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The Mobilization Calendar

The Time-Dependent Effects of Personal Contact on Turnout

Florida Atlantic University

Recent studies hold out political mobilization as the possible solution to low and declining voter turnout. This research explores the effects of face-to-face mobilization efforts that, in the course of 7 months, reached more than 4,500 registered voters in a Florida State House primary race. Controlling for their past voting history, the mobilization effort did increase turnout by about 10% of the electorate. However, the effects were dependent on the timing of the contact, as more distant efforts to mobilize had a much weaker effect on turnout. The combination of distant contact aimed at an infrequent voter was especially ineffective in improving turnout. The results suggest that implementing more face-to-face mobilization efforts would increase turnout but that the window of opportunity for such efforts is limited.

American Politics Research, Vol. 30, No. 3, 307-322 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/1532673X02030003005


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