From Rights to Votes: Understanding Political Knowledge and Mobilization Via Text Messaging Among System-Impacted Groups

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

Recent efforts to dismantle disenfranchisement regimes have the potential to substantially expand electoral eligibility. Yet, even in states that allow individuals with criminal records to vote, voting rates are very low, often in the single digits. Misinformation about eligibility, lack of knowledge, and lack of interest are all thought to prevent individuals with records from voting, resulting in a more unequal political system. These barriers are well documented; however, it is unclear how they influence motivations and challenges to vote in the weeks leading up to an election, and it is unclear whether scalable and adaptive interventions can address barriers to voting. This research uses text messaging to survey system-impacted individuals about their perspectives, experiences, and beliefs about voting in the weeks leading up to the November 2022 election. In addition, using a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the project tests whether text messaging interventions can address misinformation and issue salience to increase electoral participation among system-impacted individuals. Within the RCT, a secondary randomization utilizing an “adaptive” intervention framework aims to identify the most effective design of interventions for addressing heterogeneity in voting behavior in the weeks leading up to the election. Across these aims, the project examines how demographics (age, race/ethnicity, gender), the extent of criminal justice contact, and strength of self-identification as a system-impacted constituent moderate motivations, challenges, and the effectiveness of interventions. Findings from this research will provide knowledge about the factors that encourage and inhibit electoral participation. Findings will also provide concrete, actionable insights about large-scale mobilization interventions to increase registration and voting rates among system-impacted groups. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.