Getting Out the (Newly-Enfranchised) Vote: Encouraging Voter Registration After Rights Restoration.
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| Title: | Getting Out the (Newly-Enfranchised) Vote: Encouraging Voter Registration After Rights Restoration. |
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| Authors: | White, Ariel (AUTHOR), Walker, Hannah L. (AUTHOR), Michelson, Melissa (AUTHOR), Roth, Sam (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Political Behavior. Jun2026, Vol. 48 Issue 2, p923-945. 23p. |
| Subjects: | Voter registration, Suffrage, Political participation, Communication strategies, Randomized controlled trials, Criminal convictions, Outreach programs |
| Geographic Terms: | New Jersey |
| Abstract: | Academic research describes low rates of political participation among people with criminal convictions, but offers few ideas about how to reach these low-propensity voters. After New Jersey expanded voting rights for this group in 2019, we partnered with a local organization (New Jersey Institute for Social Justice) to develop a strategy to encourage newly-enfranchised people to register and vote. Because little is known about mobilizing these voters, we used a multi-method approach to develop messaging which we then tested through a randomized controlled trial. After interviews highlighted the importance of trusted messengers, we worked with an organizer to craft an outreach message based on his own experiences of incarceration, incorporating themes from the interviews. The mailer informed by qualitative research boosted registration in the next election, outperforming a basic informational mailer. Our findings demonstrate that unlikely voters can still be reached with creative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Academic research describes low rates of political participation among people with criminal convictions, but offers few ideas about how to reach these low-propensity voters. After New Jersey expanded voting rights for this group in 2019, we partnered with a local organization (New Jersey Institute for Social Justice) to develop a strategy to encourage newly-enfranchised people to register and vote. Because little is known about mobilizing these voters, we used a multi-method approach to develop messaging which we then tested through a randomized controlled trial. After interviews highlighted the importance of trusted messengers, we worked with an organizer to craft an outreach message based on his own experiences of incarceration, incorporating themes from the interviews. The mailer informed by qualitative research boosted registration in the next election, outperforming a basic informational mailer. Our findings demonstrate that unlikely voters can still be reached with creative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 01909320 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11109-025-10055-1 |
