The Effects of Eligibility Restrictions and Party Activity on Absentee Voting and Overall Turnout

Theory: The effects of party activity and permissive absentee eligibility on levels of absentee voting and overall turnout are explored. Hypotheses: Liberalizing absentee eligibility reduces the costs of voting while giving political interests a new way of mobilizing supporters and stimulating overall turnout. Methods: Data from the 1992 Current Population Survey and from the author's survey of state party organizations are analyzed using a logistic regression. Results: A state-by-state comparison demonstrates that levels of absentee voting are not solely a function of restrictive state laws but reflect other influences, including the efforts of state parties to send out absentee ballot applications. Controlling for the influences of state registration laws, the data indicate that overall turnout is increased only when liberalization of absentee voter eligibility is combined with party mobilization efforts. The implications of this change for American electoral politics are discussed.