“I listen to the people that these elections are truly life and death for.” (w/ Maggie O’Keefe, Chicago 40th Ward Committeeperson, community organizer.)

What Can I Do

Wondering what canvassing for a candidate and organizing in-person voter outreach actually involves?

This week we spoke to Maggie O’Keefe, a community activist who is part of a new generation of Democratic Committee members organizing the vote in Chicago. Have you been thinking of volunteering for a candidate but are nervous about the idea of knocking on a stranger’s door? Maggie gives insight into what canvassing actually entails, how new canvassers are trained, and what is rewarding about this kind of person-to-person outreach are. She also shares a little about her role as a committeeperson, what it’s like to be a younger member of the local party leadership, and her work getting young people registered and ready to vote. A must-listen for anybody looking to volunteer for a campaign the first time or wondering how to reach out to young voters!

Episode Links:

• Maggie O’Keefe: Website | TikTok | Instagram | Twitter

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Credits:

To the best of our knowledge, all audio used by What Can I Do is in the public domain or is used with permission. Our theme song is Upbeat Energetic Rock by Vivaleum and we hold a license for use of the song through Pixabay.

Original artwork is by Matthew Weflen and used with express permission.