A First-Timer’s Guide to Volunteering on a Campaign (and Free Pizza 🍕)
Level up your political influence by volunteering on a political campaign
Join the 2025 NYC June Primary Bootcamp. As a refresher: the goal of the Bootcamp is to level up your political influence. And have fun doing it!
Save the date for the Bootcamp Launch Party on Monday, April 14!
🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT! 🚨
NYC Primary Bootcamp is teaming up with Grimaldi’s, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge pizza institution, to help make your community engagement goals even more delicious! 🍕🍕🍕
Here’s how you can win $50 in Grimaldi's pizza to meet your Bootcamp goals:
You must be registered in the Bootcamp to enter.
Complete this google form with a couple sentences on how you’re going to use the pizza donation toward a Bootcamp action. Note: the free pizza is for pickup or dine-in only, not delivery.
Submissions end at 5pm this Friday 3/21😀.
I’m posting examples of how other people have accomplished different Bootcamp actions. It makes it easier to do it yourself when you have a how-to guide from someone else.
It’s worth 30 points for volunteering on a political campaign.
Why volunteer on a political campaign?
Volunteering on a campaign isn’t some selfless sacrifice— you’re getting something out of this too. You’re leveling up.
Campaign volunteering helps you build valuable political connections. Politicians and organizers remember the people who show up. For example, my NYC city council member recognizes my name and knows my face because I spent two hours handing out their literature on a street corner over a year ago. Local activists and campaign staff will see you as someone who does the work, not just talks about it. Those relationships matter—whether you want a future role in politics or just want to be more effective in advocating in your community.
Volunteering on a campaign also gives you an inside look at how elections are won and how political power is built. If you’re out gathering signatures or knocking on doors, you’ll learn how to engage voters and see what issues actually resonate with people. You’ll build a muscle for responding to strangers– whether they’re sharing gratitude, curiosity, or most likely, apathy. You’ll see firsthand what it takes to run a campaign, and maybe even find another niche to add value– see if the campaign can use your social media skills, policy writing prowess, or translation ability. Even in a big city like NYC, local campaigns don't have huge staffs and the issues are hyperlocal. Campaign staff will appreciate it if you have fresh ideas for how their candidate can engage with their community or connect to local groups that you’re part of.
Plus, you’ll connect with like-minded people, build real relationships—maybe even lasting friendships—all while making a tangible impact. That’s way more fulfilling than getting depressed while doomscrolling through national news.
Volunteering looks different in different phases of the campaign cycle
I wrote here about the five phases of a New York City campaign.
Since it’s March, we’re squarely in Phase 4: Getting on the Ballot. My friend Ben, who’s running for City Council, has to gather 900 signatures to get his name on the June Democratic Primary ballot. Each signature needs to come from a registered Democrat (since he’s running in the Democratic primary) that lives in the district he’s running in. Since sometimes peoples’ handwriting is unclear or maybe they don’t fit all of the above, Ben is actually aiming to gather 3x what’s actually required: 3,000 signatures.
He needs 3000 signatures from Democrats in District 4, which for reference, is a weird shape:
Once he gets all the signatures, his campaign will pivot to Phase 5: “Real” Campaigning. Which is basically building name recognition. Meet as many voters as possible. Make sure voters see your name on buttons, on mailers, in social media, on brochures handed out at the bus stop. Real campaigning goes up until the day of the primary: June 24, 2025.
The campaign needs volunteers from now until the primary. Right now the main role for volunteers is petitioning, and very quickly that will pivot to canvassing and phonebanking.
What to expect when you’re petitioning
I asked my friend DJ what to expect when volunteering on a local campaign. DJ has been helping multiple campaigns, including Ben’s, with petitioning. And he’s also phonebanked and canvassed for other candidates too.
A little about DJ: He lives on the Upper East Side with his wife, dog, and very cute baby daughter. He started getting more involved in local politics after Trump was first elected in 2016. According to DJ, “If we want to push back against Trump’s national narrative, blue cities like New York need to prove that Democratic policies work. That it’s possible to be both inclusive and effective– my approach is to support local candidates that are tackling issues like housing, public safety, and transit with real solutions.”
Here’s DJ’s Top 3 Things to Expect when Volunteering for a Campaign. Knowing what to expect will make you a more confident and effective volunteer.
DJ’s Top 3 Things to Expect when Volunteering for a Campaign
You won’t be alone – You’ll meet the campaign crew and other volunteers at the appointed time and place– maybe a park or a farmers market. You’ll get instructions on how to gather signatures and the necessary materials. Campaigns thrive on teamwork, and other volunteers are going to have good tips, funny stories, and moral support. Whether you’re gathering signatures, handing out flyers, or phone banking, you’ll be working alongside campaign staff and other volunteers.
You don’t need to know everything about the candidate – Any conversation will be brief. Most people won’t engage with you because they’re on their way to something else. There might be a few that are interested to learn more about the candidate, but they’re also busy, so just having a couple key facts is enough. People won’t grill you on the candidate’s platform. Volunteer activities don’t usually put you in a position where you’re convincing a stranger about the candidate’s merits. It’s mostly about signatures and name recognition, so being a friendly and pleasant volunteer is more important than being a super knowledgeable volunteer.
Here’s some common scenarios DJ encounters while petitioning:
DJ: "Hi! Are you a registered Democrat? I’m collecting signatures to get [candidate's name] on the ballot for [position]. It only takes a few seconds to sign."
Common Responses & How to Handle Them:
✅ "Sure, I’ll sign!" – Great! Hand them the petition and confirm they’re registered in the right district. Thank them when they’re done.
❌ "I’m not a registered Democrat." or "I don’t live in this district." – Very common. Just reply: “Thanks anyway– have a great day!”
🤷 "Wait, why do you need signatures?" – Most people don’t know that candidates need signatures to appear on the ballot. A quick explanation helps: "To run, candidates need to collect signatures from local voters. It’s not an endorsement or a vote for the candidate—just helping make sure voters have choices in the election."
😠 "I don’t like that candidate." – It’s not that common for strangers to be rude, but when it does happen, just stay polite and wish them a good day.
🗣 "I’d like to complain to you about something only tangentially related." – Some people want to vent about the state of the world, especially about national issues. DJ takes this opportunity to remind them about the importance of local elections. According to DJ, if you’re open minded and interested in your neighbors’ perspectives, these conversations are pretty fun. "I get that—there’s a lot going on. That’s why local elections matter too, since they impact housing, safety, and schools right here in our neighborhood."
🗳️ “Tell me more.” – Sometimes, you’ll meet someone who genuinely wants to learn about the candidate. This is your chance to share a quick, compelling intro. DJ usually says something like, “Ben was born and raised in this district. He cares about making housing more affordable and making our streets safer.” Most people on the street don’t want to go much deeper than that– it’s not necessary to know the candidate’s stance on every issue.
🚶♂️ “Sorry, I’m in a rush.” – Most of the time, people are just trying to get on with their day—they just ignore you. New Yorkers are busy– you’ve definitely ignored someone trying to get your attention on the street before too.
These scenarios illustrate what it’s like to petition. Canvassing, phonebanking, and getting out the vote have a slightly different script, but very similar dynamics.
But is volunteering the most effective use of my time?
One common roadblock people hit is the desire to do the most important or most effective thing with their time. Campaign volunteering definitely doesn’t always feel like that. You will spend two hours gathering signatures and walk away with just 10 or 20. You will phonebank and hear more dial tones than enthusiastic voters. It’s easy to wonder: Is this even making a difference?
NYC Primary Bootcamp is all about small actions adding up. Voting takes almost no effort, but on its own, it has very little influence. If you want to level up your impact, try something that’s worth just a few more points. Push yourself to do one more thing beyond what you’ve done before. Step just a little outside your comfort zone. Don’t stress about whether it’s the absolute best or most efficient use of your time. Once you’ve volunteered one time, it’ll be even easier to do it again in the future, or it’ll be a stepping-stone to something bigger. Maybe after you meet campaign staff and other volunteers, you built the foundation to host a fundraiser.
The most important thing is showing up—because the people who show up are the ones who shape what happens next.
Join 2025 NYC June Primary Bootcamp to get 30 points for volunteering on a political campaign!
I really wish more volunteers would lead with what they're asking me to sign! Since learning that candidates need signatures to get on the ballot I have honestly been all ears when out on the streets so that I could lend my signature, but I've found that most of the time they just ask "do you have a minute" and then stop there. I usually don't have a minute but I might make one if I knew what my minute was being used for!
I’ve done a couple of sessions of petitioning for Ben Wetzler and it’s been surprisingly fun! It’s great to chat with other residents and be on the street for a couple of hours.