Voting as a habit – The daily blog of behavioral and cognitive economics

How to Make Voting a Habit? Listen to Your Past Self

The presidential election is days away, and you may be one of millions of Americans receiving calls, texts, or letters from strangers imploring you to vote. But what if one of those messages came from a more familiar source—your past self? A message written in your own words, reminding you why being, and staying, civically engaged matters. For many of us, civic motivations ebb and flow. A heated election cycle might inspire a surge of interest and activity, but that energy fades as soon as the political moment passes. When the next election rolls around, we may struggle to rekindle our earlier motivations—or even notice the election—especially if no high-profile races are on the ballot. ….[READ]