In Reversal, Biden Team Will Begin In-Person Canvassing In Crucial States

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Supporters gather outside Latrobe Train Station on Wednesday to greet former Vice President Joe Biden. The Biden campaign announced it will begin in-person canvassing as the election nears.

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«Our voter contact operation is the most innovative and technologically advanced of any presidential campaign in history; and it has been thriving in this unprecedented environment — especially in terms of the most important metric: meaningful conversations with voters,» Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement Thursday. «We’re now expanding on our strategy in a targeted way that puts the safety of communities first and foremost and helps us mobilize voters who are harder to reach by phone now that we’re in the final stretch and now that Americans are fully dialed-in and ready to make their voices heard.»

The Associated Press, which first reported on the Biden campaign’s plans, said all volunteers will be provided personal protective equipment, including masks, and will have their temperatures checked. The AP also reported that the campaign would text voters to expect a knock on their door before volunteers arrive.

The campaign reported that in key Pennsylvania — which both Biden and Trump have visited recently — more than 6,000 volunteers in the last 36 hours have said they’re interested in doing in-person activities.

• 2020 presidential election