Building Democracy: Moving the Needle on Voter Engagement in Hartford

Project Overview

CTData is partnering with members of the Hartford Votes Coalition on a new research project called Building Democracy: Moving the Needle on Voter Engagement in Hartford. This study is run by CTData Collaborative (CTData) and funded by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

The goal of this research is to provide information that contributes to an understanding of why people do and don’t vote in Hartford in such a way that Hartford GOTV groups can integrate this knowledge into their strategies for action.

The objectives of this research are:

  • To collaborate with the Building Democracy Research Workgroup to develop or finalize project plans, data collection tools, and review materials for communication.

  • To conduct primary data collection (focus groups and surveys) and secondary research (analysis of public voting participation data) to inform research questions.

  • To develop communications materials that support local organizations  and groups to collaborate with the community on designing action strategies for increasing voter turnout and civic engagement.

  • To hold action workshops to support use of the findings for action.

CTData will be collecting data via focus groups of Hartford residents aged 18 and older during early 2026.

Voter Data Resources

Workgroup

We have developed a workgroup of organizations in the Hartford community that engage in civic engagement and voter education and registration efforts. This monthly group will:

  • Collaboratively analyze data through a series of guided questions.

  • Make recommendations in the design of materials, resources, etc. that can be used by community groups to take action, such as reports, visualizations, infographics, etc.

  • Provide advice into the design of focus groups, data collection tools, outreach strategy, and more.

  • Assist with focus group recruitment.

Group members:

  • Hartford Votes Coalition

  • Hartford Next

  • Hartford Health Initiative

  • San Juan Center

  • Dodd Center for Human Rights, UConn

  • Center for Latino Progress

  • Trinity College Department of Political Science

Research Questions

  • Why do people vote? Why don’t people vote?

  • What are the structural barriers getting in the way of eligible voters from voting?

Timeline

  • June-December 2025: Design research and research materials

  • September 2025-April 2026: Workgroup meet monthly to guide research

  • November-December 2025: Recruit focus group sites

  • January - February 2026: Recruit focus group participants and run focus groups

  • February - March 2026: Data analaysis, collaborative analysis (data walk)

  • March-April 2026: Create reporting materials and run Action Workshops