ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 3, 2012)—The armies of volunteers powering the campaigns of President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney share least one trait--an abiding faith in the political process and a belief that who occupies the White House still matters.

Many voters aren't as optimistic.

An Associated Press-GfK poll taken in June found less than half of adults think the outcome of the Nov. 6 election will make a great deal of difference on the economy, unemployment and the federal budget deficit.

Both sides rely heavily on volunteer labor even as they spend big bucks on high-priced staples such as TV ads, polling and consultants.

Many of a campaign's most labor-intensive tasks, from staffing offices to making phone calls to registering voters, are done by volunteers.