How Postregistration Laws Affect the Turnout of Citizens Registered to Vote
| Autor: | Megan Mullin, Benjamin Highton, Raymond E. Wolfinger |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2005 |
| Předmět: |
021110 strategic
defence & security studies media_common.quotation_subject Best practice 05 social sciences International comparisons 0211 other engineering and technologies Turnout Sample (statistics) 02 engineering and technology 0506 political science Voter registration Ballot Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Political system Law Voting Political science Political Science and International Relations 050602 political science & public administration media_common |
| Zdroj: | State Politics & Policy Quarterly. 5:1-23 |
| ISSN: | 1946-1607 1532-4400 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/153244000500500101 |
| Popis: | A well-established scholarly tradition links lower voting costs with higher turnout. Whereas previous research emphasized the costs imposed by requiring voter registration, our research assesses postregistration costs and state policies that can make it easier for registered citizens to vote. These policies include mailing each registrant a sample ballot and information about the location of his or her polling place, providing a longer voting day, and requiring firms to give their employees time off to vote. Using the 2000 Voter Supplement to the Current Population Survey, we find that all but the last of these provisions enhance turnout, especially by the young and the less educated. Compared to a state that does none of these things, the estimated turnout of high school dropouts is nearly 11 percentage points higher in a state with these “best practices”; their effect on young registrants is nearly 10 points. Because African American and Latino registrants are disproportionately younger and less educated, they would benefit disproportionately from universal adoption of such postregistration laws. We estimate that if every state adopted these best practices, overall turnout of those registered would increase approximately three percentage points. The American political system has long been known for moderate levels of electoral participation (Mackie and Rose 1991). State-level procedures for citizens to establish and maintain their eligibility to vote contribute to our low ranking in international comparisons; when states make registration easier, turnout is higher (Highton 2004). States also sometimes enact policies aimed at making it easier for their registered citizens to get to the polls and vote on election day. They may mail a sample ballot to registrants, perhaps along with information about the location of their polling place. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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