We endorsed 120 candidates last cycle and Outvote provided a customized experience for our members to easily see which friends they knew that could vote for those candidates and quickly them send a reminder to vote. We worked with the Outvote team to run a randomized controlled study and are still in the process of analyzing those results, but our preliminary findings on the impact of friend-to-friend texting are strong.

In the 2018 midterms, we worked closely with the Outvote team on a nonpartisan coordinated nationwide voter turnout effort. Over the course only a few weeks, we were able to announce a brand new campaign, recruit users across the country and send thousands of voter outreach messages. By utilizing Vote.org’s existing email and SMS lists, a strong media campaign across both social and traditional media, and in-app volunteer engagement campaigns, users on average sent over 15 messages to their friends and touched every race in play at the federal level.

At this point I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve recommended Outvote to campaign staffers and candidates. They’re doing a great job working with local campaigns and making great technology more accessible further down the ballot.

Outvote helped our campaign approach voter outreach in an entirely new way. In the weeks leading up to election day, the campaign was able to reach more potential voters and expand our network in a targeted and productive manner. The Outvote team was extremely flexible and took the time to ensure each of our supporters understood how to use the service, regardless of technical ability. Our supporters enjoyed bringing new people into the political process and reconnecting with old friends along the way. On election day, turnout was extremely high and we won a seat on the Cambridge City Council.