Boston Elections 2020

The Question

In Boston, only one in six registered voters vote in municipal elections. How can we help the city government increase voter turnout?

The Story

While around 75% of registered voters in the City of Boston vote in federal elections, the turnout rate for municipal elections historically lands between 11% and 16%. The City of Boston Elections Department challenged us to unpack the causes of this disparity and assess how the city can address them.

After interviewing over 40 Boston residents and analyzing historical voting data, we uncovered a simple, but powerful insight: a resident’s relationship with local government impacts their voting decision. Those who participated in municipal voting generally understood how the City of Boston could improve their lives. Non-voters, in contrast, often felt disconnected from the city. More specifically, voting is dependent on voter awareness and interest, the convenience of voting, and voters’ network voting behaviors.

We created easy-to-read mailers to encourage voting in Boston: one that uses behavioral “nudges” to encourage voting, and another that helps residents easily vote by mail. The goal is that these mailers inform residents about elections, help them feel more connected to the City of Boston, and make the voting process easier and more convenient.