Fordham College Democrats traveled to Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Nov. 3, as their last effort before this year’s presidential election. The group visited Pennsylvania and knocked on residential doors to encourage eligible voters in the swing state to participate in the election.
Fordham College Democrats secretary Caroline Lehman, FCRH ’26, explained that the trip came to be through the club’s ongoing partnership with Swing Left. Swing Left is an organization aimed at supporting Democrats in public office. “Swing Left helps win elections for Democrats by making it as easy as possible for anyone to have maximum impact on the elections that determine the balance of power in our country,” the website states. They explain their current strategy to focus on states that are deemed particularly important to the presidential election and congressional majorities, mainly presidential swing states.
Lehman explained that the College Democrats e-board wanted to use the time they had left before the election to fully immerse members in political participation. “We feel as though it is our duty to be active and participate in this very crucial election,” said Lehman.
The club chose to visit Allentown because it is an important county for determining how Pennsylvania will swing. Lehman explained that planning the trip was fairly straightforward for the club due to their existing contacts with Swing Left. A group of 14 students went on the trip and covered eight areas, knocking on around 320 doors.
“Of course, not every person answers the door, especially on a busy Sunday,” Lehman commented. “But in the event someone is not home, you leave literature in their door for each candidate. Some of the [areas] were up to a 15-minute drive apart so we covered a pretty decent surface area of the district.”
Once they arrived and received some training and materials for the day, the students were divided into four groups, each with a leader who had gone door-knocking before. The groups then divided to begin canvassing throughout their assigned areas. Participants campaigned for U.S. Congresswoman Susan Wild, Senator Bob Casey Jr. and Vice President Kamala Harris. “We were knocking on doors to ensure people had a plan to vote, including informing them on what options they had left if they had not voted, as well as doing support polling,” Lehman explained. “Our goals were essentially two-fold: ensuring they had a plan to vote and doing support polling for Democratic candidates. For the latter, a specific goal was swaying any remaining undecided voters when we encountered them.”
Lehman said that the students overall had very positive interactions with voters they spoke to. She stated that none of the participants received any particularly nasty comments, regardless of if residents were Democrats or not. “A lot of people were really thankful for our work,” Lehman said. “Me and my partner, both of us young women, spoke to a lot of older women that were really happy to see us and impressed with our efforts.”
Lehman explained that the experience was very worthwhile for the club, and the members took a lot of pride in their work. “On a more serious note, I think a lot of our members, myself included, are feeling very, very stressed about the election and this was one of the few things that can help calm that anxiety,” she stated. The weekend before the election left little to do other than phone banking so the canvassing allowed for an alternative way for the club members to contribute to their cause.
Lehman expressed that she hopes for the Fordham College Democrats to make a similar trip again in the future. Students interested in such events or joining the club can visit their Instagram @fordhamcollegedems for more information.
