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Reform California announced today the launch of what organizers are calling the largest door-to-door canvassing program run by Republicans in California in 25 years, aimed at turning out low-propensity GOP voters ahead of the November midterm election.
The push comes as California weighs Proposition 39, a November ballot measure that would require voters to show identification at the polls. The latest polling shows the measure locked in a toss-up race, meaning the outcome could hinge on turnout alone.
That turnout gap is exactly what Reform California says it's targeting.
Presidential-year elections in California typically draw turnout near 80 percent, but midterm turnout has historically lagged closer to 45 percent.
Because Republican voters are disproportionately represented among those who sit out midterms, organizers argue that even a modest increase in GOP turnout could be decisive — not just for Prop 39, but for defeating local and state tax hikes and boosting Reform California's slate of target candidates.
"Data shows CA Republicans don't vote because they have given up hope that the state can be won — but if someone takes the time to knock on their door and encourage them to vote, it inspires them and gives them hope, and they will vote," said Carl DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California.
The organization says its strategy rests on two pillars: making voting easier and motivating voters directly. To do the former, Reform California is distributing its "Plain English" Voter Guide, a simplified breakdown of candidates and ballot measures designed for voters who don't have time to wade through the official guide. To do the latter, it's dispatching volunteers for face-to-face conversations with targeted Republican voters identified through Votiv, a campaign app that generates a personalized "hunting list" for each canvasser.
Volunteers are asked to commit to 26 completed conversations with target voters — typically requiring 50 to 80 doors, since many households won't be home. Democratic households are skipped entirely, organizers say, to keep interactions focused and avoid unproductive confrontations. Every volunteer who canvasses receives a free "Yes on Prop 39" lawn sign, along with voter guides and hanger materials picked up at local distribution sites.
The program runs on a set schedule. Volunteers can sign up now at ReformVolunteer.org and recruit others to join. Between September 20 and 25, volunteers pick up their door hangers and receive Votiv app credentials. Three contact rounds follow: a mandatory first round October 5–11, a second round October 17–25, and a mandatory final push October 31 through Election Day, November 3.
Reform California is also encouraging volunteers who can't walk a route themselves to serve as drivers, ferrying canvassers between neighborhoods to maximize the number of doors reached each shift.
Organizers say the effort will be concentrated in swing districts up and down the state where Prop 39 and targeted legislative races are expected to be closest.
To volunteer to canvass your neighborhood, sign up at ReformVolunteer.org
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