Digital Political Engagement Study - Reaching Voters Online in 2026
Understanding how voters engage with political content online and what digital messaging strategies are most effective
Research group: Six U.S. voters (ages 25–50), rural‑heavy across FL/TX/NJ/GA, spanning logistics/trades, office managers, and community‑connected participants, including Spanish‑speaking households. What they said: Voters stop for content that is local, concrete, and verifiable-plain language with receipts (bill PDFs, vote tallies, budgets), clear sponsors, calm local voices, and accessible/bilingual presentation; they fast‑scroll rage‑bait, over‑produced ads, and donation‑first UX.
They take action when the ask is local, specific, and low‑friction from trusted community senders (parish/PTA/county), with a tiny task and immediate neighborhood payoff; heavy tracking kills conversions, while platform‑native microflows (Stories + calendar/Apple Pay) and bilingual access lift response for some segments.
Least‑trusted sources are algorithm‑driven short‑form feeds and cable punditry; for understanding, they default to primary documents, wire/public radio, and local reporting, using timeboxing and a “two sources + one primary doc” rule. Decision takeaways: Adopt a receipts‑by‑default standard with visible sponsor labels, and ship a steady cadence of local service content (maps/dates/costs, tradeoffs) in a measured, human tone with captions and Spanish where relevant.
Build low‑friction micro‑asks (calendar adds, prewritten comments, short forms, privacy‑light) and distribute via trusted messengers (parish, PTA, county pages), while reallocating spend away from short‑form outrage inventory toward local/news/community placements.
Track success via stop rate on service posts, micro‑ask completion, receipts/accessibility compliance, and partner‑channel lift to guide ongoing optimization.
Brian Sundberg
Brian Sundberg, 38, rural NJ healthcare operations/IT lead. Married with one child. Faith-driven, data-first, budget-conscious. Prefers reliable, low-friction tools with measurable ROI. Values family time, compliance, and predictable costs over flashy featu…
Christopher Nugra
Christopher Nugra, 25, married in rural Florida. Spanish-first, uninsured, cash-focused. Training for HVAC while supporting family. Practical, DIY-oriented, price-sensitive. Trusts community referrals, avoids contracts, and prioritizes durable, repairable,…
Tyler Henry
Bilingual rural Ohio postal carrier, 33, Puerto Rican-born, married without kids. Practical, union-minded, and budget-focused. Prioritizes reliability, warranties, and offline functionality. Anchored in church, family ties, and steady routines.
Sonny Carrizales
Dallas-born, Spanish-speaking former auto parts salesman on disability. Single, community-minded, faith-forward, and careful with money. Values durability, clear pricing, bilingual support, and back-friendly convenience. Loves classic trucks, family time, a…
Cameron Chaimowitz
Cameron, 47, divorced, veteran, and regional ops lead for a Florida building-materials dealer. Practical, ROI-driven, Catholic-rooted. Rents, saves for land, relies on IHS, rides a motorcycle, fishes weekends, values reliability and honest service.
Chris Price
Atlanta-based higher-ed operations pro, 35, single, Black, Catholic, homeowner. Strong income via salary, consulting, and rental. Accessibility-forward with hearing loss. Pragmatic, structured, community-minded; buys for time savings, integration, and trans…
Brian Sundberg
Brian Sundberg, 38, rural NJ healthcare operations/IT lead. Married with one child. Faith-driven, data-first, budget-conscious. Prefers reliable, low-friction tools with measurable ROI. Values family time, compliance, and predictable costs over flashy featu…
Christopher Nugra
Christopher Nugra, 25, married in rural Florida. Spanish-first, uninsured, cash-focused. Training for HVAC while supporting family. Practical, DIY-oriented, price-sensitive. Trusts community referrals, avoids contracts, and prioritizes durable, repairable,…
Tyler Henry
Bilingual rural Ohio postal carrier, 33, Puerto Rican-born, married without kids. Practical, union-minded, and budget-focused. Prioritizes reliability, warranties, and offline functionality. Anchored in church, family ties, and steady routines.
Sonny Carrizales
Dallas-born, Spanish-speaking former auto parts salesman on disability. Single, community-minded, faith-forward, and careful with money. Values durability, clear pricing, bilingual support, and back-friendly convenience. Loves classic trucks, family time, a…
Cameron Chaimowitz
Cameron, 47, divorced, veteran, and regional ops lead for a Florida building-materials dealer. Practical, ROI-driven, Catholic-rooted. Rents, saves for land, relies on IHS, rides a motorcycle, fishes weekends, values reliability and honest service.
Chris Price
Atlanta-based higher-ed operations pro, 35, single, Black, Catholic, homeowner. Strong income via salary, consulting, and rental. Accessibility-forward with hearing loss. Pragmatic, structured, community-minded; buys for time savings, integration, and trans…
Sex / Gender
Race / Ethnicity
Locale (Top)
Occupations (Top)
| Age bucket | Male count | Female count |
|---|
| Income bucket | Participants | US households |
|---|
Summary
Themes
| Theme | Count | Example Participant | Example Quote |
|---|
Outliers
| Agent | Snippet | Reason |
|---|
Overview
Key Segments
| Segment | Attributes | Insight | Supporting Agents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rural trades & logistics workers |
|
Respond when messages include operational detail (maps, detours, route/bridge impacts, cost per household), low-bandwidth formats, and clear tradeoffs; low-friction CTAs tied to immediate job or route impacts drive action. | Tyler Henry, Cameron Chaimowitz |
| Spanish-speaking / Hispanic community-connected voters |
|
Bilingual posts, Spanish captions, translated sample text and church/parish endorsements significantly increase engagement and participation for community service and relief asks. | Sonny Carrizales, Christopher Nugra, Tyler Henry |
| Higher-education & higher-income office managers |
|
Demand primary-source evidence (bill texts, budget PDFs, roll-call votes), concise data-forward presentation, and measurable, low-effort asks (poll-worker signups, precinct info); credibility signals are preconditions for engagement. | Brian Sundberg, Chris Price |
| Faith-connected civic actors |
|
Religious community channels substitute for formal institutional trust and effectively distribute civic asks (volunteer shifts, relief coordination, interpretation services). | Sonny Carrizales, Christopher Nugra, Tyler Henry |
| Platform-skeptical cross-demographic group |
|
Widespread avoidance of TikTok/Reels/X and outrage-first creative; audiences prefer straight-news sources, local outlets, and direct primary-source links regardless of demographic. | Brian Sundberg, Christopher Nugra, Sonny Carrizales, Tyler Henry, Cameron Chaimowitz, Chris Price |
| Accessibility-conscious respondents |
|
Captions and accessible formats are decisive engagement drivers for those with hearing or other accessibility needs; accessible posts broaden reach and reduce friction for participation. | Chris Price, Christopher Nugra |
Shared Mindsets
| Trait | Signal | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Local, time-bound specificity drives action | Naming places, dates, routes, hearing dates and including maps or timelines creates immediate salience and a clear behavior window. | Tyler Henry, Cameron Chaimowitz, Brian Sundberg, Chris Price, Sonny Carrizales |
| Trusted sender trumps creative flash | Church/parish pages, unions, county/.gov and known neighbors convert attention into action; anonymous or out-of-area PACs do not. | Sonny Carrizales, Tyler Henry, Christopher Nugra, Cameron Chaimowitz |
| Requirement for primary documents / receipts | Screenshots of bill text, roll-call votes, budgets and PDFs increase credibility and willingness to engage or amplify. | Brian Sundberg, Cameron Chaimowitz, Chris Price, Tyler Henry |
| Low-friction CTAs increase follow-through | Prewritten emails, one-click sign-ups, calendar adds and short time commitments materially raise conversion; donation-first funnels deter action. | Brian Sundberg, Tyler Henry, Chris Price, Cameron Chaimowitz |
| Bilingual and accessible content expands reach | Spanish translations, readable captions and alt text are not optional in mixed-language communities - they materially increase participation. | Sonny Carrizales, Christopher Nugra, Chris Price |
| Aversion to outrage-first creative across cohorts | All-caps, siren emojis, jump-cut gotcha clips and overproduced ads trigger fast scrolling and reduce credibility across demographics. | Brian Sundberg, Cameron Chaimowitz, Tyler Henry, Chris Price, Sonny Carrizales |
Divergences
| Segment | Contrast | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Younger respondent with document-first behavior | Christopher Nugra (age 25) emphasizes primary documents and verification behaviour more typical of older, document-oriented respondents-suggests age is not the sole predictor of document-demanding behavior. | Christopher Nugra |
| Accessibility-driven vs general audience design | Chris Price's explicit hearing-loss-driven preference for captions highlights that accessibility needs can change preferred media formats (captions, transcript) even when broader groups dislike short-form video. | Chris Price |
| Operational detail preference vs data-forward preference | Rural trades/logistics respondents prioritize maps, detours, and low-bandwidth formats for immediate job impact, while higher-education/office-manager respondents prioritize primary documents, budgets, and citations-both reduce friction but require different content packaging. | Tyler Henry, Cameron Chaimowitz, Brian Sundberg, Chris Price |
| Faith-channel trust vs institutional trust | Faith-connected voters accept church/parish endorsement as sufficient credibility for civic asks, whereas other segments (higher-edu, data-focused) require formal documents and .gov sources-messaging must map sender to audience. | Sonny Carrizales, Christopher Nugra, Brian Sundberg |
Overview
Quick Wins (next 2–4 weeks)
| # | Action | Why | Owner | Effort | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Add a visible 'Source & receipts' block to every post | Primary docs and clear sponsorship are strong trust signals; absence triggers fast scrolls. | Policy/Research Lead | Low | High |
| 2 | Mandate captions, alt text, and bilingual microcopy where relevant | Accessibility and Spanish-language support materially increase attention and conversions. | Content & Accessibility Lead | Low | High |
| 3 | Swap donation-first funnels for service-first, low-friction CTAs | Rage-bait and payment traps kill conversions; micro-asks with calendar adds drive action. | Growth/CRM Lead | Med | High |
| 4 | Ship 3 local templates (Map+Dates, Cost-per-Household, Before/After) | Concrete, screenshot-friendly assets align with what makes people stop and share. | Design Lead | Low | Med |
| 5 | Place a clear sponsor/paid-for-by label at the top of ads/posts | Transparent sponsorship boosts credibility and reduces suspicion of anonymous PACs. | Compliance & Ads Lead | Low | Med |
| 6 | Rebalance media spend away from algorithmic short-form outrage | Short-form/trending feeds are least trusted; local/news and community placements convert better. | Media/Ads Lead | Med | High |
Initiatives (30–90 days)
| # | Initiative | Description | Owner | Timeline | Dependencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receipts Everywhere: policy + CMS module | Implement a publishing rule and lightweight CMS widget that enforces a Source & receipts block (links to bill PDFs, roll-call votes, budget lines) and clear sponsor labeling on every asset. Auto-check for missing captions/alt text before publish. | Policy/Research Lead + Engineering/Martech | 2–4 weeks to MVP, then ongoing | Legal/compliance review of disclaimers, CMS integration, Source-link library setup |
| 2 | Local Service-Content Pipeline | Stand up a weekly cadence of local, time-bound posts (maps, dates, costs, who-to-contact) distributed via trusted community channels (parish, PTA, county pages). Use calm local voices and unscripted Q&A. | Content Lead + Community Partnerships | 4 weeks to pilot in 3 priority geos; scale by week 8 | Geo prioritization and content templates, Community partner agreements, Design bandwidth |
| 3 | Low-Friction Action Infrastructure | Build micro-ask flows: one-tap calendar add (ICS/Google), prewritten emails for public comments, short forms (≤3 fields), optional wallet checkout for permitted donations, and privacy-light defaults. | Engineering/Martech + Growth | 6 weeks to MVP; 12 weeks to full rollout | Legal/privacy review, Calendar/SMS integrations, Payments processor (where applicable) |
| 4 | Accessibility & Bilingual Standards Rollout | Codify and enforce standards: human-reviewed captions, readable contrast, alt text, and Spanish copy in mixed-language zip codes. Add QA checklist and spot-audits. | Accessibility Lead + Content QA | 3 weeks to rollout; audits monthly | Captioning/transcription vendor or tooling, Translation resources, QA process |
| 5 | Trusted Messenger Network | Recruit/train local validators (faith leaders, union stewards, school/PTA, small biz owners). Provide co-branded templates and a link kit with receipts to distribute through their channels. | Community Partnerships | 8 weeks to 50 active messengers; expand quarterly | Outreach list and incentives, Brand/co-brand guidelines, Legal guidance for endorsements |
| 6 | Platform Mix and Media Reallocation | Deprioritize X/TikTok-style outrage inventory; shift budget to local news sponsorships, public radio/podcasts with transcripts, community Facebook/Nextdoor placements, and search for service queries (e.g., early voting hours). | Media/Ads Lead | 2 weeks to plan; 1 month to fully reallocate | Performance baselines by channel, Inventory/partner negotiations, Creative resizing for new placements |
KPIs to Track
| # | KPI | Definition | Target | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop rate on local service posts | Percentage of impressions resulting in ≥3s dwell or expand on posts with map/dates/costs vs generic political posts | +30% vs baseline within 6 weeks | Weekly |
| 2 | CTA completion rate (micro-asks) | Share of users who complete primary micro-task (calendar add, prewritten email send, RSVP) after landing | ≥8% on service posts; ≥12% in partner channels | Weekly |
| 3 | Receipts coverage | Percent of published assets with a visible Source & receipts block and sponsor label | 100% by week 4 | Weekly |
| 4 | Accessibility/Bilingual compliance | Percent of video assets with accurate captions and posts with alt text; percent of posts translated in target bilingual zip codes | Captions/alt text 100%; Translation ≥80% in target zips | Bi-weekly |
| 5 | Community channel lift | Conversion rate and traffic share from trusted partner distributions (parish/PTA/county pages) vs paid social | ≥1.5x conversion vs paid social; ≥25% of conversions via partners by week 12 | Weekly |
| 6 | Privacy/UX health | Average form fields per funnel, opt-out/unsubscribe rate within 7 days, and complaint/spam reports | ≤3 fields; opt-outs ≤5%; spam reports ≤0.5% | Monthly |
Risks & Mitigations
| # | Risk | Mitigation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal/compliance missteps on political disclaimers, payments, or endorsements | Pre-publish legal review, standardized disclaimers, and payments compliance checklist; train messengers on do/don’t | Legal/Compliance |
| 2 | Inaccurate maps, costs, or dates erode trust | Two-sources + one primary-doc rule; QA sign-off; publish corrections transparently within 24 hours | Policy/Research + Content QA |
| 3 | Resource strain creating localized, bilingual content at scale | Template library, geo-prioritization, contractor bench for translation/captioning, and phased rollout | Content Lead |
| 4 | Backlash from reduced presence on algorithmic short-form platforms | Maintain lightweight listening posts, post service content only, and redirect discovery to owned channels | Media/Ads Lead |
| 5 | Partner message drift or off-brand posts by messengers | Provide co-branded kits, office hours, and a light MOU; monitor and coach vs police | Community Partnerships |
| 6 | Auto-caption errors or poor Spanish translations | Human review for priority posts, approved glossary, and periodic audits with native speakers | Accessibility Lead |
Timeline
Weeks 3–6: Pilots - Local service-content in 3 geos; low-friction CTA MVP (calendar add, prewritten emails); initial partner posts via parish/PTA/county pages.
Weeks 7–12: Scale - Expand to 8–10 geos; grow messenger network to 50+; broaden translations; shift 30–40% media to local/news/community placements.
Weeks 13+: Optimize - A/B test templates, refine geo mix, expand partner kits, and automate QA checks; quarterly review of KPIs and spend.
Digital Political Engagement Study - Executive Synthesis
Objective and context. To prepare for 2026, we analyzed how voters engage with political content online and which digital messaging strategies convert attention into action. Across 18 responses spanning three lines of inquiry, the signal is consistent: people engage when content is local, concrete, and verifiable-and they act when the ask is specific, low-friction, and delivered by trusted community senders.
What earns attention in feeds. Respondents stop for posts that name places, dates, costs, and tradeoffs; visibly “show the work” (links to bill PDFs, roll-call votes, budget lines); and use calm, unscripted local voices. Accessibility is a trust signal: captions, readable graphics, and bilingual copy increase dwell (Chris Price; Christopher Nugra). Conversely, outrage-first creative, over-produced spots, AI/stock footage, and donation-first UX trigger fast scrolling (Christopher Nugra; Sonny Carrizales). A practical playbook emerged: 1) show receipts; 2) specify local impact (maps, detours, timelines); 3) use measured, recognizable messengers; 4) avoid theatrical production and fundraise-first funnels (Brian Sundberg; Cameron Chaimowitz; Sonny Carrizales).
What converts attention into action. Action follows when there’s an immediate local payoff and a tiny, explicit task. Trusted senders-parish/PTA pages, county/.gov, known neighbors-outperform anonymous PACs (Christopher Nugra; Sonny Carrizales). Low-friction flows (≤3 fields, prewritten emails, one-tap calendar adds, optional wallet) and time-bound prompts raise completion (Brian Sundberg; Chris Price). Heavy tracking, data capture, and outrage framing suppress conversion (“data trap” avoidance; Cameron Chaimowitz). For some, platform-native microformats dramatically accelerate action (Instagram Stories → auto calendar + Apple Pay; Chris Price). Bilingual assets materially increase response where Spanish is prevalent (Christopher Nugra).
Trust landscape and verification behavior. Respondents distrust algorithmic, short-form feeds (TikTok/Reels, X trending) and cable primetime punditry for politics, citing adrenaline-over-clarity dynamics and decontextualized clips (Cameron Chaimowitz). To understand issues, they default to primary documents and official records, layer in wire services/public radio/C‑SPAN for low-spin baselines, and add local reporting for on-the-ground detail-often timeboxing and applying a “two sources + one primary doc” rule to avoid outrage loops (Brian Sundberg).
Persona correlations and nuances. • Rural trades/logistics: respond to maps, detours, bridge/route limits, cost-per-household; prefer low-bandwidth, job-impact detail (Tyler Henry; Cameron Chaimowitz). • Spanish-speaking/Hispanic community-connected: engagement jumps with bilingual posts and parish endorsements (Sonny Carrizales; Christopher Nugra). • Higher-ed/office managers: demand receipts (bill text, budgets, roll-calls) and concise, measurable asks (Brian Sundberg; Chris Price). • Faith-connected civic actors: church/parish credibility substitutes for institutional trust for service asks. • Accessibility-conscious: captions/readable copy are decisive. Notably, younger participants can be document-first (Christopher Nugra), underscoring behavior over age.
Recommendations (grounded in observed behavior).
- Receipts by default: Add a visible “Source & receipts” block and clear sponsor label to every asset; enforce pre-publish checks for captions/alt text.
- Local service content: Ship weekly, time-bound posts with maps, dates, costs, and who-to-contact; feature measured, local voices and unscripted Q&A.
- Low-friction micro-asks: Build one-tap calendar adds (ICS/Google), prewritten emails for comments, ≤3-field forms, optional wallet; adopt privacy-light defaults.
- Accessibility/bilingual standards: Mandate captions, readable contrast, alt text, and Spanish copy in mixed-language zips; QA with spot audits.
- Trusted messenger network: Equip parish/PTA/union/small-biz messengers with co-branded templates and link kits to distribute through their channels.
Risks and guardrails. • Compliance missteps on disclaimers/payments/endorsements → mitigate via legal pre-publish checks and standardized labels. • Inaccurate maps/dates/costs erode trust → enforce “two sources + one primary doc,” QA sign-off, and transparent corrections within 24 hours. • Scale strain for localized/bilingual content → template library, geo prioritization, and a translation/captioning bench.
Next steps and measurement.
- Weeks 0–2: Turn on receipts/captions/sponsor standards; stand up template library (Map+Dates, Cost-per-Household, Before/After); draft media reallocation away from algorithmic short-form outrage toward local/news/community placements.
- Weeks 3–6: Pilot local service-content in 3 geos; launch micro-ask MVP (calendar add, prewritten email); begin partner distribution via parish/PTA/county pages.
- Weeks 7–12: Scale to 8–10 geos; recruit 50 active messengers; expand translations; optimize flows per KPIs.
KPIs (with targets): • Stop rate on service posts: +30% vs baseline in 6 weeks. • CTA completion (micro-asks): ≥8% overall; ≥12% in partner channels. • Receipts coverage: 100% by week 4. • Accessibility/bilingual compliance: captions/alt text 100%; translations ≥80% in target zips. • Community channel lift: ≥1.5x conversion vs paid social; ≥25% of conversions via partners by week 12.
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Which types of senders do you find most and least credible for political information online? Please evaluate items such as: local government agency, city/county department, school/PTA, local nonprofit, union, local journalist, neighbor/community member, candidate, party committee, PAC, faith leader, issue expert/academic.maxdiff Identifies the most credible messengers to feature in creative and sender lines, improving trust and conversion.
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How receptive are you to political messages delivered through each channel? Please rate: social feed ads, direct messages (Messenger/DM), email newsletters, SMS/text, WhatsApp/Signal, local news websites, community forums/groups, podcast host‑read ads, YouTube pre‑roll, connected TV/streaming ads.matrix Guides channel mix and budget allocation toward high‑receptivity placements and away from low‑yield channels.
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Which content formats help you understand a political message the fastest? Please rank: short plain‑text post, image with caption, 15–30s video, 60–120s explainer video, multi‑card carousel/Story, interactive map, link preview to an official document.rank Prioritizes creative formats that maximize quick comprehension for limited attention windows.
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How likely are you to complete each type of online political ask when prompted? Please rate: sign a petition, RSVP to a local event, add a date to calendar, share a post with a friend, email a representative, call a representative, complete a short survey, make a small‑dollar donation via Apple/Google Pay, submit a volunteer interest form.matrix Focuses call‑to‑action design on the highest‑yield asks to improve conversion rates.
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How comfortable are you sharing each type of information with a political sender online? Please rate: email address, ZIP code, full address, phone number, age, party registration, language preference, approximate location permission, cookies/retargeting consent, payment info for donation.matrix Sets data‑collection minimums and privacy signals to reduce form abandonment and distrust.
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When are you most open to noticing and considering political content online? Select all that apply: early morning (6–9am), mid‑morning, lunch (11am–2pm), late afternoon, early evening (6–9pm), late night, weekend mornings, weekend afternoons, during work breaks, commuting.multi select Optimizes dayparting and scheduling to reach voters when receptivity is highest.
Research group: Six U.S. voters (ages 25–50), rural‑heavy across FL/TX/NJ/GA, spanning logistics/trades, office managers, and community‑connected participants, including Spanish‑speaking households. What they said: Voters stop for content that is local, concrete, and verifiable-plain language with receipts (bill PDFs, vote tallies, budgets), clear sponsors, calm local voices, and accessible/bilingual presentation; they fast‑scroll rage‑bait, over‑produced ads, and donation‑first UX.
They take action when the ask is local, specific, and low‑friction from trusted community senders (parish/PTA/county), with a tiny task and immediate neighborhood payoff; heavy tracking kills conversions, while platform‑native microflows (Stories + calendar/Apple Pay) and bilingual access lift response for some segments.
Least‑trusted sources are algorithm‑driven short‑form feeds and cable punditry; for understanding, they default to primary documents, wire/public radio, and local reporting, using timeboxing and a “two sources + one primary doc” rule. Decision takeaways: Adopt a receipts‑by‑default standard with visible sponsor labels, and ship a steady cadence of local service content (maps/dates/costs, tradeoffs) in a measured, human tone with captions and Spanish where relevant.
Build low‑friction micro‑asks (calendar adds, prewritten comments, short forms, privacy‑light) and distribute via trusted messengers (parish, PTA, county pages), while reallocating spend away from short‑form outrage inventory toward local/news/community placements.
Track success via stop rate on service posts, micro‑ask completion, receipts/accessibility compliance, and partner‑channel lift to guide ongoing optimization.
| Name | Response | Info |
|---|