Leveling Up: Measuring the Effects of Election Laws and Institutions on Voter Participation

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2022-08-01T05:00:00.000Z

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What effect do election laws and administration have on voter turnout? How do we measure voter turnout? This dissertation attempts to answer these questions by measuring the effect of various election laws and policies on voter turnout at three distinct levels of measurement. In Chapter 2, an original measure which captures the effects of state election laws is developed and its effect on turnout is tested at statewide level. In Chapter 3, a novel dataset of substate level turnout is developed at the county level. The resulting dataset is tested to see if the effects of election laws on turnout are consistent at both the statewide and county levels. In Chapter 4, using voter registration records from Texas, the effects of convenience voting measures, such as drive-through voting and 24-hour voting locations, are examined to see if their use increases the likelihood of an individual voting. The results show that Harris County’s efforts to making voting easier and safter increased turnout, especially among young voters.

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