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).