Tactic 1: Pre-filled Voter Application
Pre-filled Forms:
The Cheat Code for Democratic Engagement
We made voter registration as easy as it could physically be. People noticed this, and took advantage of it.
Overview
What We Were Facing
Registering to vote is way harder than it should be, especially for the people who need their voices heard most. Bureaucracy, confusing forms, and outdated systems keep too many folks from even getting started. Decades of voter suppression and disenfranchisement convinced people their votes didn’t matter.
Our idea
What if we just… made it insanely simple? Like, “here’s a pre-filled form with your info already in it, just sign and send” simple.
It sounds easier said than done, but our plan was (and still is) to package everything a voter should know about getting registered in their community, then send it to them with a registration form ready to sign and return. If all they had to do was sign a form and put it back in the mailbox, maybe we’d get more voters casting ballots.
So, What Happened?
Pre-filled registration forms spiked Democratic registration and turnout where we employed it in 2024.
Pre-filled forms crushed it.
They boosted registrations, boosted turnout, and delivered real net Democratic votes in 2024, all for a cost that some campaigns would consider to be pocket change.
In short: our stuff works better and it’s cheaper.
Cost Breakdown for Pre-Filled Voter Registration Mailer Programs:
| Cost per Net Registration | $117.93 |
| Cost per Net Democratic Registration | $225.33 |
| Cost per Net Vote | $161.99 |
| Cost per Net Democratic Vote (NDV) | $309.52 |
| Industry Average Cost per NDV | $2,000+ |
Here are a couple super nerdy notes about why those numbers matter and why we care so much about them:
When we say “net votes,” we mean votes that only happened because of us.
If we were to include all the votes and registrations that our programs touched, the costs per vote would be even lower.
Democratic registrations and votes include only the costs per mission-aligned voter.
With some outliers, lift over control groups was consistently high.
What the data suggests
Our predictions strongly suggest that these are voters who likely voted in favor of the candidate, cause, or organization we were working with.
Expanding the Democratic Base
Red states, which our side tends to write off as “uncompetitive,” are home to millions of young people, working-class communities, and voters of color who share our values but remain unregistered and under-engaged.
So we reached out to them, and they answered.
This is what Republicans have relied on since the Nixon era to turn once-competitive regions into reliable conservative strongholds. By taking a patient, data-driven approach in red states now, we can do the same, but for progressives.
Our data proves the efficacy of these programs in building initial foundations for Democratic bases in deep red states.
Next time someone ignores you when you’re talking about how we should be investing in red states, show them our data.
Lift % by State
* Indiana does not provide vote history, but after a comparison with a third-party voter file, we are confident that our Indiana programs significantly generated voting lift. While we cannot verify using our rigorous testing methods, we are confident enough to note the likely efficacy.
Registering voters early compounds your campaign’s investment by getting them into your GOTV universe sooner, giving you more time to engage and turn them out.
Residual Impacts and Foundation Building
One side test we ran tried to see if any of our programs from previous cycles still had an effect on the 2024 general election. It turns out, voter registration programs have long-lasting effects that stick around for more than just their own cycle.
We found that, in total, over 16,000 votes came from previous programs.
Essentially, these are votes that we didn’t have to spend another dime on that were direct results from programs we ran years ago.
On its own, this is really fascinating. What’s even more fascinating are the implications for long-term Democratic foundation building. With votes continuing to trickle in from previous campaigns that are generating half a decade of results, these programs show a real efficacy for establishing Democratic foundations in districts nationwide.
What to Do Next With Voter Registration Mailers:
Bet big on pre-filled mailers.
They’re proven (now), scalable, and the most cost-effective way to register voters.
Judge by net votes, not vanity numbers.
Contacts don’t win elections, ballots do. Invest in votes, and pre-filled mailers make those less expensive.
Start yesterday.
Pre-filled mailers work in off-years. The earlier they hit, the bigger the long-term payoff.
We’ve tested the theory and made it a fact: pre-filled forms are the fastest, smartest way to expand the electorate and stretch campaign dollars.
Your voters shouldn’t have to jump through hoops just to get registered. Hand them the damn form.
Ready to hear more?
Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.
A Note on Partisanship
(and Playing Nice with Others)
Civitech is here to help Democrats win. That’s the mission, and we’re proud of it.
But we’re not blind to the bigger picture: these programs also make sense in nonpartisan contexts.
Local governments, nonprofits, and nonpartisan orgs can use the same tools to boost civic participation across the board. Democracy is better when more people are involved, even if that’s not just our people.
So, if you’re looking for nonpartisan mail programs, check out ballotready.org.
