There’s a Robot on the Line for You

Nearly two-thirds of registered voters (64%) received recorded telephone messages in the final stages of the 2006 mid-term election; these so-called “robo-calls” were the second most popular way for campaigns and political activists to reach voters, trailing only direct mail as a key tool of political communication. Some 71% of registered voters got direct mail campaign solicitations, while 24% received phone calls from real human beings urging their vote for a particular candidate, 18% were visited at their homes, and 14% received email solicitations. People with clear partisan leanings, both Republicans and Democrats, were more likely to be solicited through any contact channel, compared with those who say they are independents. However, conservative Republicans were more likely to have received election-related phone calls of any kind (live or recorded) than were liberal Democrats and moderates in both parties.Read More