Political Postcards Make for Great Voter Outreach 

Reaching voters can be tough—particularly because local and federal elections in the United States often have low voter turnout. Today’s political candidates need robust campaigns that merge digital outreach with print and in-person canvassing. One great method for reaching voters is through political postcards. A form of direct mail, political postcards can help get your message to people in your district across numerous generational and demographic groups. Pel Hughes is a leading direct mail provider that serves businesses, non-profit organizations, and political candidates.  

Do political postcards actually work? 

According to a study from Harvard University, political postcards are quite powerful tools when it comes to voter outreach. Researchers at Harvard University worked with the State of Pennsylvania to help increase voter registration. Harvard researchers found that a “single postcard sent by state election officials several weeks before the election can produce meaningful increases in both registration and turnout.”  

Candidates can enjoy similar results from direct mail when their political postcards are well-designed, have compelling copy, and provide helpful resources like hours and locations of polling places. During big elections, voters can feel overwhelmed by television, radio, and digital political ads. Many voters are also becoming increasingly distrusting of aggressive political advertising. Fortunately, political postcards are a great method for cutting through the noise and mudslinging.  

One way to make your political postcards even more effective is to send targeted direct mail. Using consumer and voter databases, you can segment your audience by specific demographics. Your political postcards can have different messaging tailored to the demographic receiving it. For example, voters over 55 can receive postcards that outline your stance on issues like social security and Medicare while younger voters can receive postcards on proposed solutions to issues related to economic opportunity or environmental concerns.  

Political postcards can also be used to merge your digital presence with your print and in-person outreach. Embedding personalized links (PURLs) and QR codes onto your direct mail makes it easy for recipients to visit your official campaign website, watch speeches, or follow your campaign’s social media accounts.  

How Pel Hughes Can Help 

Pel Hughes is a full-service printing company that has decades of experience working with political campaigns. We offer an array of tools and resources to help your campaign create compelling postcards. Following are just a few of our helpful services: 

Pel Hughes pairs state-of-the-art technology with world-class client service. Give our friendly experts a call at (504) 486-8646 to discuss your next political direct mail campaign.