Do Voters Contacted by Social Service Agencies Vote?

Last year, 87 service providers in nine states tracked approximately 41,000 voters they registered or had sign a voter pledge card. There were 15,393 voter registrations and 25,416 voter pledges. Now, we're using that data to measure the impact of nonprofit voter engagement and highlight effective strategies for nonprofits. We're excited about what we're learning. Here's the progress report so far:

1. Voter File Match: We're matching the 41,000 voters to state voter files to find out if they're officially listed as registered voters. Our match rate so far is 94%--high given our low-income and mobile populations.

2. Comparing Turnout Rates: For voters matched, we will compare voter turnout rates to average turnout rates for the state and various demographic groups.

3. Learning about our Voters: The state voter file, enhanced with data from research partners, will tell us who our nonprofits are reaching. What is their background and are they first time or infrequent voters? Demographic information on age, gender, ethnicity, and income can generate detailed turnout reports. Turnout rates can also be compared among groups, as well as for each agency and type of contact--either a voter registration or voter pledge.

We'll have additional details to share once the voter file match is complete and we start processing data. A full report, including case studies and data summaries, will be released in May. Stay tuned!