Florisela Lopez Rivera, left, canvasses in September with fellow Culinary Workers Union member Suldenil Alvarez in Las Vegas. Citizens talking to citizens and exchanging ideas in a civil, respectful way is how democracy should work

This is my fourth month knocking on doors for my presidential candidate. People often ask why I do it, and I tell them: Talking with other citizens is what democracy is all about; it’s also the best way to preserve it.

Canvassing isn’t new to me. I’ve been knocking on doors and phone banking for the past 30 years, and I taught hundreds of high school students how to canvass for their chosen candidates. This year, however, canvassing feels especially important because the stakes are so high, and the presidential election and other major races will be very close. It’s bizarre that tiny margins can decide big elections, but that’s how it works. In 2022, for example, Kris Mayes won the contest for Arizona attorney general by 280 votes. In 2020, Mariannette Miller-Meeks won Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District by just six.

As a rule of thumb, the tighter the election, the more individual efforts count. That’s why talking to voters can make such a difference. Whether in person or over........

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