nebraska!
On Friday, October 18th, I took the Flatiron Flyer Express Bus from Boulder to Union Station in Denver, and then transferred directly to the Arrow Express Bus to Lincoln, Nebraska. It was a day-long journey. I left the house at 7:30 AM MT and arrived in Lincoln at 5:45 PM MT. The long ride from Denver to Lincoln went by quickly as I was able to work on my laptop most of the time. Although the bus provided Wi-Fi, it didn’t work for me, so I used a Wi-Fi hotspot on my cell phone. There were very few passengers, and there was plenty of legroom for working comfortably.
I booked a hotel room in Lincoln. The campaign had offered to set me up with a local host, but since I had phone calls to make, it was easier for me to have my own space.
On Saturday morning, I took an Uber to the Osborn campaign office in Lincoln, loaded a list into my MiniVan canvassing app, and started canvassing in a neighborhood between A-D Streets and S. 33rd - S. 37th Streets in Lincoln. The list consisted of Independent and Republican households.
My contact rate was pretty high, around 30%. Most people I spoke with hadn’t voted yet, and many were undecided about the Osborn race. I spoke with a number of strong Osborn supporters and found a few who were interested in volunteering or doing paid canvassing for Osborn. A few supporters even agreed to display Osborn yard signs! I left notes on MiniVan so the campaign staff could follow up with them.
I canvassed in Omaha on Sunday, where I found that more people on the list had already voted. My contact rate was lower, likely because Omaha has had more canvassing activity since it’s a presidential battleground district with its one Electoral College vote and a competitive congressional race (NE-02). This time, I canvassed with a partner, which made it feel much easier and more fun. Each of us only needed to cover half of the neighborhood—we split the list by odd and even house addresses, a function provided by Minivan.
Anecdotes
- An older Republican woman said that she voted for Trump last time but was disappointed. She isn’t planning to vote again but might be persuaded to vote for Osborn.
- A middle-aged unaffiliated man said he couldn’t support a candidate who isn’t truly pro-Second Amendment or who supports the Green New Deal. He said he will vote but doesn’t like either candidate.
- Another middle-aged unaffiliated man wanted to confirm that Osborn would vote the right way on issues like choice and democracy. After our conversation, he said he would vote for Osborn and even agreed to display a yard sign!
- A middle-aged Republican man expressed his dislike for unions, saying that “working-class man” resonates more with him than “union leader.” Initially, he was unwilling to hear about Dan, but he ended up taking a brochure.
Observations
- Undecided Voters: There are still a lot of undecided voters. Almost 40% of the households I spoke with were undecided about the Osborn race.
- Persuadable Voters: Many undecided voters were open to conversation and willing to share their thoughts, indicating that they can be persuaded.
- Dislike for Deb Fischer: Undecided voters consistently expressed dislike for Deb Fischer but mentioned they needed to learn more about Dan to make a decision.
- Republican Concerns: Republicans raised concerns about immigration and border security, the Second Amendment, the Green New Deal, Osborn’s “union leader” label, corruption, and the idea that Osborn would lack power as a freshman Senator.
- Democratic Concerns: Democrats mostly wanted to know if Osborn would vote with their party.
Many people said they were tired of the constant TV ads (Dan-Deb-Dan-Deb!). Fischer’s negative ads didn’t earn her any support, while I didn’t hear similar complaints about Osborn’s ads. Kudos to the Osborn campaign for staying positive!
Conclusions
-
Expand Canvassing Efforts: We need to quickly increase the number of canvassers on the ground. Given how high the stakes are in this election (arguably the second most important race after Pennsylvania’s presidential race as the US Senate majority is at stake) and how many voters are still undecided and persuadable, it’s crucial to reach them as soon as possible.
- Persuasion Strategy: Much of the work involves directly addressing voters' specific concerns. We need to provide canvassers with a concise Q&A resource. Republicans need persuasion, while Democrats need both persuasion and encouragement to turn out.
- Recruiting Canvassers: During canvassing, we should actively recruit both paid and volunteer canvassers. About half of the pro-Osborn households expressed interest in canvassing opportunities. Focusing on this could rapidly expand our canvasser pool.
- Canvassing in Pairs: Solo canvassing can be tough and discouraging. We should offer canvassers the option to work in pairs, dividing the neighborhood and supporting each other. This approach can help them stay motivated and last longer in the field..
There is a lot going on in Nebraska because of the Blue Dot and the congressional race in NE-02. I happened to be there when Leader Jeffries and Tony Vargas made an appearance in Big Mama's Restaurant in Omaha. See photos below.
