Research
The work of the nonpartisan Easy Voter Guide Project is based upon the results of an ongoing community-driven research and design process begun in 1994 that uses community-based market research to delve beneath the familiar approaches to addressing low voter turnout.
There is an apathy myth about why people don't vote or get involved in their communities. It is widely reported that nonvoters are lazy and/or do not care. The number one reason people give in surveys as to why they don't vote is that they don't have time.
Our research looked deeper and found three main issues among most nonvoters:
- They don't see the relationship between politics and their own lives.
- They perceive the voting process as being difficult, like taking a test (see below).
- They do not get any social reinforcement about voting from their friends and family.
The most important predictor of whether 1830 year olds vote is if they grew up in a household with voters. But we have the ability to motivate and educate those who did not have this civic advantage.
Why People Don’t Vote
We found that many common excuses about not voting relate to information needs.
This research also revealed 'performance anxiety' across all voter types:
What they say |
What they mean |
| Don't like the choices | Don't know the candidates/issues |
| My vote won't count | Don't feel own opinion matters |
| Takes too much time | Don't know how to vote |
It's inconvenient |
Intimidated by the process |
First-Time Voters
- Many can’t read the official Ballot Pamphlet or Sample Ballot
- Uncertain about what will happen at the polling place
- Voting feels like taking a test
More Experienced Voters
- Wait until the night before to 'cram'
- Feel they can’t fulfill their 'duty' to be well-informed on all the races
What People Asked For
We asked people what they wanted to get ready to vote. Both new and experienced voters asked for more user-friendly nonpartisan information.
New voters also asked for:
- Reasons why to vote, from a peer perspective
- Hands-on training about how to vote
- Basic information about what they are voting on: choosing a party, types of elected officials, job descriptions, etc.
Community teams helped us develop this three-pronged model:
Click on the links below to download PDF documents summarizing this research:
- Case Study: A Community Based Approach to Increasing Voter Turnout A comprehensive six-page summary of our original research results, with a discussion of the Easy Voter Guide and www.easyvoter.org.
- Easy Voter Guide: A community-driven design process A one-page summation of how our research has influenced the work of the Easy Voter Guide Project.
Click on the link below to read our online report:
1996 Election Study The complete online report of our study of the Easy Voter Guide Project's approach to increasing voter turnout. Read how voter turnout among adult school students increased to 70% versus the norm of 35-36% among this demographic segment.
