CLARKSTON, Mich. (WXYZ) — As the push to secure votes intensifies, you’ve likely dealt with election-related text messages. But one voter claims a recruiter who visited his Clarkston home took the push a little too far.
“We were really surprised and uncomfortable,” Virginia said.
Ring camera video taken by Virginia in Clarkston shows her boyfriend Jason’s interaction with the recruiter, which begins with the recruiter saying her name as soon as she opens the door.
Investigators appeared to be going door-to-door to gather information about how certain people were voting, and tracking it on their iPhones.
At one point, an election investigator asked Jason if he was refusing to vote or not making a decision.
“I’m not refusing to vote. I’m just not revealing my vote to people I don’t know,” Jason replied.
“She got pretty pushy with him and told him his vote wouldn’t count,” Virginia said.
In the video below, hear from political expert Dave Durio about efforts ahead of Election Day.
University of Auckland’s Dave Durio talks about pre-election political promotion
This quote from Virginia best describes the aggressive nature of this interaction. She says that’s becoming more common this election. She wants others to notice and know that they don’t have to respond.
“People are becoming more aggressive and it’s disheartening to see,” said Virginia, who also told her neighbors about the situation.
“They felt the same way. We all felt uncomfortable.”
All eyes are on this election, but they are not the only ones who feel that politics is being “coercive.”
“It was actually tough. People at work were talking about how you keep getting blown up,” said Oakland County voter Jonathan Young.
Oakland County voter Amy Keziall says her ability to be at the center has been taken away.
“I received a lot of texts and emails. I had a lot of conversations with friends who were attacked in different ways about the election,” Kezior said.
The Michigan Secretary of State’s office said it is legal for campaigns and organizations to go door-to-door to voters and ask them if they voted, how they voted and how they plan to vote. It added that voter intimidation is illegal, and it is also illegal for anyone other than the voter or his or her family to retrieve or return an absentee ballot.
David Dulio, a political expert at the University of Auckland, said collecting data and going door-to-door to vote with voters, especially known supporters, was normal practice.
“This election is a close one, and campaigns and their allies are cornering their supporters to see if they have turned in their ballots, something they have been doing for decades to support candidates and candidates. “It’s a tried-and-true campaign method that goes back even further,” Dulio said. “Campaigns know where they stand and whether they have work to do.”
Dulio said campaigns typically train volunteers and sometimes paid staff on the do’s and don’ts of canvassing and what to say when going door-to-door. It is said to be effective. In some cases, there may be a script. Some are app-based, allowing you to record data for campaign analysis.
“The only people who can really determine what is too far and what is too far are the potential voters who answer the door. That line is likely to be different for many people, and many People are not allowed to even approach the door, and that makes sense,” Dulio said.
