Impact of High-Engagement “Ground Game” Campaigns in Canada’s 2025 Federal Election
Nothern Variables Research
Overview: Ground Game and the 2025 Context
In the 2025 federal election, many campaigns doubled down on “ground game” tactics – intensive door-knocking, phone banking, and face-to-face voter outreach – to engage local voters. This election was fiercely competitive and saw elevated voter turnout (the highest since 2015)1. All major parties recognized that strong grassroots engagement could be a deciding factor in close ridings, and both Liberals and Conservatives even resorted to hiring paid door-knockers as volunteer pools dwindled.2 Below, we examine notable cases of candidates (incumbents and challengers) running high-effort, high-engagement local campaigns, and analyze how these efforts correlated with electoral outcomes.
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