February 28, 2023
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Check out Sister District’s new Downballot Toolkit, including resources to combat roll-off and motivate voters to vote all the way down the ballot. The toolkit contains key research findings, messaging guidance, and tested, effective content available for download.
Click to learn more about which voters roll off their ballots after voting at the top of the ticket, and the common barriers they face. See our top-performing messages and understand what makes them effective. We provide sample ads, including a video, that can be downloaded and shared. To watch a recording of our downballot strategy briefing—featuring a virtual tour of the toolkit contents—click here.
All research studies and experiments are carried out by the Sister District Action Network (SDAN), the 501(c)(4) non-profit affiliate of Sister District.
Under the direction of Dr. Gaby Goldstein and Jillian Evans, the SDAN team specializes in political research and civic engagement, focusing on things like voter behavior, volunteer engagement, outreach methods, and messaging.
We are excited and honored to work alongside researchers at such well respected institutions as the Voter Participation Center, the Mississippi NAACP, Virginia Tech University, and the University of Michigan.
In addition to evaluating the efficacy of different engagement tactics and communication methods, the SDAN team also looks into trends within:
Voter Behavior
Voter Registration, Voter Turnout, Voter Demographics
Voter, Volunteer, Fundraising Messaging
Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Messaging, Persuasion Messaging, Contact Timeline, “Friendraising”
Volunteer & Field Activities Research
Postcarding, Phonbanking, Textbanking/ Text Messaging, Political Canvassing
| Study | Election/ Year Conducted | Date Reported (Blog) | Type of Study | Area of Study (e.g. VR) | Partner | Short Report link | Blog link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes to majority and down-ballot roll-off in 2020 | 2020 | 8/12/2024 | Descriptive | Secondary research | N/A | Blog | |
| Down-ballot roll-off patterns in 2022 | 2022 | 7/3/2024 | Descriptive | Secondary research | Link | Blog | |
| Insurrectionist accountability texting study | 2022 | 8/8/2023 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Partially handwritten postcards: downstream effects | 2022 | 8/8/2023 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Values-matched messaging postcards (replication) | 2022 | 7/19/2023 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| 3 rings pilot 2 | 2022 | 2/28/2023 | Pseudo-experiment | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| New voters of color | 2021 | 12/20/2022 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Partially written pro-choice primary postcards | 2022 | 12/15/2022 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Antecedents to flipping | 2021 | 11/8/2022 | Descriptive | Secondary research | N/A | Blog | |
| Surge and Decline | 2021 | 10/24/2022 | Descriptive | Secondary research | N/A | Blog | |
| Downballot roll-off | 2022 | 9/14/2022 | Descriptive | Secondary research | N/A | Blog | |
| Votes to Majority | 2022 | 7/6/2022 | Descriptive | Secondary research | N/A | Blog | |
| Values-matched messaging postcard study | 2022 | 5/18/2022 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Values vs Policy fundraising emails | 2022 | 3/9/2022 | A/B test | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Constituent demographics | 2020 | 10/18/2021 | Descriptive | Secondary research | N/A | Blog | |
| GA VBM Text Chase | 2020 | 6/15/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Two primaries substudy | 2020 | 5/28/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| 2020 primary study downstream analysis | 2020 | 5/27/2021 | Analysis | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Mobilize + personal text study | 2021 | 5/18/2021 | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Phonebank/canvass chaser postcard full study | 2020 | 5/14/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Two primaries postcards | 2020 | 2/11/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| 3 wave educational postcards | 2019 | 1/21/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Ladder of engagement pilot study | 2019 | 1/5/2021 | Pseudo-experiment | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Phonebank/canvass postcard chase pilot | 2019 | 1/4/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Covid-19 voting survey with U of M | 2020 | 10/28/2020 | RCT/survey (intervention ineffective) | Voter engagement | University of Michigan | N/A | Blog |
| Friendraising full study | 2020 | 10/21/2020 | Pseudo-experiment | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Postcards and letters head to head | 2020 | 10/1/2020 | RCT | Voter registration | Voter Participation Center | Link | Blog |
| GOTV texting with NAACP | 2019 | 9/25/2020 | RCT | Voter engagement | MS NAACP | Link | Blog |
| SD 2020 volunteer survey | 2020 | 9/18/2020 | Survey | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Postcard postmark | 2020 | 6/15/2020 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Relational voter turnout on FB | 2018 | 2/19/2020 | RCT | Voter engagement | Virginia Tech University | Link | Blog |
| GOTV postcards | 2018 | 8/27/2019 | RCT | Voter engagement | ½ VPC; ½ campaign | Link | Blog |
| Friendraising pilot | 2019 | 8/27/2019 | Pseudo-experiment | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| VR Voting pipeline | 2018 | 8/27/2019 | Analysis | Voter registration | Voter Participation Center | Link | Blog |
| Voter Registration chase replication with VPC | 2018 | 08/23/2019 | RCT | Voter registration | Voter Participation Center | Link | Blog |
| SD 2019 volunteer survey | 2019 | 06/7/2019 | Survey | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Recruitment volunteer engagement study | 2018 | 05/7/2019 | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University | Link | Blog |
| Confirmation volunteer engagement study | 2018 | 05/7/2019 | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University | Link | Blog |
| Voter Registration prime and chase with VPC | 2018 | 8/16/2018 | RCT | Voter registration | Voter Participation Center | Link | Blog |
| Confirmation volunteer engagement pilot | 2018 | N/A | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University | ||
| Recruitment volunteer engagement pilot | 2018 | N/A | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University |
Bottom line: Traditionally, methods using live conversation (e.g., canvassing and phonebanking) are more effective than other methods of voter outreach.
Bottom line: Canvassing has traditionally been known as the most effective form of voter contact because of the opportunity for face-to-face, two-way communication.
Bottom line: If canvassing is not an option, phonebanking has traditionally been the next best thing.
Bottom line: The effectiveness of textbanking needs more research. There’s evidence that text messaging has small effects on voter turnout and voter registration.
Bottom line: The effectiveness of handwritten communications like postcarding and letter writing needs more research. There’s evidence that both have small effects on voter turnout and that postcarding has a small effect on voter registration.
Bottom Line: Direct contact with volunteers results in more participation.
Bottom line: Relational organizing is the most impactful tactic that individuals can use to influence elections.
Bottom line: Social pressure is highly effective and social pressure mail has been shown to be more effective than regular direct mail.
SDAN’s white papers are meant to provide enough detail about our studies to allow others to completely understand our findings and replicate our methods. These white papers provide more rationale behind the studies, as well as more detail about methods and analyses employed, compared to our blogs and short reports. They are perfect for fellow scientists and number crunchers, as well as anyone who is curious about learning more about what went into a particular study. White papers are published as they are available.
An American Melting Pot? Describing the constituencies of state legislative Democrats and Republicans in the US
Gaby Goldstein, JD, PhD
Mallory Roman, PhD
Call (or text) your girlfriend: Personal contact increases volunteer RSVP and attendance rates
Gaby Goldstein, JD, PhD
Mallory Roman, PhD
Location, Location, Location: Does postcard postmark location matter for voter turnout?
Gaby Goldstein, JD, PhD
Mallory Roman, PhD
Call (or text) your girlfriend: Personal contact to confirm intention to attend increases volunteer attendance rates
Gaby Goldstein, JD, PhD
Mallory Roman, PhD
Sister District Action Network (SDAN) inspires and empowers legislators, organizations, volunteers, and voters through civic education, rigorous research, policy analysis, and strategic convenings to engage deeply in state legislative issues.
Checks can be sent to:
Sister District Project
440 North Barranca Avenue, #8737
Covina, California 91723
