Research

#VoteTogether is an evidence-based initiative

Guided by research and tested in the real world. In partnership with Professor Donald P. Green of Columbia University and community partners across the country, we have conducted experiments to evaluate the impact of community-driven voting celebrations on voter turnout.

Results from our studies

Randomized controlled trials conducted in 2016, 2017, and 2018 found that these events resulted in an average turnout increase of 2 percentage points in the precincts where they were held, translating to 25-37 more votes per precinct with an average cost of $32-85 per vote. Further, these studies indicate that voting celebrations can have a significant impact on voter participation in any election environment, attracting low propensity voters those who would not otherwise vote, even in high salience presidential elections. These tests show that voting celebrations are a powerful and cost-effective tool for increasing voter participation and can help build stronger voting habits over the long term.

Vote Early, Vote Together! A Stronger Democracy Starts With Celebration

Donald P. Green and Shira Miller
March 9, 2020

When voters are encouraged to vote through voting celebrations, a downstream effect occurs. Not only does voter turnout grow in the year voters attend these voting celebrations, but it continues to grow in subsequent years. This evidence suggests that voting is habit forming.

The Effects of Election Festivals on Voter Turnout: A Field Experiment Conducted During the 2017 General Election

Donald P. Green and Oliver A. McClellan
March 4, 2020

On the study of the effectiveness of voting festivals as an inducement to voting in low- and medium-salience elections, researchers found that festivals have a modest positive impact on turnout in 2017.

The Effects of Election Festivals on Voter Turnout: A Field Experiment Conducted During a Presidential Election

Donald P. Green and Oliver A. McClellan
July 9, 2017

Research suggests that during the 2016 presidential election, a high-salience election, Civic Nation’s poll festival increased voter turnout. While this experiment was too small to estimate the correlation between election festivals and voter turnout with great precision, the festivals increased voter turnout in 2016 by approximately 4 percentage points.

Putting the Party Back into Politics: An Experiment Testing Whether Election Day Festivals Increase Voter Turnout

Elizabeth M. Addonizio, Yale University, Donald P. Green, Yale University, James M. Glaser, Tufts University (2007)

In the mid-19th century, casting a vote was a lively social experience. But, over time the tradition ceased along with high voter participation. This history is relevant to contemporary America. The implications of voting celebrations include heightened voter turnout and civic engagement.

The Effects of Election Day Festivals and Early Voting Center Festivals on Voter Turnout: A Field Experiment Conducted During the 2018 Midterm Election

Donald P. Green and Oliver A. McClellan
March 4, 2020

During the 2018 federal midterm elections, voting festivals appear to have only a modest positive impact on voter turnout. In each precinct, voter turnout was raised by approximately 5 votes per precinct. In the future, different organizing models that draw more voters may support a higher voter turnout.

Additionally, during the 2018 general election cycle, #VoteTogether hosted several election festivals at early voting locations. Results from the early vote festivals show a significant positive correlation between turnout and election festivals with turnout increasing approximately 3 percentage points per precinct.

Election Festivals and Voter Turnout: An Overview of Recent Research

Donald P. Green and Oliver A. McClellan
March 4, 2020

Four randomized experiments were conducted between 2016 and 2018 to evaluate the effectiveness of election festivals — also referred to by organizers as “celebrations” or “parties”— including festivals held in early voting centers in advance of Election Day. The results suggest that festivals are an effective and cost-effective means for raising voter turnout, especially in the context of early voting sites and presidential elections.