Volunteers do the real end-game work of campaigns

The final push that can determine who wins and loses Tuesday's race for Virginia governor is coming your front door or phone.

Thousands of volunteers, Democratic and Republican, are knocking on doors and dialing phones this weekend.

Political pros who run campaigns and spend millions of dollars on mass-market advertising say the unpaid workers are their most persuasive assets.

They contact voters friendly to their candidates and close the deal, translating support into votes.

Volunteers like Democrat Brenda Hill of Chesterfield are credible because they're ordinary people giving their personal time. Hill is taking vacation time to knock on doors.