Almost 2 in 3 apprehensive of door-to-door political canvassing amid pandemic: poll

Almost 2 in 3 voters said they are apprehensive of door-to-door political canvassers amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll. 

Sixty-three percent of voters in the Politico/Morning Consult poll released Tuesday said they feel apprehensive about encountering canvassers at their doors. Just 28 percent said they are comfortable being contacted in person by campaign volunteers. 

Voters were much more split when asked how they felt about the practice prior to the  pandemic, with 42 percent saying they felt comfortable and 47 percent saying they were uncomfortable. 

The poll also found partisan divisions, with Republicans slightly more accommodating to canvassers before and after the virus spread across the U.S., Politico noted. Prior to the pandemic, 48 percent of Republicans said they felt comfortable with it whereas just 43 percent of Democrats said the same. After the pandemic took hold, 36 percent of Republicans said they are fine with canvassers, versus just a quarter of Democrats. 

President Trump’s campaign has ramped up in-person canvassing recently, as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign is largely relying on calls, texts and digital methods to reach voters, Politico noted. 

Trump and GOP allies said they knocked on more than 1 million doors a week in August, according to Politico. Biden’s campaign told the news outlet that its volunteers are having conversations with voters in battleground states while “prioritizing public health and the safety of our supporters.”

The new poll was conducted Sept. 18-20 and surveyed 1,989 registered voters. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.