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Does canvassing increase voter turnout? A field experiment.

A S Gerber1, D P Green

  • 1Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, 77 Prospect Street, P.O. Box 208209, New Haven, CT 06520-8209, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|September 15, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Personal canvassing significantly boosted voter turnout by about 6% in New Haven. This get-out-the-vote strategy proved effective, particularly for unaffiliated voters, highlighting the impact of direct voter contact.

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Area of Science:

  • Political Science
  • Civic Engagement Studies
  • Electoral Behavior Research

Background:

  • Understanding factors influencing voter turnout is crucial for democratic processes.
  • Get-out-the-vote (GOTV) strategies aim to increase participation in elections.
  • Personalized voter contact methods are often explored for their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of nonpartisan personal canvassing on voter turnout.
  • To determine if the effectiveness of canvassing varies across different voter demographics.
  • To assess the influence of specific message content, such as election closeness, on turnout.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized field experiment was conducted in New Haven.
  • Nonpartisan get-out-the-vote messages were delivered via personal canvassing.

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  • The study focused on registered voters prior to the November 1998 election.

    • Main Results:

    • Personal canvassing increased voter turnout by approximately 6%.
    • The impact of personal contact was slightly lower for major party voters and higher for unaffiliated voters.
    • While differences were observed, the hypothesis of equal effect across all voters could not be rejected.

    Conclusions:

    • Personal canvassing is an effective method for increasing voter turnout.
    • Voter mobilization strategies may have differential effects based on party registration.
    • Appeals emphasizing election closeness may enhance the effectiveness of canvassing efforts.