You will understand that that is a great challenge: we have to reach 85,000 voters in the 40 days of an election campaign, not to mention the fact that people are not there year round. That's about 2,500 doors a day to knock on, which is physically impossible, even with a team of 15 people. You really have to take the time to talk to people.
The basic problem for people wishing to engage in politics is that they cannot access a minimum of information about voters. So we use technological means to get an idea of their allegiance. We do not hide it: if we want their phone number, it is so that we can call them, even if we can always go see them. At the end of the day, the information that politicians want is whether they can count on their support. If the person clearly says that they support a certain candidate, the candidate will keep the information, and then make sure that the person goes to the polls on election day. Political party lists get longer over the years, and they can still be used if, of course, the information is up to date. But there is a margin of error, nevertheless.
If Canadians decide to get into politics and do not have access to a minimum amount of information, can we blame them for using tactics that will save them time and show them voting patterns as early as possible?