Election Tactics

A tactic is an intervention to impact an election. For example, TV campaign ads, sending out vote-by-mail applications, and door-to-door canvassing are all different election tactics. Most tactics can be used either in a nonpartisan way (e.g. to increase voting or educate voters) or in a partisan way (e.g. persuading voters to vote for a particular candidate).

• We recommend programs run by non-profit (501c3) organizations that strengthen democracy in battleground states and 501c4 organizations and political action committees (PACs) that win votes for pro-democracy candidates in key races.

• We generally measure the cost-effectiveness of an organization’s election tactic in a specific state and election cycle, although tactics may also be implemented at the county or electoral district level.

• We assess the cost-effectiveness of specific election tactics, rather than of the entire portfolio of an organization’s work. For example, an organization’s voter registration application mailers will likely have a different cost per vote from their vote-by-mail application mailers.