(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Why We Canvassed on July 4th [1] ['Greg Dworkin', 'Matt Z', 'Douglas Schonenberg', 'Bill In Portland Maine'] Date: 2026-07-06 Regular readers of my posts are probably aware that i refer to Hope Springs from Field PAC‘s beginning as an Obama alumni project. That was how i came to be involved, for the 2021 Georgia Senate runoffs that elected Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to the Senate. But, in all honesty, the foundations as an Obama alumni project lasted all of 8-10 weeks. We were originally conceived as a “pop-up” PAC — one election only — and that was the promise made to me by the alums who got me involved. Obviously, it has not turned out that way. And that is due to the continuing interest (right after the runoffs) of a dozen (mostly) female, southern Georgia volunteers, primarily out of Albany State University, i had organized. They were concerned that all that time and energy would be wasted, and wanted to remain focused on electing Raphael Warnock to a full term in the Senate in 2022. This is why i say Hope Springs from Field evolved into a grassroots-driven operation. As such, Hope Springs has moved beyond the Obama organizing foundation to take up tactics conceived by our grassroots volunteers. Part of being a grassroots project means that we consult our volunteers about whether they wanted to knock on doors on Saturday — July 4th. We canvassed in Georgia, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas HSFF Most of our organizers — also volunteers — would have preferred to take the day off. This was the first time in our existence that July 4th fell on a Saturday, and most people have plans on July 4th — even if it is to just relax. But not all our canvassers agreed and there were sufficient numbers in Georgia, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas that we scheduled canvasses anyway. Sufficient, but not numerous. Even our canvass on the day before Easter had more volunteers turn up. Still, the volunteers in the six states that did knock on doors justified coming out to take advantage of opportunities they believed we had for the holiday. It was rather ingenuous and really proved the power of grassroots organizing. One of the surprising benefits, largely due to our Hope Springs volunteers in the Valley, is that we had a considerably larger Voter Contact Response rate on Saturday than normal. Again, the power of grassroots organizing and listening to our volunteers. Volunteer Turnout graphic HSFF Not a single one of our organizers said they would ever have thought of this ingenuous trick in the Valley, even if they knew of the tradition we took advantage of. Again, the power of grassroots organizing. We make much of our “like talking to like” (volunteers canvassing voters), whether it is “Mexicans” (their term, not mine) talking to Hispanics in the Valley or African-Americans talking to voters in the Georgia and North Carolina Black Belts (not the only examples, but the obvious ones). This can (and has) put us in a bind, but it is a feature that voters appreciate. Making voters feel comfortable at their doors makes Democrats look good — and voters feel better about the party. It is something we endeavor to do every Saturday, a core mission of Hope Springs from Field. There is nothing like what we do. Hope Springs from Field PAC continues to knock on doors in key Swing States and Congressional Districts. We target Democrats and unaffiliated voters with our systematic approach that reminds them not only that Democrats care, but that Democrats are determined to deliver the best, most affordable government possible to all Americans. The voters we talk to tell us they come away more invested in governance and feel more favorably towards Democrats in general because of our approach. Obviously, we rely on grassroots support, so if you support field/grassroots organizing, voter registration (and follow-up) and our efforts to protect our voters, we would certainly appreciate your support: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/UNRIGtheMidterms 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. Yes, we really need your help here! Our printer’s bills are — like most things — much higher than we had anticipated for the year. Here’s the thing: our organizers were ready for a Saturday off. It’s hard to do this week end and week out for five months (let alone ten). We wouldn’t be talking about this if these 1,762 volunteers hadn’t insisted that we canvass in these key Senate battleground states. While president felon was making July 4th all about him, Hope Springs volunteers were making Independence Day about winning. Winning the Senate was the most often cited reason that volunteers voted to canvass on Saturday. And, even though it was a much smaller turnout, organizers said those who did show up were “pumped.” “A great way to start the Fourth,” one organizer reported a volunteer saying. I will be more specific about the tactics our volunteers came up with to take advantage of the 4th in additional posts this week, but needless to say they were different in each state. More to the point, their ideas attracted other volunteers to show up (and often eased the work of their organizers). They leaned heavily on expert usage of miniVan. Personally, i thought these grassroots-generated tactics were brilliant. Locally inspired, but they fit into what we’ve been doing all along. No other Democratically-aligned org has been methodically trying to circumvent MAGA efforts to rig the House Midterm elections in 2026. And we need your help to continue. Our printer costs alone are way beyond our budgeting and we are asking for your help (if you are able). If you are able to support Hope Springs from Field’s efforts to protect Democratic voters, especially in minority communities, expand the electorate, and believe in grassroots efforts to increase voter participation and election protection, we would appreciate your support: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/UNRIGtheMidterms If you would rather send a check, you can follow that link for our mailing address at the bottom of the page. Thank you for your support. This work depends upon you! 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