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The Ineffectiveness of E-Vites to Democracy

Field Experiments Testing the Role of E-Mail on Voter Turnout

University of Notre Dame, Indiana, david.w.nickerson{at}gmail.com

Political campaigns are just now learning how to put the Internet to best use. This article conducts seven field experiments containing 161,633 participants testing whether an e-mail campaign can be effective for voter registration and mobilization. No increase in registration or turnout was detected, and the conclusion drawn is that e-mail is not currently a cost-effective means of boosting rates of registration or increasing voter turnout.

Key Words: e-mail • voter mobilization • field experiment • voter turnout

References

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Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 25, No. 4, 494-503 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0894439307305627


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Nickerson, D. W. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?