Elections are not won by candidates and party leaders alone.
Behind them are dedicated teams of volunteers, people who spend countless hours working to get elected the candidate they best believe can represent them.
For one of those volunteers, Allayna Ramp, working for the Cheryl Meheden campaign has become a journey of self discovery.
A University of Lethbridge student double majoring in philosophy and political science, Ramp first got her feet wet by volunteering for Shannon Phillips in the Lethbridge West riding during the remaining days of the Alberta provincial election in the spring.
“While writing a final I asked my dad if he thought Shannon needed any help,” Ramp said. “A few Facebook messages later, we had a volunteer agreement.”
She started working as a foot canvasser, a volunteer whose job is to go talk to people at home on their doorsteps and ask them how they’re voting.
“Volunteers, especially those that actually go to people’s doors and talk to them in person, are a very important part of mobilizing our vote,” said Jennifer Takahashi, the voter contact organizer for the campaign. “By identifying our supporters, we can then make sure that they go out and vote on election day.”
Ramp said that canvassing is one of the hardest things she does on the campaign.
“It’s challenging sometimes, especially when you have people from other political parties who want to argue with you for a couple of hours,” she said. “It’s hard to shut them down and say that’s great, but we have to move on now politely.”
For Lisa Blanchette, the campaign manager for Cheryl Meheden, volunteers are the main driver of the campaign.
“Without them, we can’t do any voter contact … we basically can’t run the campaign,” she said. “We appreciate any time they can give.”
For Ramp, the experience has changed her outlook on her career.
“Before this, I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, but now I’m looking at becoming a lawyer,” she said.
She has also discovered a new respect of the diversity of Lethbridge, having been to different parts of the city and seeing the different issues that affect those areas.
As for anyone who’s interested in volunteering, according to Ramp, all you need is to show up with an open mind and not be argumentative.