Before I started working at the Washington Bus, canvassing seemed like such an intimidating task. The idea of walking up to strangers who were conversing with friends, in a hurry, or busy enjoying a festival was so daunting that I wondered if I would ever be good at it. The bottom line is that some people just don’t want to vote, and convincing them is what worried me at first and makes our job challenging but fun. Before interning at the Bus, I was convinced that I’d much rather be alone writing a satire piece based on The Onion about why voting sucks than holding a sketchy “register to vote” sign in the hot sun and persuading unwilling passersby to fill out a sheet with all of their personal info. However, finding the people who haven’t registered to vote, convincing them if necessary, and finally registering them has given me the chance to catch the often fleeting glimpse into their unique stories and worldviews.
Seattle is one of the most culturally and geographically diverse cities in the country, and canvassing has truly enabled me to appreciate the various experiences and personal stories of a growing pool of newly registered voters. At Natsu Matsuri, a man who was born in a Japanese internment camp expressed frustration about polarization in current politics as the reason he chose not to vote, but Sherry and I convinced to him register for the first time since 1968. Outside the Pike Place market, we registered someone who had been out of prison for eight years but didn’t know that he could vote. At Pride, the most epic drag queen signed up for the Youth Agenda and took a photo with us. A young woman at the Tacoma food festival, fed up with racism and police brutality, said that her vote would not do a thing to help solve injustice but told me she would still register, once she became a citizen. In Chinatown, a young couple in full cosplay eagerly filled out the forms while chatting with us about our shared struggles starting life in a new city and playing Pokemon GO. These are just a few of the many people we have registered, but even such a small group represents the diversity of origins and worldviews from people we interact with every day.
Canvassing with the Bus has allowed me to appreciate the ways major issues affect people’s perspectives and opinions on a much more personal level. This has been such a valuable experience and I look forward to the many canvassing opportunities still to come.
By Delia Li
Seattle is one of the most culturally and geographically diverse cities in the country, and canvassing has truly enabled me to appreciate the various experiences and personal stories of a growing pool of newly registered voters. At Natsu Matsuri, a man who was born in a Japanese internment camp expressed frustration about polarization in current politics as the reason he chose not to vote, but Sherry and I convinced to him register for the first time since 1968. Outside the Pike Place market, we registered someone who had been out of prison for eight years but didn’t know that he could vote. At Pride, the most epic drag queen signed up for the Youth Agenda and took a photo with us. A young woman at the Tacoma food festival, fed up with racism and police brutality, said that her vote would not do a thing to help solve injustice but told me she would still register, once she became a citizen. In Chinatown, a young couple in full cosplay eagerly filled out the forms while chatting with us about our shared struggles starting life in a new city and playing Pokemon GO. These are just a few of the many people we have registered, but even such a small group represents the diversity of origins and worldviews from people we interact with every day.
Canvassing with the Bus has allowed me to appreciate the ways major issues affect people’s perspectives and opinions on a much more personal level. This has been such a valuable experience and I look forward to the many canvassing opportunities still to come.
By Delia Li