Campaign etiquette for voters

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/09/2023 (776 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s provincial election campaign time in Manitoba! There is a distinct possibility that your home will be visited by candidates from competing political parties or their supporters, you will have flyers dropped off in your mailboxes, and you will receive phone calls soliciting your support for candidate and party.

Depending upon your response, or past involvement history, you may be asked if a sign endorsing a certain candidate might be displayed on your property.

By now, these are accepted campaign practices which I prefer to see as opportunities rather than annoyances.

If you are in the least like me, without deliberately listening in, you will probably overhear people in public places express their annoyance, impatience, frustration, and even anger with the disruptions and/or interruptions caused by campaigners.

You will hear how they told the people off at the door or on the phone, sometimes in loud explicit and vitriolic detail. You might even be tempted to share with others that it serves politicians right and, given the opportunity, you would do the same or worse.

I would consider all of these actions and reactions unfair, inappropriate and unhelpful, but I am not sure that I would always tell people so, fearing that this might just provide them the opening to take their dissatisfaction out on me.

Most of all, I am saddened when I hear these stories, because I consider campaigns to be mutually, and potentially beneficial, occasions to show who we are as citizens and for our prospective politicians to tell who they are. That requires an empathy born of respect for people and regard for the political process.

To be a candidate door knocking or a canvasser going door-to-door, one must have a great deal of optimism and courage to offset the anxiety and trepidation of not knowing what to expect on the other side. To do this for weeks at a time, or to continue to do this after having been verbally attacked, must challenge even the most confident candidate.

And yet, most know that if they don’t make an appearance this will be held against them as a sign that they don’t even care to show up. An often thankless job, and a tough act to get right! And we might be exceedingly grateful that someone is willing to put themselves forward on behalf of all of us.

For ourselves as electors, we might also wish to remind ourselves that, when people meet us, we are representatives of the total citizenship in the eyes of the candidates and the parties they represent.

We can be sure our reactions will be noted and passed on, maybe even repeated, and acted upon. How would we want ourselves and the general electorate to be viewed? As angry, disillusioned, spiteful, and self-serving people or as compassionate, understanding, and responsible people doing our parts to make the world a better place?

How we respond to the people who come to the door, invite our feedback by email, or who call us on our phones can make a real difference to how we are represented by the people we collectively elect.

None of this is to imply that one needs to respond to everyone who knocks, calls or drops a leaflet, but it suggests that if there are interactions that they need to be civil, and that they can be seen as an opportunity to ensure that valid concerns are communicated in a respectful and thoughtful way. There are ways to do either or both.

For example, if one does not wish to be bothered by candidates at the door, a simple sign requesting “No Political Canvassing Please” should suffice. If one does not wish to receive campaign literature, a similar sign on the mailbox should do the trick.

If, on the other hand, there are issues one wants to discuss with candidates about, or questions regarding their party’s and their stances, then my suggestion is that you prepare for the possibility that they may show up at any time during the campaign.

When they appear, you might say politely that you do not wish to hear party propaganda but that you do wish to know what their positions are on matters like Indigenous relations, global warming, poverty and its effects, substance abuse responses… some current possibilities.

You may also tell them what your views are on education, health care and other social services.

Whatever you choose, please vote — voting is the final proper democratic etiquette!

John R. Wiens is dean emeritus at the faculty of education, University of Manitoba.