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, Volunteer, Fundraising Messaging
Volunteer & Field Activities Research
Additional information about our research is available in our Whitepapers.
Interested in hearing more from our SDAN team or learning more about grassroots organizing? Check out Sister District’s Instagram during the election cycle!
Dr. Mallory Roman breaks down the latest political trends and research updates on “Mondays with Mallory.”
Catch “State Bridges Live,” where SDAN Program Associate Ore Obiwumi connects Sister District partners and grassroots groups throughout the country to discuss what they are seeing on the ground while working in their local communities.
The Press Library includes features in national media outlets, Op-Eds, podcasts, statements, and more.
This study tested whether voter turnout increased after voters received a handwritten postcard featuring ‘values-matched messaging,’ such that they highlighted policy votes that their state legislative representatives made in opposition to the voters’ modeled policy positions.
This study explored whether chasing requested absentee ballots with a text message reminder to return them could increase voter turnout in Georgia.
Abstract: In 2020, SDAN ran a Two Primaries Postcard Study, which was a randomized controlled trial that found that primary voter turnout among voters with
This analysis explores the general election voting behavior of voters who SDAN sent GOTV postcards to ahead of the 2020 primaries, to determine if the increase in voter turnout we observed in those studies traveled downstream to increase turnout among those voters in the November 2020 general election.
Abstract: This study tested the efficacy of postcards that follow up on a successful voter contact made by a campaign in increasing voter turnout. Six
This study sought to determine if voter turnout among low-to-mid turnout propensity, high support voters could be improved by sending a GOTV/voter education postcard to voters ahead of each of the 2020 state and presidential primaries in Florida, Georgia, and Minnesota.
In January 2019, we surveyed our members to learn more about what motivates them to be part of our community, and what factors are associated with higher levels of participation in SDP activities.
In 2018, we ran two studies in partnership with Dr. Katherine Haenschen at Virginia Tech to explore the best ways to get volunteers to RSVP and attend team events. This post synthesizes the main findings of those studies. For specifics about each study, you can find recruitment study results here and confirmation study results here.
Get Out More Votes, More Effectively The temperature is dropping, the leaves are changing, and pumpkins are popping up on front porches all over the
You’ve probably heard the phrase “correlation does not equal causation” — but what does it mean? Here are some tips for reading Political Research Studies.
This article focuses on proposed bills that failed to pass. Why bother? See the end of the article for more — but to eat dessert first: sometimes, as Morrissey says, “these things take time.” Introducing bills creates opportunities to respond to feedback, tweak, and reintroduce next session.
There are lots of field tactics to turn out voters, but any industry insider will tell you that a method is only as good as your message. In this post we review current recommendations for GOTV messaging, and research-based recommendations for messaging in general.
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
| Study | Election/ Year Conducted | Date Reported (Blog) | Type of Study | Area of Study (e.g. VR) | Partner | Short Report link | Blog link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration prime and chase with VPC | 2018 | 8/16/2018 | RCT | 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 |
| GOTV postcards | 2018 | 08/27/2019 | RCT | Voter engagement | ½ VPC; ½ campaign | Link | Blog |
| VR Voting pipeline | 2018 | 8/27/2019 | Analysis | Voter registration | Voter Participation Center | Link | Blog |
| Relational voter turnout on FB | 2018 | 02/19/2020 | RCT | Voter engagement | Virginia Tech University | Link | Blog |
| Recruitment volunteer engagement pilot | 2018 | N/A | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University | ||
| Confirmation volunteer engagement pilot | 2018 | N/A | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University | ||
| Recruitment volunteer engagement study | 2018 | 05/07/2019 | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University | Link | Blog |
| Confirmation volunteer engagement study | 2018 | 05/07/2019 | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Virginia Tech University | Link | Blog |
| Ladder of engagement pilot study | 2019 | 01/05/2021 | Pseudo-experiment | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| SD 2019 volunteer survey | 2019 | 06/07/2019 | Survey | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| GOTV texting with NAACP | 2019 | 9/25/2020 | RCT | Voter engagement | MS NAACP | Link | Blog |
| Phonebank/canvass postcard chase pilot | 2019 | 01/04/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| 3 wave educational postcards | 2019 | 1/21/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Friendraising pilot | 2019 | 8/27/2019 | Pseudo-experiment | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| SD 2020 volunteer survey | 2020 | 09/18/2020 | Survey | Volunteer engagement | Link | 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 |
| Postcard postmark | 2020 | 06/15/2020 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Two primaries postcards | 2020 | 2/11/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Two primaries substudy | 2020 | 5/28/2021 | 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 |
| Phonebank/canvass chaser postcard full study | 2020 | 5/14/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| 2020 primary study downstream analysis | 2020 | 5/27/2021 | Analysis | Voter engagement | Link | Blog | |
| Mobilize + personal text study | 2021 | 05/18/2021 | RCT | Volunteer engagement | Link | Blog | |
| GA VBM Text Chase | 2020 | 06/15/2021 | RCT | Voter engagement | Link | Blog |
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.
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