Quarterly Journal of Political Science > Vol 2 > Issue 4

Does Email Boost Turnout?

David W. Nickerson, University of Notre Dame, USA, dnickers@nd.edu
 
Suggested Citation
David W. Nickerson (2008), "Does Email Boost Turnout?", Quarterly Journal of Political Science: Vol. 2: No. 4, pp 369-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/100.00007032

Publication Date: 30 Jan 2008
© 2007 D. W. Nickerson
 
Subjects
Voting behavior,  Campaigns,  Political participation
 

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Abstract

Political campaigns are just now learning how to put the Internet to best use. Low transaction costs and huge economies of scale tempt campaigns to move traditional activities online, but the effectiveness of virtual campaigns is unknown. This paper conducts 13 field experiments on 232,716 subjects to test whether email campaigns are effective for voter registration and mobilization. Both registration and turnout were unaffected, suggesting that email, while inexpensive, is not cost-effective.

DOI:10.1561/100.00007032