[EL] Voter turnout

[Larry Levine]

A couple of thoughts:

1.      We have heard from several city clerks in cities where the election
was moved to the higher turnout even number year General Elections. What
they have told us is that the drop off factor at the end of the ballot,
where the municipal races fall, reduces participation in the municipal
election to pretty close to what it was before the move. We are seeking more
data on that.

2.      I have an anecdotal report from the City of Burbank CA that
indicates turnout increased the first time they did an all vote-by-mail
election but it subsequently dropped to about the level of what it was
before the change. We have more information to gather on this and on the
surprisingly large number of Permanent Absentee Voters who were mailed
ballots for the November 2012 Presidential Election but never voted.

Thanks,
Larry

 

 

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu
[mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Paul
Gronke
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2014 6:50 AM
Cc: law-election at uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] Voter turnout

 

Larry

 

I assume you're asking mainly about administrative changes, right, because
the political scientists will (predictably) chime in: make elections more
relevant to citizens' everyday lives, make elections more competitive,
increase media coverage of elections, improve the educational system.  And
age the population so that everyone's over 60.  ;-)

 

I think it would be fair to say that the easiest reform that has predictably
resulted in significant increases in turnout is same-day / election-day
registration.  It requires technological improvements to the registration
system, and I know our friend Dean Logan is ready for the budgetary infusion
that may be needed!  (LA may be already moving in this direction.)

 

Coordinating municipal elections with presidential elections should result
in substantial increases in turnout, but the tradeoff is topic that has been
part of the political science literature for 50 years or longer (going back
to Wilson's Amateur Democrats at least): the electorate includes a large
number of irregular voters who are drawn in by the excitement and interest
of the presidential contest.  The reason some states and localities moved
their elections off cycle is precisely to *avoid* this.  Turnout is lower,
but you get an electorate more predictably knowledgable about local issues.

 

My comments about the last reform may surprise you, given my affiliation and
reputation, but the reform that I think could result in a substantial
increase in turnout but for which we do not have systematic research is a
fully vote by mail system.  I say this primarily because I have long
suspected, and have lots of anecdotes indicating, that full vote by mail has
it's largest turnout impact in low profile state and local contests.  But no
one has looked at this in a systematic fashion to date.

 

 

---

Paul Gronke         Ph:   503-517-7393

                        Fax: 503-661-0601

 

Professor, Reed College

Director, Early Voting Information Center

3203 SE Woodstock Blvd

Portland OR 97202

 

EVIC: http://earlyvoting.net

 

My public key: http://people.reed.edu/~gronkep/36E051EA.asc

 <http://people.reed.edu/~gronkep/36E051EA.asc> 


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