Turning Out the Vote in Texas.

Understanding the mobilization of peripheral electorates has been critical to the study of U.S. party system change and the incorporation of minority groups into the American polity. Despite the fact that it is likely to play a major role in shaping the future of American political competition, however, little is known about the effects of different mobilization messages on under-mobilized groups. In this paper we use a field experiment to evaluate the effects of five direct mail messages on Asian American turnout in a high profile Texas state legislative election from 2004. Our results show that most partisan direct mail messages presenting the incumbent in a favorable light fail to move voters to the polls, but that direct mail emphasizing the importance of voting for neighborhood interests greatly increases turnout among a small segment of the Asian American community. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]