36 results on '"SMITH, DANIEL A."'
Search Results
2. Weather to Vote: How Natural Disasters Shape Turnout Decisions.
- Author
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Zelin, William A. and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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VOTER turnout , *VIS major (Civil law) , *NATURAL disasters , *HURRICANES , *ELECTIONS - Abstract
Natural disasters can uproot peoples' lives in a matter of minutes, leaving behind immeasurable hardships on the people and places that they strike. We examine the impact on voter turnout of one such force majeure in the days leading up to a midterm election. Leveraging the randomness of a rapidly developing, unpredictable Category 5 hurricane, we assemble an original dataset to examine the effects of Hurricane Michael on voting in Florida in the 2018 General Election. Our study assesses whether counties damaged by Hurricane Michael—as determined by relief policies administered by local election officials—affected voter behavior in 2018. Utilizing Difference-in-Difference (DID) models, we test whether voters registered in counties that were affected by Michael voted at rates comparable to their neighbors that were not directly impacted by the Category 5 hurricane. We also test whether voters in affected counties were more likely to alter their usual methods of voting. Our findings—that turnout was lower among those directly impacted by the storm but that early in-person voting helped to mitigate the effects—lend insight into how election administration decisions can offset the deleterious effects of a catastrophic event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Reprecincting and Voting Behavior
- Author
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Amos, Brian, Smith, Daniel A., and Ste. Claire, Casey
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- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Election Administration and Public Records Responsiveness.
- Author
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Baringer, Anna, Eichermuller, Justin, Zelin, William, Shino, Enrijeta, and Smith, Daniel A.
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PUBLIC administration ,PUBLIC records ,LOCAL elections ,ELECTIONS ,LOCAL government ,EMAIL ,ELECTION officials - Abstract
Is there an optimum method to elicit public records from election officials? Using a field experiment that randomly assigned the wording and email domains used to solicit public records, we test how county election offices respond to requests under given conditions. We find that the response rates of Florida's 67 Supervisors of Elections (SOE) to a request for election administration data and election protocols after the 2018 General Election varies considerably, but that the formality of the language and the email domain randomly assigned only marginally affects the compliance of election officials to abide by the state's public records statutes. The variance in responses and lack of compliance seems to not be related to who asks for data nor how it is solicited, but rather is idiosyncratic. Despite the largely null findings, our study raises concerns about local election administration and transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Determinants of Rejected Mail Ballots in Georgia's 2018 General Election.
- Author
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Shino, Enrijeta, Suttmann-Lea, Mara, and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
POSTAL voting ,BALLOTS ,ELECTION of legislators ,ENVELOPES (Stationery) ,COVID-19 pandemic ,VOTERS ,UNIFORMITY - Abstract
Because of the COVID-19 threat to in-person voting in the November 2020 election, state and local election officials have pivoted to mail-in voting as a potential solution. This method of voting—while safe from a public health standpoint—comes with its own set of problems, as increased use of mail voting risks amplifying existing discrepancies in rejected mail ballots. While some mail ballot rejections are to be expected, a lack of uniformity in whose ballots get rejected among subgroups of voters—whether for mistakes on a ballot return envelope (BRE) or lateness—raise concerns about equal representation. We draw on official statewide voter file and mail-in ballot data from the 2018 midterm election in Georgia, a state that until the pandemic did not have widespread use of mail voting, to test whether some voters are more likely to cast a mail ballot that does not count. Most importantly, we distinguish between ballots rejected for lateness and those rejected for a mistake on the return envelope. We find that newly registered, young, and minority voters have higher rejection rates compared with their counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. State Campaigns and Elections
- Author
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Hicks, William D., Smith, Daniel A., and Haider-Markel, Donald P., book editor
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- 2014
- Full Text
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7. Vote-by-mail Ballot Rejection and Experience with Mail-in Voting.
- Author
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Cottrell, David, Herron, Michael C., and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
POSTAL voting ,BALLOTS ,VOTING ,ELECTIONS ,REPRESENTATIVE government ,ABSENTEE voting ,MINORITIES - Abstract
Although most ballots in the United States have historically been cast in-person, Americans are increasingly voting by mail, a trend that accelerated in the 2020 General Election. Mail ballots can be rejected after being cast, and our analysis of the Florida general elections of 2016, 2018, and 2020 shows that voters inexperienced with mail voting disproportionately submit ballots that end up rejected due to (1) late arrival at elections offices or (2) signature defects on return envelopes. Inexperienced mail voters are up to three times more likely to have their ballots rejected compared to experienced mail voters, and this inexperience penalty varies by a voter's party registration, race/ethnicity, and age. Our findings hold when controlling for additional voter characteristics and geographical fixed effects. The effect of inexperience on the likelihood of vote-by-mail ballot rejection risks exacerbating existing inequities in political representation already faced by younger and racial/ethnic minority voters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Long live the doge? Death as a term limit on Venetian chief executives.
- Author
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Smith, Daniel J., Crowley, George R., and Leguizamon, J. Sebastian
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DOGI (Heads of state) ,TERM limits (Public office) ,CHIEF executive officers ,LIFE expectancy ,ELECTIONS ,EMPLOYMENT tenure ,MANAGEMENT turnover - Abstract
Can an electorate use the projected life expectancy of a lifetime-appointed chief executive to enforce binding, informal term limits? Informal term limits based on the life expectancy of a chief executive candidate at election would enable an electorate to exercise discretion in adjusting tenure lengths to minimize expected turnover and tenure-length costs, while also providing a strictly binding term limit: death. We provide a detailed historical case study of Venice from 1172 to 1797, when the ruling patricians utilized informal term limits on their chief executive, the doge, relying on the projected life expectancy of ducal candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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- View/download PDF
9. Pandemic politics: COVID-19, health concerns, and vote choice in the 2020 General Election.
- Author
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Shino, Enrijeta and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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COVID-19 pandemic , *ELECTIONS , *COVID-19 , *VOTING , *PANDEMICS - Abstract
How might personal concerns for one's health, and public health more generally, affect candidate vote choice during the COVID-19 crisis? In this, study we leverage a national survey conducted in the United States during the earliest phase of the pandemic, and an original survey fielded in Florida as positive COVID-19 rates were rising, to assess how personal exposure to the coronavirus conditions candidate vote choice. Despite heightened partisan polarization, we find that one's health concerns depressed support for the sitting president, even among Republicans. Individuals who were very concerned about contracting COVID-19, who wore a mask to protect themselves from the coronavirus, and who were more concerned about the virus's impact on public health than the economy were less likely to support the reelection of Donald J. Trump. As with retrospective and prospective economic voting, the threat of the health pandemic has the potential to alter the calculus of candidate vote choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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10. Does threatening their franchise make registered voters more likely to participate? Evidence from an aborted voter purge.
- Author
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Biggers, Daniel R. and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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ELECTIONS , *VOTERS , *PSYCHOLOGICAL reactance - Abstract
Prior research predicts that election administration changes that increase voting costs should decrease participation, but it fails to consider that some interpret those changes as attacking their franchise. Drawing on psychological reactance theory, this study tests whether such perceived attacks might instead activate those citizens. It leverages the State of Florida's multi-stage effort in 2012 to purge suspected non-citizens from its voter rolls, comparing the voting rates of suspected non-citizens whose registration was and was not formally challenged by the state. Within-registrant difference-in-difference and matching analyses estimate a positive, significant participatory effect of being challenged, particularly for Hispanics (the vast majority of the sample). Placebo tests show that those challenged were no more likely than those not challenged to vote in previous elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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11. Measuring the Competitiveness of Elections.
- Author
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Cox, Gary W., Fiva, Jon H., and Smith, Daniel M.
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PLURALITY voting ,RUNOFF elections ,ELECTIONS ,PROPORTIONAL representation ,POLITICAL science - Abstract
The concept of electoral competition plays a central role in many subfields of political science, but no consensus exists on how to measure it. One key challenge is how to conceptualize and measure electoral competitiveness at the district level across alternative electoral systems. Recent efforts to meet this challenge have introduced general measures of competitiveness which rest on explicit calculations about how votes translate into seats, but also implicit assumptions about how effort maps into votes (and how costly effort is). We investigate how assumptions about the effort-to-votes mapping affect the units in which competitiveness is best measured, arguing in favor of vote-share-denominated measures and against vote-share-per-seat measures. Whether elections under multimember proportional representation systems are judged more or less competitive than single-member plurality or runoff elections depends directly on the units in which competitiveness is assessed (and hence on assumptions about how effort maps into votes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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- View/download PDF
12. Mobilizing the Youth Vote? Early Voting on College Campuses.
- Author
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Shino, Enrijeta and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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EARLY voting , *VOTER turnout , *ELECTIONS , *COLLEGE campuses , *BALLOTS ,UNITED States presidential elections - Abstract
Might additional opportunities to cast a ballot prior to Election Day increase the probability that an individual turns out to vote? More narrowly, does convenience voting have differential effects, altering the method of how some registrants cast their ballot? Scholars disagree as to whether convenience voting bolsters turnout, or even if it alters the method of voting. We argue that the targeted adoption of early in-person voting on the campuses of public colleges and universities lowers the barriers of casting a ballot, increasing the turnout of young registrants. Drawing on individual-level election administration data from Florida in the 2018 general election, we offer a series of models (differences-in-differences (DD), differences-in-differences-in-differences (DDD), and matching combined with differences-in-differences) to estimate the effect of the expansion of early in-person voting on eight public campuses. Although we find uneven effects of the policy reform on overall turnout, we find consistent evidence that the adoption of on-campus early voting not only made it more likely that young registrants exposed to the policy turned out to vote, but that it also shifted the timing of when these young voters cast a ballot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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13. Revisiting Majority-Minority Districts and Black Representation.
- Author
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Hicks, William D., Klarner, Carl E., McKee, Seth C., and Smith, Daniel A.
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AFRICAN American legislators ,SOUTHERN States politics & government ,ELECTION districts ,ELECTIONS ,POLITICAL affiliation ,PARTISANSHIP ,UNITED States political parties - Abstract
What is the minimum black population necessary to elect African-American state lawmakers? We offer the most comprehensive examination of the election of black state legislators in the post-Thornburg v. Gingles (1986) era. We begin by charting changes in the partisan affiliation of state legislators and the percentage of black legislators from 1971 to 2016. This descriptive assessment is undertaken according to important regional (Non-South and South) and subregional (Rim South and Deep South) contexts in American politics. We then perform multivariate analyses of the likelihood of electing black legislators across three periods following the marked increase in the creation of majorityminority districts (1993-1995, 2003-2005, 2013-2015). Because of sectional variation in the partisan strength of the major parties, the probability of achieving black representation is significantly different depending upon whether a contest occurs in the Non-South, Rim South, or Deep South, with the latter constituting of the highest threshold of black population necessary to elect an African-American. By merging an original dataset on state legislative elections with the most complete evaluation of the factors shaping the election of black lawmakers, our findings shed new light on minority representation and how sectional differences greatly affect the electoral success of African-Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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14. Measuring Voters' Multidimensional Policy Preferences with Conjoint Analysis: Application to Japan's 2014 Election.
- Author
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Yusaku Horiuchi, Smith, Daniel M., and Teppei Yamamoto
- Subjects
POLICY sciences ,VOTING ,REPRESENTATIVE government ,DEMOCRACY ,ELECTIONS ,POLITICAL science - Abstract
Representative democracy entails the aggregation of multiple policy issues by parties into competing bundles of policies, or "manifestos," which are then evaluated holistically by voters in elections. This aggregation process obscures the multidimensional policy preferences underlying a voter's single choice of party or candidate. We address this problem through a conjoint experiment based on the actual party manifestos in Japan's 2014 House of Representatives election. By juxtaposing sets of issue positions as hypothetical manifestos and asking respondents to choose one, our study identifies the effects of specific positions on the overall assessment of manifestos, heterogeneity in preferences among subgroups of respondents, and the popularity ranking of manifestos. Our analysis uncovers important discrepancies between voter preferences and the portrayal of the election results by politicians and the media as providing a policy mandate to the Liberal Democratic Party, underscoring the potential danger of inferring public opinion from election outcomes alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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15. Norwegian parliamentary elections, 1906–2013: representation and turnout across four electoral systems.
- Author
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Fiva, Jon H. and Smith, Daniel M.
- Subjects
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VOTER turnout , *ELECTIONS , *REPRESENTATIVE government , *POLITICAL candidates - Abstract
Since gaining full independence in 1905, Norway has experienced more than a century of democratic elections, and has reformed its electoral system three times, most notably with the switch from a two-round runoff system to proportional representation in 1919. This research note introduces a new dataset featuring all candidates running for parliamentary (Storting) elections from 1906 to 2013, and documents the patterns over time and across electoral systems in the development of the party system; candidates’ gender, age, occupation, and geographic ties; and voter turnout. Scholars interested in using the dataset can gain access to it through the Norwegian Centre for Research Data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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16. Political Dynasties in Democracies: Causes, Consequences and Remaining Puzzles.
- Author
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Geys, Benny and Smith, Daniel M.
- Subjects
DEMOCRACY ,ELECTIONS ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,ECONOMIC development ,POLITICAL systems - Abstract
Kinship often continues to play an important role in determining the ruling class even under modern democratic elections in a wide range of countries. In recent years, academic interest in the causes and consequences of such dynasties has been rapidly expanding. In this introduction to the Feature, we review existing work on political dynasties' formation and potential implications for socio-economic outcomes (such as economic growth, distributive policy, and gender representation), and outline a number of questions and challenges that remain important avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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17. Political Dynasties and the Selection of Cabinet Ministers.
- Author
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Smith, Daniel M. and Martin, Shane
- Subjects
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SELECTION & appointment of cabinet officers , *CABINET system , *CIVIL service , *ELECTIONS , *LEGISLATORS - Abstract
We investigate whether politicians whose family relatives previously served in parliament and cabinet enjoy a competitive 'legacy advantage' in progressing from the backbenches to cabinet. This advantage may stem from two potential mechanisms: a direct effect attributable to the informational advantages of legacies or an indirect effect that operates through greater electoral strength. We evaluate the relative contribution of each mechanism using candidate-level data from Irish parliamentary elections and cabinets from 1944 to 2016. Our results reveal that politicians with a family history in cabinet do enjoy an advantage in cabinet selection, and that this advantage cannot be attributed simply to greater electoral popularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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18. The Contraction Effect: How Proportional Representation Affects Mobilization and Turnout.
- Author
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Cox, Gary W., Fiva, Jon H., and Smith, Daniel M.
- Subjects
PROPORTIONAL representation ,VOTER turnout ,MASS mobilization ,POLITICAL participation ,ELECTIONS ,ELECTORAL reform - Abstract
A substantial body of research examines whether increasing the proportionality of an electoral system increases turnout, mostly based on cross-national comparisons. In this study, we offer two main contributions to the previous literature. First, we show that moving from a single-member district system to proportional representation in multimember districts should, according to recent theories of elite mobilization, produce a contraction in the distribution of mobilizational effort across districts and, hence, a contraction in the distribution of turnout rates. Second, we exploit a withincountry panel data set based on stable subnational geographic units before and after Norway's historic 1919 electoral reform in order to test various implications stemming from the contraction hypothesis. We find significant support for the predictions of the elite mobilization models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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19. Precinct resources and voter wait times.
- Author
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Herron, Michael C. and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
ADMINISTRATIVE & political divisions , *VOTERS , *BALLOTS , *ELECTION officials , *TABULATING machines , *ACQUISITION of data - Abstract
The amount of time that voters wait in line while casting their ballots has been a matter of consternation in electorates across the world and a subject of ongoing academic research in the field of election administration. With this as context, we offer here a study of voting lines that combines observed voter arrival times and measures of precinct processes with simulation results. Empirically, we focus on the town of Hanover, New Hampshire, during the 2014 United States General Election. Voters in Hanover initially authenticate themselves to election officials, mark their ballots in secret, and finally insert said ballots into optical scan tabulating machines. These steps are reasonably generic, and thus the way we study Hanover voters is generalizable to the study of voters in democracies across the world. Our simulations show that line voting evolution can be studied after a simple data-collection plan is implemented, and we show how scholars and election officials can evaluate the effects of changing precinct resources, like the numbers of voter authentication stations and voting booths, on the formation and duration of voting lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. RACE, SHELBY COUNTY, AND THE VOTER INFORMATION VERIFICATION ACT IN NORTH CAROLINA.
- Author
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HERRON, MICHAEL C. and SMITH, DANIEL A.
- Subjects
ELECTIONS ,AFRICAN American suffrage ,VOTER Information Verification Act, 2013 (N.C.) ,SHELBY County v. Holder ,VOTER registration ,RACE & society ,EARLY voting ,VOTING Rights Act of 1965 (U.S.) ,LAW - Abstract
Shortly after the Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder struck down section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), the State of North Carolina enacted an omnibus piece of election-reform legislation known as the Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA). Prior to Shelby, portions of North Carolina were covered jurisdictions per the VRA's sections 4 and 5--meaning that they had to seek federal preclearance for changes to their election procedures-- and this motivates our assessment of whether VIVA's many alterations to North Carolina's election procedures are race-neutral. We show that in presidential elections in North Carolina black early voters have cast their ballots disproportionately in the first week of early voting, which was eliminated by VIVA; that blacks disproportionately have registered to vote during early voting and in the immediate run-up to Election Day, something VIVA now prohibits; that registered voters in the state who lack two VIVA-acceptable forms of voter identification, driver's licenses and non-operator identification cards, are disproportionately black; that VIVA's identification dispensation for voters at least seventy years old disproportionately benefits white registered voters; and, that preregistered sixteen and seventeen year old voters in North Carolina, a category of registrants that VIVA prohibits, are disproportionately black. These results illustrate how VIVA will have a disparate effect on black voters in North Carolina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
21. Political Inheritance under the Single Non-transferable Vote Electoral System in Japan.
- Author
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Smith, Daniel
- Subjects
- *
POLITICAL succession , *ELECTIONS , *POLITICIANS , *VOTING ,JAPANESE politics & government, 1989- - Abstract
In this paper, I investigate the trends in political inheritance in Japan from 1947-1993, the postwar time period during which Japan employed the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) electoral system. While SNTV did not allow for the transfer of votes, a great deal of transfers of political resources occurred between generations of politicians. I first address the determinants of political transfer between one politician and another, and when such transfers are likely to occur between family members. Second, I investigate whether the resource advantages that led hereditary candidates to run for their predecessors' seats actually resulted in greater electoral success. I find that the predominance of hereditary politicians in Japan under SNTV was largely the result of supply and demand incentives in the recruitment process, and that hereditary candidates were especially likely to be nominated when they were succeeding politicians who served many terms, were hereditary candidates themselves, or died in office. My research greatly improves upon previous work done on hereditary politicians in Japan by including data on all candidates, all related and non-related transfers, and expanded control variables. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
22. Recalling Progressivism: The Educative Effects of Direct Democracy on Voter Turnout.
- Author
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Tolbert, Caroline J. and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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VOTING registers , *DEMOCRACY , *POLITICAL doctrines , *ELECTIONS - Abstract
Reports on the effect of direct democracy on voter turnout in the U.S. in 2004. Purposes of the citizen initiatives; Foundations of increased voter turnout; Alternative explanations for variations in State Voter Turnout.
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
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23. Precinct Closing Times in Florida During the 2012 General Election.
- Author
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Herron, Michael C. and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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ELECTION Day , *HISPANIC Americans , *ELECTIONS ,SHELBY County v. Holder - Abstract
The Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder to strike down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act has spurred a search for measures of election performance that extend beyond race-based registration and turnout rates. We contribute to this endeavor by studying patterns of precinct congestion in Florida during the 2012 General Election. With precinct closing times as proxies for congestion, our study covers 5,302 total Election Day precincts in Florida. We show that there was tremendous variance in closing times in Florida on Election Day in 2012 and that precincts with greater proportions of Hispanic voters closed disproportionately late. This finding holds even controlling for the number of pollworkers per precinct. Broadly speaking, voting place congestion in the 2012 General Election appears not to have affected all Floridians equally, and most notably the post- Shelby electoral environment in the United States continues to reflect racial disparities. With the loss of the Voting Rights Act's retrogression standard, our analysis illustrates how precinct congestion data can be used to assess whether different racial/ethnic groups face different barriers to voting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT, MOBILIZATION, AND DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
- Author
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DONOVAN, TODD, TOLBERT, CAROLINE J., and SMITH, DANIEL A.
- Subjects
REFERENDUM ,PRESIDENTIAL elections ,ELECTIONS ,VOTING research ,REPRESENTATIVE government - Abstract
Research has found that states using initiatives and referendums have higher turnout, particularly in midterm elections. Existing research has not examined who is mobilized to vote when issues appear on statewide ballots. Building on work by Campbell (1966. "Surge and Decline: A Study of Electoral Change." In Elections and the Political Order, eds. A. Campbell, E E. Converse, W. E. Miller, and D. E. Stokes. New York: Wiley), we test whether ballot measures engage and mobilize people who do not fit the profile of regular voters. Using national opinion data from the 2004 and 2006 elections, we find that independents (relative to partisans) exhibited greater awareness of and interest in ballot measures in the midterm election. This pattern is not found in the presidential election, where peripheral voters are likely to be mobilized by the stimulus of the presidential race rather than by ballot measures. Absent salient ballot measures, some episodic independent voters may not be engaged by midterm elections. This suggests that some variation in midterm turnout maybe a function of peripheral voters becoming engaged by ballot measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Priming Presidential Votes by Direct Democracy.
- Author
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Donovan, Todd, Tolbert, Caroline J., and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
DIRECT democracy ,REFERENDUM ,ELECTIONS ,VOTING research ,POLITICAL psychology ,POLITICAL sociology - Abstract
We demonstrate that direct democracy can affect the issues voters consider when evaluating presidential candidates. Priming theory assumes that some voters have latent attitudes or predispositions that can be primed to affect evaluations of political candidates. We demonstrate that: (1) state ballot measures on same sex marriage increased the salience of marriage as an issue that voters used when evaluating presidential candidates in 2004, particularly those voters less interested in the campaign and those likely to be less attentive to the issue prior to the election; and (2) that the primed issue (gay marriage) was a more important factor affecting candidate choice in states where marriage was on the ballot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. THE EDUCATIVE EFFECTS OF BALLOT INITIATIVES ON VOTER TURNOUT.
- Author
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Tolbert, Caroline J. and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
DEMOCRACY , *VOTING , *RESEARCH , *BALLOTS , *ELECTIONS - Abstract
Scholars have begun examining what Progressive reformers called the educative effects of direct democracy, especially the effect ballot initiatives have on voter turnout. Research based on aggregate-level voter age population (VAP) turnout data indicates that ballot measures increase turnout in low-information midterm elections but not in presidential elections. We analyze the impact of ballot initiative use on voter turnout from 1980 through 2002 using voter eligible population (VEP) turnout rates. Cross-sectional time-series analysis reveals that (a) ballot initiatives increase turnout in midterm as well as presidential elections and (b) the turnout effect in midterm and especially presidential elections is considerably larger than previously thought. On average, turnout in presidential elections increases by 0.70% with each initiative on the ballot, whereas turnout in midterm elections increases by 1.7%, all else equal. Given the closeness of the Electoral College contests, it is possible that the mobilizing effects of statewide ballot questions could be the determining factor in future presidential elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. CONSOLIDATING DEMOCRACY? THE STRUCTURAL UNDERPINNINGS OF GHANA'S 2000 ELECTIONS.
- Author
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Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
ELECTIONS , *DEMOCRACY ,GHANAIAN politics & government - Abstract
Analyzes the role of the 2002 elections in aiding the consolidation of the democratic process in Ghana. Assessment on the patterns of voter turnout and the lingering accusations of electoral irregularities; Impact of the structural inequalities on the electoral system of the country; Challenges in consolidating democratic process to the country.
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
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28. MEDIA MATTERS: EVALUATING THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN GHANA'S 2000 ELECTIONS.
- Author
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Temin, Jonathan and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
MASS media , *ELECTIONS - Abstract
The role of the media, both state-owned and private, is an important and often overlooked component of any election, particularly those occurring in developing countries. Unfortunately, the existing academic literature on the subject is thin, especially concerning the recent flurry of democratic elections in Africa. This article briefly reviews the history of the media in Ghana's Fourth republic and then examines the crucial role the media played in Ghana's historic 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections. It details how the media contributed to the general success of the elections in which John Kufuor's New Patriotic Party defeated Jerry Rawlings' incumbent National Democratic Congress. Then, drawing on untapped public opinion survey data from the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, the Afrobarometer in Ghana, and the University of Ghana, it demonstrates how the various forms of the mass media are 'consumed' by Ghanaians, and how they affect citizens differently. Despite persistent romanticizing of the role of the media in many quarters, it concludes that, while the media are extremely important to certain segments of the Ghanaian population, they are virtually irrelevant to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. The Effects of House Bill 1355 on Voter Registration in Florida.
- Author
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Herron, Michael C. and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
VOTER registration , *ELECTORAL reform , *POLITICAL participation , *ELECTION law , *POLITICAL organizations , *VOTING laws ,FLORIDA state politics & government, 1951- - Abstract
In mid-2011, the Florida state legislature passed House Bill 1355 (HB 1355) and in so doing placed new regulations on community organizations that historically have helped eligible Floridians register to vote. Among the legal changes promulgated by this bill were new regulations on the operations of groups like the League of Women Voters and a new oath, warning of prison time and fines, that voter registration agents were required to sign. Such changes raised the implicit costs that eligible Florida citizens faced when registering to vote, and we show that voter registrations across the state in the second half of 2011 dropped precipitously compared with registrations in the second half of 2007. This pattern is evident among registrants in general, among registrants age 20 and younger, and among individuals who registered as Democrats. Outside of HB 1355, we know of no credible explanations for these results. Our findings thus show how restrictions on the way that third-party organizations register voters can have tangible effects on actual registrations. Given that registration prior to an election is a civic necessity in Florida and in many other states, such restrictions have the potential to affect electoral outcomes as well. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
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30. Mail Voting and Voter Turnout.
- Author
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McDonald, Michael P., Mucci, Juliana K., Shino, Enrijeta, and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
POSTAL voting , *VOTER turnout , *ELECTIONS , *DEMOGRAPHIC surveys , *COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
Does the expansion of voting by mail lead to higher turnout rates? Our thesis challenges the theoretical motivation underlying existing studies that expect merely a substitution effect, or worse, a decrease in turnout, in states that have more expansive convenience voting mechanisms in place, in particular, mail voting. The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how we usually conceive of convenience voting, from the timing of the vote to the modality. But even before the 2020 election, we show voter turnout across the states is consistently higher in every general election over the past decade in states with greater shares of overall ballots cast by mail. Drawing on turnout data from the 2012-2020 Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Cooperative Election Study (CES), we find states with greater usage of mail voting experience higher overall voter turnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Voting Lines, Equal Treatment, and Early Voting Check-In Times in Florida.
- Author
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Cottrell, David, Herron, Michael C., and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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EARLY voting , *VOTING , *VOTER turnout , *ELECTIONS , *BALLOTS , *VOTING research - Abstract
Lines at the polls raise the cost of voting and can precipitate unequal treatment of voters. Research on voting lines is nonetheless hampered by a fundamental measurement problem: little is known about the distribution of time voters spend in line prior to casting ballots. We argue that early, in-person voter check-in times allow us identify individuals who waited in line to vote. Drawing on election administrative records from two General Elections in Florida--1,031,179 check-ins from 2012 and 1,846,845 from 2016--we find that minority voters incurred disproportionately long wait times in 2012 and that in-person voters who waited excessively in 2012 had a slightly lower probability--approximately one percent--of turning out to vote in 2016, ceteris paribus. These individuals also had slightly lower turnout probabilities in the 2014 Midterm Election, ceteris paribus. Our results draw attention to the ongoing importance of the administrative features of elections that influence the cost of voting and ultimately the extent to which voters are treated equally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Party Switching in Japan
- Author
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Hamzawi, Jordan, Pekkanen, Robert J., editor, Reed, Steven R., editor, and Smith, Daniel M., editor
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Voting by Mail and Ballot Rejection: Lessons from Florida for Elections in the Age of the Coronavirus.
- Author
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Baringer, Anna, Herron, Michael C., and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
VOTING , *POSTAL voting , *COVID-19 , *COVID-19 pandemic , *ELECTIONS ,UNITED States presidential elections - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and its concomitant need for social distancing have increased the attractiveness of voting by mail. This form of voting is nonetheless not a panacea for election administration in the time of a public health crisis, as a widespread move to ballots cast by voting by mail risks exacerbating existing inequities in mail-in ballot rejection rates across voters and jurisdictions. This motivates our examination of the roughly 9.6 million and 8.2 million ballots cast in the 2016 and 2018 general elections in Florida, respectively, including over 2.6 million vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots cast in each. Using a selection model that analyzes all ballots cast and those VBM ballots not counted in Florida in these two elections, we find that younger voters, voters not registered with a major political party, and voters in need of assistance when voting are disproportionately likely to have their VBM ballots not count. We also find disproportionately high rejection rates of mail ballots cast by Hispanic voters, out-of-state voters, and military dependents in the 2018 general election. Lastly, we find significant variation in the rejection rates of VBM ballots cast across Florida's 67 counties in the 2018 election, suggesting a non-uniformity in the way local election officials verify these ballots. As interest in expanding mail voting swells as a consequence of the novel coronavirus, protecting the rights of all voters to participate in electoral politics requires a characterization of the correlates of VBM ballot rejection with an eye toward considering how disparities in ballot rejection rates might be rectified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Voting the Agenda: Candidates, Elections, and Ballot Propositions.
- Author
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Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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ELECTIONS , *NONFICTION - Abstract
The article reviews the book "Voting the Agenda: Candidates, Elections, and Ballot Propositions," by Stephen P. Nicholson.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Citizen and Lobbyist Access to Members of Congress: Who Gets It and Who Gives It?
- Author
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Brodbeck, Josh, Harrigan, Matthew T., and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
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LOBBYISTS , *CITIZENS , *UNITED States senators , *MEETINGS , *ELECTIONS - Abstract
Members of Congress grant access to outsiders as a means of alleviating policy and electoral uncertainty. But just who is granted this access, and which members are more likely to grant it? In an experiment conducted in the spring of 2010, one of the authors called the offices of each member of the Senate, first as a private citizen and then as a registered federal lobbyist, and requested a meeting with each senator to discuss a health care bill that had been in committee for some time. The lobbyist experienced a clear advantage over the citizen in securing meetings-with 27 to the citizen's seven-and also came out in ahead in other measurable categories The experiment also offers some signs as to what sorts of Senators grant access to citizens or lobbyists, albeit with less clarity. While the results of the experiment are not entirely definitive, they do suggest that several questions about citizen and lobbyist access to Congress remain and need to be addressed with future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
36. Auditing the 2020 General Election in Georgia: Residual Vote Rates and a Confusing Ballot Format.
- Author
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Cottrell, David, Herron, Felix E., Herron, Michael C., and Smith, Daniel A.
- Subjects
- *
BALLOTS , *ELECTIONS , *CORRUPT practices in elections , *VOTING , *ELECTION recounts ,UNITED States Senate elections - Abstract
The 2020 general election in the United States took place against the backdrop of a pandemic and countless claims about voter fraud. The presidential race in Georgia was extremely close, and in this state both a hand and machine recount followed the initial promulgation of results. Armed with certified results, we conduct a statistical audit of the 2020 Georgia election by analyzing residual vote rates in statewide races. A race's residual vote rate combines the rates at which ballots contain undervotes (abstentions) and overvotes (when voters cast more than the allowed number of votes in a race). Anomalously high residual vote rates can be indicative of underlying election administration problems, and our analysis of these rates in Georgia finds nothing anomalous in the state's presidential race, a notable result given this contest's closeness. We do, however, uncover an unusually high overvote rate in Georgia's special United States Senate election. This overvote rate is concentrated in Gwinnett County and appears to reflect the county's two-column ballot design that led roughly 4,200 voters to select more than one candidate for Senate in the special election, in the process rendering invalid their votes in this contest. Gwinnett County's two-column ballot was not pivotal to the outcome of Georgia's Senate special election but nonetheless joins other ballot formats, like the infamous butterfly ballot used in Palm Beach County in the 2000 presidential race, that contribute to voter confusion and should be avoided in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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