The Ineffectiveness of E-Vites to Democracy

Abstract

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.