Adam Barbanel-Fried has knocked on a lot of doors in West Philly.
As executive director of Changing the Conversation Together (CTC), a nonprofit that deep canvasses in Philly, he has come to the city for the last few years to encourage citizens at risk of not voting to show up to the ballot box. Unlike traditional canvassing, where representatives from parties or special interest groups door-knock to stump for their candidates and causes, in deep canvassing, organizers go door to door to share personal stories — and ask the folks they’re talking with to do the same — to inspire people to vote for personal reasons.
CTC’s canvassing efforts have been linked to a 15 to 20 percent increase in voting, even as turnout throughout the city has gone down. The group, which began in Staten Island in 2017, first canvassed in Philly ahead of the 2020 election. They came back for the 2022 midterms and again for the 2024 presidential election. (The Philadelphia Citizen partnered with CTC during both cycles.)…