Many believe the state policymakers should take steps to enhance the opportunities to vote in any election. The goal of these changes would be to lower the costs of voting (that is, make it easier), and by doing so draw more citizens into the process. Why not allow for early voting, for example, and no-excuse absentee voting? We know that about one-third of the ballots cast in the 2018 election were cast early, and that in about a dozen states over one-half of the ballots are cast in advance of Election Day. Yet how many of these votes would have been cast under the traditional method is unclear. Several studies suggest overall turnout may have actually decreased because of these measures. How could this be the case? It seems that early voting methods may detract from the excitement and energy of Election Day. When there is only one day to vote, there is energy, an enthusiasm for fulfilling one’s civic duty. As noted by a team of scholars from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Early voting dilutes the concentrated activities of Election Day itself that would likely stimulate turnout, an effect not counterbalanced by the increased convenience of voting prior to the election (which, as we have noted, may only provide an alternative outlet for voters who would have voted in any case).

Several studies have suggested a modest increase in turnout in states with same-day registration: an increase of roughly 5 percentage points. This is when voters can sign up for voting on Election Day – now possible in 11 states. In most other states, the cut-off is 30 days in advance of the election. Young, more mobile citizens (such as college students) tend to use same-day registration, but it also appears that minority citizens may be more likely to do the same. It also seems that minority residents are more inclined to use early voting techniques, too.

Surprisingly, since 2012, several state legislatures rescinded or were considering rescinding their early voting laws. As you might guess, this has been, and will continue to be, a controversial topic.

ACTION STEP:

Conduct some research on the impact of different voter registration laws on voter turnout. Do such laws actually impact the number of citizens who come to the polls? In your response, make an argument with supporting evidence and the length of the response must be at least two paragraphs (4-5 sentences for each paragraph).