Why this man has knocked on 1,000 inactive voters’ doors in 10 days

Asa Rogers-Shaw doesn’t consider himself a Democrat or a Republican.

But, when he heard that registered-Republicans not only vote early but also mail-in votes more than the other party, he wanted to take action.

So he started the #1000DoorChallenge in which he knocks on 100 doors a day for 10 days, encouraging local voters from minority communities to vote. Using MiniVAN, an app for canvassers that collects information from registered voters, he locates occasional or inactive black voters.

“My target is people with a low propensity,” said the self-identified independent. “I see a whole lot of those people that haven’t voted in previous elections or need to be reminded to vote. I try to go after them.”

Rogers-Shaw, who is supporting Democrat Andrew Gillum for governor and knocks on doors wearing a campaign T-shirt, has been documenting the challenge. He started a week ago Saturday and has chronicled the challenge on his Instagram page. On Friday, he was out for seven hours in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpcyImLFCaL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpcyImLFCaL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpcyImLFCaL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I am committing to knocking 1000 doors from today until the Monday before the election! That is 100 doors a day! We have to #bringithome and elect Gillum as our Governor! Go here to help me reach my goal: https://newfm.win/challenge Or just hit me up in the comments! And please share!! ** Knock knock ** “Who is there?” “...our future”</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musa_viii/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Musa VIII</a> (@musa_viii) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-10-27T20:24:44+00:00">Oct 27, 2018 at 1:24pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

“Minorities usually show up on voting day or close to it versus Republicans who tend to have the free time and accessible transportation to do things earlier ,” Rogers-Shaw said. The 29-year-old is the lead organizer of the New Florida Majority, a nonprofit that works to increase minority votes. “For this race we don’t have the luxury to wait.”

Since starting the challenge, Rogers-Shaw said he’s helped people understand their ballot, told them where their designated voting area is and hands out physical pamphlets reiterating what he’s said.

So far he’s inspired the Dream Defenders, a Florida-based social activism group; Marie “Miss Peaches” Huntley, the president of Home Beautiful Park Civic Association off Sistrunk Boulevard; and three other members in the New Florida Majority, to do the challenge too.

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All of them had just came back from voting! #StrigglesStrong #Bringithome</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musa_viii/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Musa VIII</a> (@musa_viii) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-10-28T23:18:29+00:00">Oct 28, 2018 at 4:18pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Cindy Mahender, an at Dream Defenders, Florida Student Power and the Florida Immigrant Coalition, joined Rogers-Shaw on Sunday.

“I am already involved in doing canvassing,” said Mahender who is also a Broward County Freedom fellow, focusing on passing Amendment 4 and tackling issues for marginalized groups. “But this challenge is helping to build more momentum to get people to vote.”

Nesha Miller, an elementary school teacher In Palm Beach County, saw an Instagram post and decided to join.

“Especially for minorities, we weren’t taught the importance of voting,” she said. “I want to help other people in the community understand the importance.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2018 at 11:59 AM.