The Effects of Canvassing, Telephone Calls, and Direct Mail on Voter Turnout: A Field Experiment — Alan S. Gerber & Donald P. Green, 2000

This study uses a randomized field experiment to measure how campaign tactics affect voter turnout, finding that face-to-face canvassing significantly increases participation, while phone calls and direct mail have minimal impact, reshaping how campaigns understand effective voter mobilization strategies.

1. Face-to-face canvassing significantly increases voter turnout

2. Phone calls have little to no meaningful effect

3. Direct mail is largely ineffective

4. Personal contact works due to social pressure—and reveals why campaigns often use ineffective strategies

⭐ Star Facts

• Face-to-face canvassing increases turnout by ~8–10 percentage points, making it the most effective tactic tested.
• Voter turnout among canvassed individuals reached about 59% vs ~45% in the control group, showing a substantial real-world impact.
• Phone calls showed little to no statistically significant effect on turnout, despite being widely used by campaigns.
• Direct mail had minimal impact, with turnout rates nearly identical to those who received no contact.
• The study uses a randomized field experiment, meaning results show actual cause-and-effect—not correlation.
• The findings challenge traditional campaign strategy by showing that most commonly used tactics are not the most effective.

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