‘Hottest year I’ve ever experienced’: canvassers in Nevada grapple with heat as they work to mobilise voters

Canvasser Andrew Clarke walks around a neighborhood going door to door to gauge voters interest last month in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photograph: Mikayla Whitmore/The Guardian

By now, the canvassers at Make the Road Nevada know how to prepare themselves for the record-breaking heat.

Members of the progressive group – which focuses on mobilising Black and Latino voters – layer on white, UPF-protective shirts, and sweat-wicking performance wear. They fill their 50-quart coolers with ice-cold water. And they pack lots and lots of chips – barbecue Lays, and Cheetos and Doritos – for the road. The salt helps stave off dehydration.