Robo-Called Voters

Pre-recorded campaign calls, or “robo-calls,” have become the leading form of campaign communication in the 2008 primary season with 39% of voters nationwide saying they have received at least one; robo-calls now top even mass mailings as the most frequent type of campaign communication received by voters. Some 36% of registered voters say they have received mailings about the candidates, while only 16% say they have received a telephone call from a live person. Not surprisingly, the rates of contact are even higher in states that have already conducted their primary or caucus contests. Fully 44% of voters in these states say they have received a robo-call; 41% say they have received mail about a candidate; and 19% say they have received a personal call. There are no significant differences across party lines in reports of campaign contacts with comparable percentages of Republican, Democratic and independent voters saying they have received campaign robo-calls (42%, 38% and 43%, respectively). The same is true when it comes to receiving mail about the candidates and receiving calls from a live person. Read More