EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – Local candidates are spending their final moments on the campaign trail trying to persuade voters the old fashioned way. In the era of smartphones and tablets, a text message or e-mail seems to be the appropriate approach to reach out to someone. But on the campaign trail, the simple handshake and face-to-face conversation is proving to be perhaps the most effective method.

“We’ve never taken a break from door-knocking, even after the primary,” says Noah Robinson, democratic candidate for Vanderburgh County Sheriff. “We’re not doing anything different this week than what we have every single week previous.”

Taking advantage of warmer than normal November temperatures, Robinson took to the ground to speak directly to potential voters.

“I want to listen to their criticisms as well,” says Robinson, “so it’s been a lot of back and forth, and you just can’t get that or replicate that via text or on the phone even.”

Robinson will face off against Jeff Hales. Hales, the republican candidate for sheriff, was unavailable for comment for this story. Another highly-anticipated race is for Vanderburgh County Prosecutor between republican Diana Moers and democrat Jon Schaefer, two candidates who have also taken the face to face approach.

“I view it as, let me look at myself as the voter,” explains Schaefer. “What would I prefer? Would I want to get some text message randomly from some number that I’m going to look at and not know, and then delete? Or, am I going to answer the door and just talk to somebody?”

“That’s how I look at the prosecutor’s position,” says Moers. “I’m working for the tax payers, and so I like to get out and meet people and talk to them, and hear their stories and their concerns and things like that. That’s kind of what keeps me going.”

Both Schaefer and Moers say the door-knocking method has allowed them to establish a personal connection with the residents they hope to serve.

“People really are willing to talk to you and tell you their concerns,” says Moers. “So you get an idea quickly, you hear common themes of how you can best serve people.”

“You’ve got to listen to other people and kind of gauge where they’re at,” says Schaefer. “You don’t get that through email or text message, you get that through one-on-one conversation.”

Robinson, Moers and Schaefer all say they will continue this personal approach over the next week, with more mail and door-to-door visits leading up to Election Day on November 8, 2022.