In this MS thesis, Bernardo investigates how ballot-length metrics (words, questions, selections, pages, sheets, bilingual status) affect voting errors during the 2018 Rhode Island midterm election. He uses logistic regression models that control for municipal- and precinct-level demographics to analyze machine-based, human-machine interaction, and ballot-marking errors. Bernardo finds that longer ballots and urban precincts significantly increase the odds of voting errors, with implications for ballot design and jurisdiction-level oversight.
Resources
Use our resource library to explore the latest research in the field of election science.
This paper finds that large numbers of voters do not perceive their ballots as secret and harbor doubts about the institution's ability to keep them private, with perceptions varying by voting method and polling place design.
This paper analyzes how vote centers influence voter turnout in various election types in Texas, showing that their effect depends on the election context and voter demographics.
In this paper, authors provide a concise policy-oriented introduction to evidence-based elections and risk limiting audits, including legislative principles and implementation considerations.
This paper sets out principles for reliable post-election tabulation audits, including voter-verifiable paper records, transparency, ballot protection, and statistical rigor.
This report describes Colorado's online risk limiting audits tool, risk-limit concepts, and county-facing implementation details after statewide adoption.
This paper, recommends voter-verifiable paper ballots and routine audits of paper ballots to verify tabulation and detect compromised systems.
This report summarizes the Orange County Registrar of Voters pilot audit of all countywide election contests.
This report highlights key trends in voter turnout among voters with disabilities in the 2018 elections. Authors note an increase in turnout among these voters compared to the 2014 midterms. They found that employed voters with disabilities were just as likely to vote as employed voters without disabilities, suggesting a link between employment and political participation.
This paper finds that the "winner" effect mitigates the effects from strong pre-election cues from elites. It also shows the effect of pre-election attention to the rigging issue.
This paper finds that media coverage of voter fraud is associated with public beliefs about voter fraud. In states where fraud was more frequently featured in local media outlets, public concerns about voter fraud were heightened. In particular, the paper finds that press attention to voter fraud has a larger influence on Republicans than Democrats and Independents.
This paper examines whether correcting information can overcome misperceptions about election fraud. It finds that providing counter information is generally ineffective at remedying misperceptions and can, depending on the source, increase endorsements of misperceptions among Republicans.