Map of Georgia with interconnected nodes and lines representing a network.

Mississippi 2023

GOALS

1) Get everyday Mississippians to become “Voting Ambassadors” and organize their own friends and family to vote.

2) Give Voting Ambassadors training, resources, and support, and pay them for their time.

3) Test this “relational organizing” strategy against door-to-door canvassing, and see which tactic reached critical voters more effectively for less money.

by the numbers

1,729

Ambassadors hired

72,501

Friends and family talked to

 52% 

% of voters reached who didn’t vote in the last election

1999

last time a democrat did this well in a statewide misssissippi election

participants

87% Black

88% BIPOC

friends & Family

82% Black

83% BIPOC

52% did not vote in 2019

52% did not vote in 2022

phase 1: recruitment

Promotional flyer for Presley Ambassadors encouraging people to talk about voting in November, offering $160 for completing the program, with a sign-up button. Includes a chat notification about Brandon Presley being hired for upcoming election promotions.

The homophily effect tells us what we already intuitively know: we should recruit people who are likely to know the people we want to reach!

Phase 2: training

A graphic showing a blue outline of the state of Georgia and a person signing a document with a pen. The text emphasizes the importance of healthcare and the Governor's race. There is a section titled 'Map Your Spheres of Influence' with a note thanking someone for participating in a Zoom call.

Virtual onboarding session: Included civic literacy training, education on the governor’s race, training on relational organizing

Participants joined Rally, our relational platform

A flyer titled "Mobilizer Mission: Get Out the Vote!" encouraging voter registration and participation. It includes instructions for confirming polling location at McLeod Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi, with a poll location address. The flyer features a color-coded guide to polling times, details about personal outreach efforts, and mentions calling friends and family to ensure they vote.

phase 3: mobilization

Ambassadors talked to 40 contacts and helped them making voting plans

They attended a Get Out the Vote Palooza

Optional: Attend an Election Day Bonus Palooza (1279 mobilizers attended!)

results: program reach

This program reached more low-propensity Black voters than the margin of victory in 2019, contributing to the closest gubernatorial race in MS since 1999. Our network was 82% Black, and over 50% didn’t vote in 2019 or 2022.

A fun fact:

Brandon Presley flipped 3 counties that Dem candidate Jim Hood lost in 2019: Grenada, Forrest and Lowndes

  • Margin of victory across flipped counties: 1,982 votes

  • Our relational network across flipped counties: 2,434 voters

Learning: compensated relational continues to prove effective for reaching low-propensity voters and people of color.

results: relational vs. canvass

Bar chart comparing two values, $38 and $28, with the $38 bar being taller.

Relational program:

  • Cost per unique voter reached was $11

  • Cost per unique targeted voter reached was $28

Paid canvass:

  • Cost per unique targeted voter reached was $38

Learning: Compensated relational reached targeted low-propensity voters at a 26% cheaper cost per voter than paid canvass.