Recent years have witnessed widespread changes in state voting and registration laws. These include same day registration, automatic voter registration, early voting, mail voting, and no-excuse absentee voting where people mail in their ballots. Most research on these voting reforms has downplayed their effects, showing that they generally benefit educated, older, and more affluent people. This book shows the positive effects that these reforms have on overall voter turnout, and among voters of disadvantaged groups. Specifically, it emphasizes the ways that state governments are making it easier to participate in elections in an effort to strengthen democratic government. In Accessible Elections, Michael Ritter and Caroline J. Tolbert explore the wide variation from state to state in convenience voting methods and provide new empirical analysis of the beneficial effects of these policies, not only in boosting participation rates overall, but in increasing voter turnout for disadvantaged groups. The authors measure both convenience methods and implementation of the laws, and explore how elections are conducted across the fifty states, where average turnout has varied more than 25 percentage points over the past four decades. The authors also draw on national voter files with millions of cases and vote histories of the same individuals over time in order to show the real effects of election reform and to make a case for how state governments can modernize their electoral practices, increase voter turnout, and make the experience of voting more accessible and equitable. Ritter and Tolbert assert that in the wake of covid-19 and efforts to maintain social distancing, early voting and absentee/mail voting are of particular importance to avoid election-day crowds and ensure equitable elections in states with large populations. With important implications for the 2020 general election and beyond, Accessible Elections underscores how state governments can modernize their electoral procedures to increase voter turnout, address inequalities, and influence campaign and party mobilization strategies.

About the Author
Michael Ritter is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Washington State University. Caroline J. Tolbert is Professor of Political Science at the University of Iowa.

Reviews
By taking the quality of election administration by states into account, Ritter and Tolbert find that convenience voting laws can substantially improve voter turnout as long as the states run elections competently. The use of millions of national voter files gives them substantial leverage to answer questions that have long challenged election scholars. * C. Shortell, CHOICE *
A comprehensive overview of the impact of state election laws and administration on voter turnout in the United States. This volume provides citizens and political leaders with much needed guidance on how to improve the quality of American democracy in these troubled times. * Alan Abramowitz, Alben W. Barkley Professor of Political Science, Emory University *
This new look at election practices in the states brings with it several welcome innovations. Ritter and Tolbert attempt to connect both election laws and effective administration with levels of voter turnout in states using a national voter file to track how individuals move in and out of voting between elections. They illuminate how racial and economic groups respond directly to state practices but also indirectly through the efforts of parties and campaigns. * Barry Burden, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Elections Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison *
This is a timely and significant contribution to our understanding of voting in America. The focus on racial and ethnic minority groups and the poor is especially important as inequality remains as a central feature of U.S. democracy. Ritter and Tolbert bring a wealth of data to their comprehensive evaluation of voting across the states. The result is a must-read call to action for states, as well as scholars and citizen groups who can work collaboratively with the states to promote higher turnout and eliminate turnout inequality. * Michael J. Hanmer, Professor of Government and Politics, University of Maryland *
This book belongs on the shelves of scholars and policymakers alike as Ritter and Tollbert provide a great service to all those seeking to increase participation and equity in American democracy. They show how voting rules matter, yet with important nuances tied to geography and demography. Although one size may not fit all, we learn which changes matter the most - and how important it will be to build on their work with ongoing evaluation of how best to live up to the ideal of government of, by, and for the people. * Rob Richie, President and CEO, FairVote *



Book Information
ISBN 9780197537251
Author Michael Ritter
Format Hardback
Page Count 228
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 476g
Dimensions(mm) 160mm * 239mm * 23mm