Get Out the Vote!: How to Increase Your Voter Turnout

' Two Yale political scientists, Donald P. Green and Alan S. Gerber, have studied turnout for years. Their findings, based on dozens of controlled experiments done as part of actual campaigns, are summarized in a slim and readable new book called "Get Out the Vote!, which is bound to become a bible for politicians and activists of all stripes.' -Alan B. Krueger, "The New York Times, October 14, 2004

The authors (political science professors from Yale U.) conducted randomized experimental trials testing voter mobilization campaigns in 12 states since 1998 and use the data to assess the cost and effectiveness of get-out-the-vote strategies including door- to-door canvassing, distribution of leaflets, direct mail, phone banks, and email. They argue that extended personal outreach efforts are far more effective than impersonal efforts such as leaflets or recorded phone messages.
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Get Out the Vote! Is a practical guide for anyone trying to mobilize voters or organize at the grass roots. Unlike authors of other campaign advice books, Donald Green and Alan Gerber root their work firmly in rigorous science. Their recommendations emerge from thorough experiments conducted in real electoral settings, examining the impact and effectiveness of door-to-door canvassing, telephone calls, direct mail, and other campaign tactics. Since 1998 the authors have conducted research in over a dozen states, studying a wide range of federal, state, and municipal elections. Their book connects theory with practice, informing campaign professionals and local organizers as well as students of electoral politics. They discover that many GOTV tactics used by campaign managers and political consultants are less effective than is often believed. The authors, relying on rigorous and systematic research, challenge much of the conventional wisdom about what works and what doesnt in the political campaigns. The authors applied form of political science has won acclaim from scholars and earned the attention of campaign professionals and journalists. This book presents their result for a non-academic audience interested in putting campaign research into practice, and the findings will be surprising to many. Get Out the Vote! will help both consultants and the candidates who use their services better understand the efficacy of campaign methods. It is essential reading in an age of electronic communication, professional electioneering and voter apathy.

A practical guide for anyone running a voter mobilization campaign, Yale Professors Green and Gerber draw lessons for both partisan and nonpartisan races. This book repeatedly challenges the conventional wisdom, not to mention the advice of professional campaign consultants. Written in a clear style, "Get Out the Vote will be essential for candidates, campaign strategists, and civic-minded citizens.