Campaign 2012: Grass-Roots Efforts Vital in Swing States

In "swing states" where polls suggest the presidential race is very close, grass-roots efforts by volunteers working within their own communities are vital to victory on Election Day.

Victory in the states described as “swing states” or “battleground states” will depend heavily on old-fashioned, labor-intensive campaign activities at the community level.

Television ads and even personal appearances by candidates, like President Obama’s in Cincinnati on September 17, can galvanize supporters, but the most effective elements of the campaign likely will be the phone calls and personal visits by volunteers who talk to voters in their own communities about why their candidate should be elected.

Across the nation, those volunteers, living on little sleep and prepackaged snack foods, will work long hours every day between now and November 6, knowing every voter counts and the voter they convince might make all the difference.