With days left in a neck-and-neck presidential election, many anxious California Democrats are getting on buses to neighboring swing states where they hope they can make a difference with undecided voters. They know their solidly blue state is practically in the bag for Vice President Kamala Harris , but polls show the race tied within the margin of error in Arizona and Nevada. That’s why Melissa Hitt of Long Beach joined dozens of other Harris supporters early Saturday catching a bus to Las Vegas on an overnight trip to knock on doors.
“I know Nevada is a big state that matters a lot in this election,” she said. “I feel like even if a few of us convince a few voters, that could really make a difference.” It’s not hard to find a bus trip this year to a swing state with the Harris campaign, the Democratic Party, left-leaning advocacy groups and unions booking travel for volunteers.
That’s a step up from the kind of campaigning a committed volunteer can do from home, such as writing postcards or making phone calls. The personal touch matters, said U.S.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez in a send-off speech to the Los Angeles volunteers last weekend. “Knocking on doors is the most effective way to flip somebody, the most effective way to connect with them, the most effective way to share your personal story of why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Gomez said.
“I mean, it’s not normal to get on a bus, to go and knock on doors in a different state. That’s not normal. But.
