Sarah Steinberg admits that she wasn't particularly active in politics until recently: a rally here, a march there.
But the engineer and Arlington resident says that changed when she was diagnosed with a chronic illness.
"I have great health insurance. I have great doctors and a great doctor team," she said. "But people like me, just because they live in a different state — live in neighboring states — aren't going to be lucky as me. That's not fair."
Steinberg wanted to channel her frustration into action, and that led her to "Trip To Flip," a new local group that connects Massachusetts residents to Democratic campaigns in swing districts looking for volunteers. So far this season, members have gone door-to-door talking to voters in states like North Carolina, Texas, New York, Minnesota, Ohio and more. One even decamped to Iowa for the last six weeks of the race.
This unusual model, which prioritizes face-to-face conversations over phone banking or donating money, is one that founding member Esther Kaplan jokingly calls "democracy tourism." But research suggests it's also an effective way of bringing voters to the polls. One professor at Harvard Business School estimates that door-to-door canvassing wins one vote for every 14 doors knocked on. Another team at Columbia and Yale found that it costs $31 to produce a vote going door-to-door, compared to $47 for leafletting or $91-$137 for direct mailers.
Volunteers say they especially like the chance to venture outside Massachusetts — where elections (and voters) pretty reliably lean blue — and participate in competitive races that can come down to just a handful of votes.
"One of the most interesting things about doing this is getting us out of this 'blue bubble' and seeing in a very different way what different parts of the country are about and what their issues are, and what matters and how politics work there," said volunteer Ruth Birnberg, a Jamaica Plain resident who traveled to Texas to canvass for Democrat Colin Allred.
Once volunteers arrive, campaigns get them up-to-speed on local concerns, but they often find that their biggest strengths are the issues that transcend state lines. Susan Donaldson, a doctor from Cambridge, said she connected with voters by talking about healthcare. For veteran Robert Master, who campaigned in conservative-leaning northeastern Ohio for Democrat Ken Harbaugh, the common link was his military service.
"What I heard over and over again was we have to get people in Congress who really understand war," he said. "That's a theme here. We may be on the other side of a political divide, but there was a lot of common stuff that was there."
Trip to Flip is affiliated with the local branch of Swing Left, a national organization that works to elect Democrats. But Trip to Flip doesn't raise money directly and is unable to provide financial assistance to potential recruits. Instead, the organization helps volunteers identify ways to alleviate the cost burden. Many volunteers have tacked on canvassing days to the end of business trips or work conferences. Others have cashed in credit card points to purchase flights. Trip To Flip encourages people to pick areas where they can stay with friends or family, or in districts where campaigns are able to provide free housing for volunteers.
"We understand this is not for everybody. Not everybody can pick up or go somewhere, with the time or the resources," Kaplan said in a phone interview. Still, even with the cost and time barriers, she estimates that several hundred people have made trips with Trip to Flip this election season.
As for what happens after the midterms, group members say they're keeping their plans open.
"I think what definitely happens after Election Day is a beer or two," Steinberg said.
