Activating Voters of Color: Power, Place and Participation

This analysis synthesizes findings from a thorough review of academic literature, research reports, and data from the Analyst Institute website to explore voter mobilization strategies among diverse racial groups, with a focus on voters of color. This search yielded 278 experiments conducted over the past two decades and 20 additional studies looking at how institutional and other factors had a causal impact on voter turnout among voters of color. Key findings underscore the importance of tailored approaches and highlight the effectiveness of certain mobilization methods:

Diverse Voter Groups: Acknowledging the heterogeneity within “voters of color,” the analysis emphasizes the necessity of various strategies that consider cultural differences, power dynamics, and individual needs.

Heterogeneous Treatment Effects: Understanding the variability in outcomes across different mobilization strategies, the analysis emphasizes the importance of considering how interventions may yield different results within and among racial groups.

Effective Methods: Among various mobilization methods evaluated, door-to-door canvassing emerges as the most impactful strategy. One study indicates that voters of color who received door-to-door canvassing or live phone banks were “23% more likely to vote in November.”

Areas for Further Research: While providing valuable insights, the analysis also identifies unanswered questions and suggests opportunities for deeper exploration into effective mobilization strategies for voters of color.

By leveraging these key findings, policymakers, advocacy groups, and political campaigns can develop more targeted and effective outreach efforts in order to bring greater inclusivity and representation in the democratic process.

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