It is possible that more people rang my doorbell two nights ago than for the rest of the year combined. And still, I only gave out half a box of Halloween candy to little skeletons and monsters and fairy princesses, and I only recognized one or two of them either. Most people on my street had their lights out, curtains drawn, doors locked. The cultural institution of Halloween seems to be in sharp decline…well, at least the part of it in which we go door to door. In general, Halloween sells more than ever, with massive displays punctuating otherwise dark streets and elaborate costumes decorating social media but not doorways.
Having just finished an election campaign, this resonates. Earlier this year I wrote a post about how elections work, and included a long note about canvassing. It used to be the bread and butter of campaigning, the one way that you could be sure to reach voters. I pledged to try to canvass as much as I could, I even bought new shoes for it, but I quickly discovered that “as much as I could” wasn’t much at all.
While elections tend to be bigger than ever, in the same way that Halloween sells more than ever, much of election activity happens online. I’ve been keeping this blog as a platform for communicating with residents, but I’ve been off of social media for a few years (and still highly recommend it – my life is demonstrably better for it!), and I couldn’t afford much in the way of advertising, so I was really depending on door knocking. But only a few doors in, I could notice the change.
Signs of the Times
When I first ran for public office back in 2015, canvassing was expected and welcomed. It seemed rare that someone didn’t know why I was there, and even if they weren’t engaged in politics much they would accept a postcard and I’d be on my way. Anxious dogs were still a problem (though that community seemed to have fewer dogs than Brighton does), and half the time there’s nobody home. It’s challenging to find a window of time when you expect people to be home and won’t be interrupting their dinner or knocking at an inappropriately late hour! But still, this was a normal activity that was generally welcome.
This election it was very notable to me just how rare it is to have anyone knock on my door. The era of people showing up unannounced is over: guests are expected, having arranged our time together by text message or phone call in advance, and they generally just come on in! After all, the coffee is already on, in anticipation of their arrival. If someone is knocking at my door it’s usually someone soliciting something, either commercial or religious. I can’t even imagine being a door to door salesperson these days, it must be powerfully demoralizing.
So after the first time that I rang a doorbell, clearly heard it chime, and saw someone through the window not even bothering to get up, I was stunned. And after the second or third time it happened, I thought about it for a minute and realized that this makes sense. These people aren’t trying to be rude, they’re just not interested in being sold something. I’m an unexpected arrival in an era when any welcome guest is announced in advance. They probably thought I was just a delivery driver, dropping off their latest order. They weren’t trying to be disengaged from their community; it’s just that people showing up at your house is rarely about engaging with community anymore.
Mixed Expectations
That said, there are some residents who still rely on that point of connection. I think this is particularly true of seniors, who had a lifetime of finding politicians on their doorsteps and grew up in an era in which you might find relatives from distant lands on your doorstep unannounced for a weeks-long stay. (I can remember those days too, if barely.)
I think it’s also particularly true of rural folks, for whom visitors are more rare and intentional. I had one rural supporter reminisce about the one time a politician canvassed their door; it was in the 80’s, but she still remembers and appreciates it. I’ve had rural folks reach out to express concern that the lack of canvassing of the rural area indicates a lack of attention to rural issues and residents.
For what it’s worth, nobody knocked on my door this campaign either. Maybe that’s because the candidates know where I live, but it’s just as likely that they didn’t make it to my neighbourhood at all. It isn’t easy to make it to every neighbourhood, even if you spend a ton of time on it. I talked to a friend in another municipality who mentioned that she felt like she was barely canvassing this campaign compared to the last one, only going out 2-3 hours per day!
I’ve overheard, and been told stories of, residents declaring that they’ll only vote for candidates who knock on their door. Even if we had the physical stamina and availability to canvass more than 2-3 hours per day, we still wouldn’t likely get to every door, and I would hope that physical stamina for walking is not considered a core competency for effective governance.
I think the concern behind the desire for people to come knocking at their door might be related to the fact that, well, nobody really does anymore. People want to feel like they matter enough to be sought out. They want to know that they have the attention of their council, and that makes a ton of sense, even if the notion of withholding support from candidates on the basis of door-knocking doesn’t.
So…what?
This isn’t a post in which I can offer an answer. I don’t know what it really means for us as a community that people on our doorstep seem like an inconvenience or stranger rather than an unexpected guest or neighbour.
I do know that any change can feel like a loss unless we have a way to adapt to it, and I’m quite sure that no Facebook group can replace knowing your neighbours and living in a community where people seek each other out in person. I do know that loneliness is an epidemic, especially among seniors, and that seniors make up a majority of our population here in Brighton.
I don’t know how to solve this problem. I would love to hear from you:
- How often do you connect with other people in person? Is it rare to have someone come over, expected or not? Has that changed over time?
- What kind of meeting would be satisfying, fulfilling, or create a sense of connection with others? Are you the type of person who likes to be out doing something, or just chatting together? Do you experience loneliness, and has that changed over time?
- Do you feel heard, seen, and like you belong here in Brighton? Do you feel a sense of agency in our local affairs?
- Do you know that every member of council is just an email or phone call away, and that you can always reach out to get any municipal question answered?
Please let me know! I’d like to get as many perspectives as I can on this, because I hate the idea that anyone in our community feels disconnected, but I know that many do.