Why Hiding Your Campaign Logo at the Door Is a Mistake: 5 Reasons to Wear Your Swag Proudly
A few years ago, I was asked to teach a campaign school to a Republican women’s group in Kansas. An interesting question was brought up by one of the attendees who is running for state representative: “Is it better for canvassers to identify themselves with campaign collateral or dress neutrally, not bringing attention to the candidate or the issue campaign?”
The idea behind dressing neutrally is that voters are less likely to be turned off and more willing to answer the door or questions—even if they hold opposing political views or simply don’t want to talk to political canvassers.
It is a valid question, and I can see why this might seem smart and stealthy, but it is not.
Here are five reasons why you should have your campaign staff and volunteers wear your campaign swag with pride:
Most voters are going to ask who you are representing or who is funding your efforts. You obviously should not lie, and it will be awkward not to answer. Canvassers are brand ambassadors, so trying to hide who they represent to get information comes across as shady, and that is not the message you want to send about your candidates or client. People do not mind agendas; they mind hidden agendas. So, in short, do not make it weird.
You are working far too hard knocking on doors only to then not get the credit and name recognition out of the most impactful campaign activity you will do during the cycle. Your goal is to win, and to win, you need voters to know who is courting their vote.
Unless you are knocking on doors for a presidential candidate, most voters will not instantly pair your candidate’s logo with a political party. You are not losing people before they open the door because of detected party affiliation through a peephole or video doorbell.
Apart from the Girl Scouts, voters are happy you are not selling something. So, wearing a campaign lapel sticker sets people at ease knowing this is not a professional salesperson who will not take “no” for an answer or who will be taking up 45 minutes of their time. Credible research shows that voters respond more positively to political canvassers than to salespeople; a field experiment on candidate door-to-door campaigning found that personal contact by a candidate significantly increases vote share, in part because voters perceive it as authentic civic engagement rather than commercial solicitation (Baum and Owens, 2023).
Wearing campaign collateral and carrying literature gives canvassers credibility and can serve as credentialing. Neighborhood HOAs and municipalities often have ordinances against door-to-door sales, but not campaign activity, which is an essential part of our civic process and protected by the 1st amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Clearly being marked as a political canvasser should lessen the number of calls to the police, and if the police do show up to question your canvassers, the officers will be able to tell instantly they are campaigning not soliciting.
Tip for field managers: As someone who has managed field programs in 23 states, take my advice here, call the non-emergency number for the police department in the municipality where your team is canvassing to give them a heads up that your canvassers will be in the field that day. Provide basic details—your organization, the candidate or issue, approximate hours, and number of team members. This simple step pays off in multiple ways. When a resident calls the police about “someone knocking on doors,” dispatchers can quickly confirm it is a legitimate campaign effort, not suspicious activity. Police are obligated to investigate calls when resources allow, but pre-notification often prevents unnecessary stops and delays of your canvassers. Time equals knocks, and knocks equal votes. Every minute lost to an avoidable interaction is a minute not spent turning out supporters. This one extra phone call takes only a few minutes, builds goodwill with local law enforcement, and keeps your team moving efficiently. In competitive races, where every contact matters, protecting your canvassers’ momentum is not optional; it is strategic. Make the call before boots hit the ground, and watch your field operation run smoother and more effectively.
As you engage in the vital work of grassroots campaigning, embrace the power of transparency and visibility by proudly representing your candidates and causes. In doing so, you not only build trust with voters but also squeeze every benefit out of this important communication method.