Vote And — an initiative of CJPAC

Toronto’s municipal elections

Municipal elections are decided by a small minority of voters.

Fewer than 3 in 10 eligible Torontonians cast a ballot in 2022.

That’s why volunteering for a candidate who shares your values is the highest-value action you can take to shape the future of the city.

Sign up to volunteer

A volunteer rings a doorbell while a second volunteer holds a clipboard, canvassing on a residential street.

Close races, 2022 Toronto election

94
votes
Ward 5 city council race, decided by 94 votes
63
votes
Ward 18 school board race, decided by 63 votes
1
vote — out of 4,000+
Ward 1 TCDSB trustee election, decided by a single vote

Every one of these races could have gone the other way. A single afternoon of door canvassing can move more votes than these margins.

What actually moves votes

Face-to-face conversations are the only reliable way to win a local race.

Advertising, social media, and mass mail have limited impact at the ward level, where turnout is low and margins are thin. Decades of field research prove that candidates for council and school board win when volunteers talk to voters in person.

Put your hours where they count
+71
Door-to-door canvassing raises turnout by roughly seven percentage points — the largest, most consistent effect of any get-out-the-vote method.
44 → 53%2
In the foundational New Haven experiment, turnout rose from about 44% to 53% among voters reached at the door — a swing that decides ward races.
1⁄103
A leaflet or mailer alone adds a fraction of what a personal conversation does. The personal touch is what makes contact work.

Where you fit in

Volunteers are critical at every stage of a campaign.

Stage 1 · Reach

Delivering the message

Introduce the candidate to voters through literature drops and short, face-to-face conversations at the door — the first touch that puts a name and a reason on the ballot.

Stage 2 · Identify

Finding your supporters

Door-to-door canvassing is the only reliable way to learn where voters stand. Knowing who’s with you — the core work of a winning campaign — is what makes the final push possible.

Stage 3 · Turn out

Getting the vote out

With turnout often below 30%, every supporter has to be contacted and reminded to actually cast a ballot. In a race decided by a few dozen votes, this is where it’s won.

Join a campaign near you

What stops people — and why it shouldn’t

Debunking the reasons people who care don’t volunteer.

Almost everyone hesitates for the same handful of reasons. Here’s what canvassing is actually like.

“I’ll have to argue with strangers.”
You’re not there to convert opponents, you’re activating people who already lean your way. Most conversations are short and friendly.
“I have to know all the details.”
You don’t. The job is being present and having a genuine conversation, not passing a policy exam.
“I don’t have time for all this.”
A couple of hours is enough to make a real difference, and you choose when.
“I’ll be doing it alone, and it’ll be awkward.”
You canvass in teams, and training is available. You’re never sent to a door cold or on your own.
I’m in — sign me up

The stakes

The future of Toronto belongs to the most organized communities.

Now is the time to take action for a candidate who shares your values — and needs your help.

I’m in — sign me up

No experience needed

Everyone can make a difference.

  • Deliver literature in a key neighbourhood
  • Help organize behind the scenes
  • Mobilize friends and family
  • Speak with voters at their doors

CJPAC provides hands-on training and acts as your political concierge — helping you find the right candidate and the right role for you.

You don’t need experience. You just need to care.

A volunteer rings a doorbell while a second volunteer holds a clipboard, canvassing on a residential street.

Sign up to volunteer

Tell us a little about yourself and we’ll be in touch with opportunities near you.

Sources

  1. Gerber, A. S. & Green, D. P., “Does Canvassing Increase Voter Turnout? A Field Experiment,” PNAS 96 (1999); and Green, Gerber & Nickerson, “Getting Out the Vote in Local Elections,” Journal of Politics 65 (2003). Door-to-door canvassing typically raises turnout by roughly 6–8 percentage points.
  2. Gerber & Green (2000), New Haven field experiment: turnout rose from approximately 44% in the control group to about 53% among voters contacted face-to-face.
  3. Comparative GOTV research (e.g. Green & Gerber, Get Out the Vote) finds leaflets and mail produce only a fraction of the turnout effect of in-person contact; the “personal touch” is the mechanism that makes canvassing effective.