Messaging and Best Practices for GOTV and Vote-By-Mail (2024)

Vote is a verb. Voting is not a belief that people hold, it is an action that we take. More than that, being a voter is part of who we are. Unlike typical persuasion campaigns, which must bring out a change in beliefs, successful get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts must bring out a change in behavior. We need to build up our audience’s habit of going to the polls or mailing in their ballots to protect our freedoms, our families, and our futures.

The following principles, drawn from years of research and updated for 2024, form basic messaging recommendations and best practices for GOTV and vote-by-mail efforts.

Many of the recommendations we give here only apply to GOTV, not to broader persuasion or narrative work. Use these recommendations when communicating with base voters during the two weeks before Election Day, or in the lead up to an absentee/early voting window.

The research cited in this guide is confidential. Please do not distribute any content externally. If others could benefit from this information, share the webpage link with them or invite them to join the Analyst Group to access more research and program recommendations.