THREAD:
In our new research, @Adam_Bonica, @JakeMGrumbach, @HakeemJefferson & I find that all-mail voting in Colorado increased turnout by nearly 10 pp—a huge increase.
Youth, voters of color, blue-collar workers & less-educated ppl benefited most.
nytimes.com/2020/05/04/opi… /1
In our new research, @Adam_Bonica, @JakeMGrumbach, @HakeemJefferson & I find that all-mail voting in Colorado increased turnout by nearly 10 pp—a huge increase.
Youth, voters of color, blue-collar workers & less-educated ppl benefited most.
nytimes.com/2020/05/04/opi… /1
The coronavirus pandemic means voting in person is far less safe. Many states are considering all-mail voting instead, where every voter gets mailed a ballot. Colorado, which adopted mail voting in 2013, is the gold standard. /2
Our research shows that everyone benefits: every age, race, wealth group, occupation, level of education. All-mail voting makes it easier to vote, period.
But all-mail voting is *especially* good for people who've historically faced higher barriers to voting. /3
But all-mail voting is *especially* good for people who've historically faced higher barriers to voting. /3
Our research finds that young people benefit from all-mail voting more than any other age group. /4
Looking at race, all-mail voting increases turnout most for African Americans—we estimate a 13 percentage-point jump! /5
Blue-collar workers see a 10 percentage-point turnout increase from all-mail voting (probably because they no longer have to miss work to vote). /6
Looking at education, people without a high school diploma see the biggest gains from all-mail voting. 7/
Conducting elections by mail is especially good for poor people (as measured by household wealth). /8
In short: all-mail voting makes it easier for *everyone* to vote while reducing inequalities in turnout. Plus, it's the only safe, secure way to conduct elections during a pandemic. /9
Our conclusion: States must adopt mail voting in advance of the November 2020 elections. It’s critical for public safety and essential for a functional democracy. /10
Finally, here's the link to our @nytimes op-ed making the case for all-mail voting and sharing our research results: nytimes.com/2020/05/04/opi….
Here's the direct link to our working paper: dropbox.com/s/8n4zjvgmytim… /11
All feedback is very much welcome!
Here's the direct link to our working paper: dropbox.com/s/8n4zjvgmytim… /11
All feedback is very much welcome!
Thanks to @talmonsmith for yet another stellar editing job
