Ralph Reed’s operation quietly looks to fill the turnout gaps in Pennsylvania | Semafor

Faith & Freedom is active in every battleground state, but its most aggressive efforts are in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and North Carolina. Nationwide, the group says it has surpassed 7 million door knocks, and expects to reach its goal of knocking on 10 million doors, or visiting around 18 million voters, by Nov. 2 — 20% of which will be minority households, accomplished in part by partnering with Hispanic evangelical pastors and churches.

In Pennsylvania, the survey the group conducts is simple, asking three questions: Does the individual plan to vote; what issue is most important to them this election from a list that includes the economy, border security, and pro-life issues; and whether they plan to vote in person, by mail, or by early voting. For the second question, Merola says most people they encounter this cycle name the border or the economy as their top issues.

“I’ve met people who are pro-life, people who are pro-choice or pro-abortion, but it’s not their number one issue,” according to Merola. “It’s the economy or jobs, it’s inflation, it’s the border, it’s immigration. Those are the big ones.”

The leaflet they hand out in Pennsylvania is double-sided, with one side comparing Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and the other comparing Senate candidates Bob Casey Jr. and Dave McCormick on issues like “federal abortion on demand law,” the “southern border wall,” “Medicare For All,” and “boys competing in girls’ sports.”

The canvassing I watched was neighborhood-based and only skipped homes where no one was listed as a registered voter. The area was red, but Merola said they were visiting Democrats, Republicans, independents, and even the occasional Green Party member — whoever they encountered.

One person who answered the door described himself as an independent, repeatedly saying that he wouldn’t reveal who he planned to vote for. Most of his criticism during the conversation, in which he said border security was the top issue, was directed at Harris.

“I will say — I won’t mention party or candidate — I think more people who are on the bubble in the center or who might be center-left are shifting more to the right than the opposite,” Merola said, citing his encounters at doors this cycle. “They believe that there’s a better opportunity to access the American dream. That’s where they’re at.”

Out in Pennsylvania, a state that both parties see as crucial in deciding the election, Faith & Freedom’s 350-plus staffers and volunteers are roughly 50,000 shy of reaching their goal of passing out 550,000 fliers in English, and are hoping to pass out 200,000 bilingual Hispanic versions by election day, according to Merola. In the post-COVID era, one big challenge is that people don’t want to answer their doors as often. (During my time shadowing Merola, one woman briefly spoke to us through her second-floor window. Many other door knocks went unanswered.)