Once more, the political season is upon us. I just returned from a week of canvassing in North Carolina.

The group I worked with focuses on independent/unenrolled voters to engage them in state political campaigns by seeking issues of import from them, such as the economy, education, housing or reproductive rights. The goal is to energize these independents to get involved and vote up and down the ballot.

“Wait just a minute?” you ask. “I live on the Vineyard. Why am I reading about North Carolina?”

Well, it’s a national election. Everyone is involved: red state, blue state and purple state.

Purple states, like North Carolina, are swing states; that’s likely where the election will be decided. And the results of the election impact all of us: in Arkansas, Vermont, Nebraska and, yes, here on Martha’s Vineyard.

“Okay, thank you,” you say. “Go on.”

The first house I stopped at, both the young woman who answered the door and myself could not recall the names of the state candidates. We were both nervous! After that I calmed down and powered through up to 50 houses a day.

Yes, Hurricane Helene impeded our efforts, but only one day, when we lost power. There was no significant damage in the Charlotte area where I canvassed.

My campaign experience dates to 2004, and I have to say that of all the states I’ve canvassed, from Maine, New Hampshire and New York to Pennsylvania and Ohio, the voters of North Carolina are the friendliest of all. Many of them thanked me for taking the time to talk with them and explain the state election. Virtually everyone I spoke with was polite; southern charm is real. And every house seemed to have a dog at the door, eager and curious about who was knocking on their door.

For those intrigued by statistics I knocked on 156 doors over four days, with a response rate (speaking to independent voters) of about 12 per cent. We used an app on our iPhones which recorded reactions to our quest. The group I worked with was very well organized, highly motivated and very supportive; they were the most coordinated cadre in my experience. I opted to walk alone on my assigned turf; the group happily paired up anyone who sought a partner.

Both men and women took my questions seriously, noting education as an important topic, with teachers’ pay at the top of the list. Everyone seems cognizant that this is a critical election and that their vote counts.

One touching moment occurred when a woman asked if I could get help to the western part of the state as she hadn’t heard from her son. I said I would pass the word to my candidate. As I was about to leave, the woman’s son called to say he was stranded but alive. It was a poignant moment.

Fortunately, I had a friend in Charlotte, my base of operations. Donna is the daughter of my late friend Herb Foster, and she was more than willing to put me up (or put up with me) for the week I was there.

On the back of a T-shirt were these parting words from North Carolina: “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Tom Dresser lives in Oak Bluffs.