How To Increase Voter Turn
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How to Increase Voter Turnout w/ Professor Donald Green September 3rd, 2008 Listen live on: Questions? [email protected] AIM: DFA Night School Paid for by Democracy for America, www.democracyforamerica.com, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
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Transcript of How To Increase Voter Turn
How to Increase Voter Turnoutw/ Professor Donald Green
September 3rd, 2008
Listen live on:
Questions? [email protected]
AIM: DFA Night School Paid for by Democracy for America,www.democracyforamerica.com, and not
authorized by any candidate orcandidate’s committee.
Welcome to DFA NightSchool!
Streaming live at:
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2 Questions? [email protected]
Questions?
Email:[email protected]
AIM Instant Message:DFA Night School
DFA Chair
Jim Dean
Tonight’s Trainers
Matt BlizekNight School Host
Democracy for America
Donald GreenYale Professor & Author
Director of the Institution forSocial & Policy Studies
3 Questions? [email protected]
Evidence vs. War StoriesWhy Study GOTV tactics?
- Millions spent each year on GOTV- Rigorous evaluation of GOTV tactics helpscampaigns avoid squandering resources
Randomized experimental design- Voters randomly put into ‘Treatment’ &‘Control’ groups- Turnout is measured using public recordsinstead of surveys or exit polls
4 Questions? [email protected]
What WorksMake voters feel wanted
– The more personal the better
Don’t simply remind voters, motivate them!-- Have authentic conversations & follow up!
Peer pressure– Let them know that voting is a matter of public
record and that you’re watching
5 Questions? [email protected]
What Doesn’t Work
Short reminders have no effect- Robo calls and email reminders do nothingto increase turnout- Brief calls from commercial phone bankshave weak effects
Just distributing info isn’t enough- Distributing voter guides ineffective
6 Questions? [email protected]
CanvassingShoe Leather Politics
Canvassing Generates Votes- 1 vote for every 14 contacts
Indirect persuasion- A canvasser’s message spreads through amulti-voter household
8 Questions? [email protected]
Cost EffectivenessCanvassing: $29 per vote
PhonebanksPolitics Meets Telemarketing
‘Robo Calls’ ineffective- Doesn’t matter from whom-1 vote per 1,000+ contacts
Commercial Phonebanks typically ineffective- 1 vote per 180 contacts
Volunteer Phonebanks work- 1 vote per 38 contacts- Training & supervision needed for quality results
9 Questions? [email protected]
Cost EffectivenessVolunteers: $38 per vote
Commercial: $53-90 per vote
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Vot
er T
urno
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ControlPhone Calls
Direct Mail & Lit Drops• Generally weak effect on turnout• No evidence of ‘synergy’ w/ other tactics
Lit Drops = 1 vote per 72 dropsDirect Mail = 1 vote per 333 pieces
• Growing evidence that mail with no graphicsand a simple civic duty message works best
10 Questions? [email protected]
Cost EffectivenessLit Drops: $46+ per vote
Direct Mail: $67+ per vote
Other GOTV TacticsMass Media
– Targeted ads seem to have an effect: Example ofRock The Vote in 2004 & Spanish Language Radioin 2006
Election Day events, Debates & Seminars– Make civic engagement engaging
Email & Text Messages– Email does not increase turnout– Text messages may work, but need more study
11 Questions? [email protected]
Frontiers of GOTV Research
12 Questions? [email protected]
Effects of social networks– Contact from family, friends, coworkers and other social
ties has a strong effectFollowing up with “Yes” voters
– Large effects of follow-up calls with those who earlierexpress an intention to vote
‘Shaming’ effect of publicizing turnout records– Publishing, mailing, or distributing turnout records of voters
and their neighbors produces large increases in turnout
Voting as a habit– For every 100 new voters mobilized in a given election, 33
go on to vote in the next election as well
HomeworkFor more GOTV research visit:http://research.yale.edu/GOTV/
Conduct your own GOTV experiment!
14 Questions? [email protected]
Next Month on Night School
15 Questions? [email protected]
Building Your Volunteer BaseSeptember 10th, 2008www.democracyforamerica.com/volunteer
Canvassing & PhonebankingSeptember 17th, 2008www.democracyforamerica.com/canvass
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16 Questions? [email protected]
