Does voting become a habit? New experimental evidence suggests yes—and it sticks.
Experimental Findings
- Field experiments and regression discontinuity designs tested whether initial votes create lasting participation habits.
- A massive shock to turnout in one election influenced millions of voters in future elections, confirming persistence.
- However, the study also revealed that habit formation varies significantly by electoral context and voter attributes.
What This Means
- The results highlight voting as a behavior with strong long-term consequences.
- They call attention to nuanced differences in how habits form across different election types (e.g., local vs. national).
