How to increase voter turnout
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Voter turnout is a critical aspect of democratic participation, and various strategies have been explored to increase it.
- Emails from official sources, such as local registrars, have been shown to slightly increase voter turnout, while emails from non-official or fictional organizations do not have a measurable effect.
- Reducing voting costs, such as prepaying postage for return envelopes, can lead to a statistically significant increase in voter turnout.
- Nonprofit organizations can effectively increase voter turnout through agency-based voter mobilization efforts, particularly with voter registration assistance and personal voting reminders.
- Volunteer phone calls that are personal and nonpartisan can boost voter turnout significantly, proving to be cost-competitive with other methods like door-to-door canvassing.
- Electoral pilot schemes, such as making postal voting more widely available, have been implemented with varying success in increasing voter turnout.
- Campaigns for ballot measures and elected offices, especially during midterm years, can provide a boost to voter turnout, with high-salience initiatives and referenda having a stronger effect.
- The presence and usage of the initiative process in states is associated with higher voter turnout in both presidential and midterm elections.
- Political institutions and electoral laws, such as nationally competitive electoral districts and mandatory voting laws, can influence voter turnout across industrial democracies.
- Pre-electoral coalitions can increase voter turnout by reducing uncertainty about post-election government formation, thus making elections more decisive.
In conclusion, increasing voter turnout can be achieved through a combination of official communication, reducing voting costs, personalized volunteer efforts, and strategic electoral reforms. Official emails, reduced voting costs, nonprofit mobilization, personal phone calls, and the presence of ballot initiatives are all effective strategies. Additionally, political institutions and pre-electoral coalitions play a significant role in influencing voter participation.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
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Emails from Official Sources Can Increase Turnout
2012·51Citations·Neil Malhotra et al.·
Quarterly Journal of Political Science
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The elasticity of voter turnout: Investing 85 cents per voter to increase voter turnout by 4 percent
2017·24Citations·Mark Schelker et al.·
Electoral Studies
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3
Can Nonprofit Organizations Increase Voter Turnout? Findings From an Agency-Based Voter Mobilization Experiment
2014·30Citations·Kelly LeRoux et al.·
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
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4
Volunteer Phone Calls Can Increase Turnout
2006·111Citations·David W. Nickerson·
American Politics Research
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5
Increasing electoral turnout in British elections: an evaluation of electoral pilot schemes, 2000‐2
2003·0Citations·P. Lynch·
Representation
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6
The Contingent Effects of Ballot Initiatives and Candidate Races on Turnout
2001·178Citations·Mark A Smith·
American Journal of Political Science
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The Effects of Ballot Initiatives on Voter Turnout in the American States
2001·178Citations·Caroline J. Tolbert et al.·
American Politics Research
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Political Institutions and Voter Turnout in the Industrial Democracies
1987·834Citations·R. Jackman·
American Political Science Review
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Field Experiments and the Study of Voter Turnout
2013·188Citations·D. Green et al.·
Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties
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Pre-electoral coalitions and voter turnout
2015·22Citations·Erik R. Tillman·
Party Politics