Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Department

Political Science

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This thesis is an analysis on the effects of a low cost get out the vote (GOTV) effort through direct mail on a low interest, off year election. By conducting a field experiment divided into two stages, this project measures the effects of direct mail contact on voter turnout in the state of Kentucky. Postcards were sent during the final week of both the 2015 primary and general elections. The expectation is that those who received a postcard will be more likely to vote than non-recipients. Using data provided by the Kentucky Board of Elections, a data set was created analyzing whether or not a subject received a postcard, the age and sex of the voter, which election they voted in, party of affiliation, and whether or not they voted. Receiving a postcard did increase the chances of a subject voting by approximately 2%. Age, party affiliation and the election type also had an impact on a person’s likelihood to vote.

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Dr. Scott Lasley

Disciplines

American Politics | Models and Methods

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