Resources

Use our resource library to explore the latest research in the field of election science.

61 Resources

Jeffrey A. Karp & Susan A. Banducci2000
Voting by Mail Academic Papers

Authors examine the question of whether or not conducting elections entirely through the mail rather than at the traditional polling place increases participation. Using election data from Oregon, the authors examine whether mail-based elections increase turnout in both local and statewide elections. The paper uses precinct-level data merged with census data. It finds that, while all-mail elections tend to produce higher turnout, the most significant increases occur in low-stimulus elections, such as local elections or primaries, where turnout is usually low. The increase in turnout, however, is not uniform across demographic groups. Voting only by mail is likely to increase turnout among those who are already predisposed to vote, such as those with higher socioeconomic status. This is one of the early foundational studies of voting by mail.