Warren Campaign Press Release - 3 Questions with Last Month's Top Canvasser

By Team Warren

We knocked a lot of doors last month — but our top canvasser was Community Leader Yvette Maxwell from Georgia! Yvette canvassed every weekend, on weekdays after work, and even in the rain.

One of the most remarkable things about Yvette is that she began knocking on doors without knowing any other volunteers in her town: “I learned as I went and soon more people joined me. We figured out what worked in our communities and it took off.”

Our grassroots movement is only possible thanks to the remarkable contributions of volunteers like Yvette. We asked this champion door knocker to tell us why she volunteers and what she's learned along the way.

Team Warren: What made you decide to join this fight with Elizabeth?

Yvette Maxwell: The defining moment of me being All In for Warren was when I heard her speak about black mamas and babies dying at a higher rate than their white counterparts at the #SheThePeople presidential forum in April, and that she had a plan to address it. I'd never heard such direct talk from a politician — addressing the crisis so frankly — and it brought tears to my eyes. I started contributing to the campaign, and one day I got an email inviting me to take the Warren Weekend community leader training. I said, “Yes!” and I've been All In ever since.

TW: What were some of the best moments during your canvasses last month?

YM: I was grateful to hear that people living in underserved communities really appreciated having someone from a political campaign reach out to them and ask about their thoughts and opinions. Some of these communities seemed to have been written off by politicians and their campaigns, so they were very surprised to see us out there. It's a very sad feeling but also slightly good in that the Columbus, Georgia team actively prioritizes going into communities of color for our canvasses.

TW: What are your recommendations for having successful one-on-one interactions with voters?

YM: What I've learned that works is to smile, relax, have a conversation and never talk “at” people. No interaction has to be unproductive. Listen, empathize, and have your personal story about why you support Elizabeth. Always thank people for their time and insights.

Wanna find a volunteer shift near you? Even an hour of making calls, knocking doors, or sending texts makes a huge difference in growing our campaign to elect Elizabeth Warren.