Greater Convenience But Not Greater Turnout

In this study, I evaluate the merits of the structural-legal theory of voter participation in light of the most recent voting reforms instituted in the states. Specifically, I determine the extent to which alternative voting methods such as unrestricted absentee voting, in-person early voting, election-day registration, and motor vehicle and mail registration actually increase turnout and attract participants to the electoral arena by making voting more convenient and reducing the “costs” of participation. In doing so, voter turnout is examined in federal elections across the 50 states and over the time period 1972-2002. Apooled cross-sectional time-series model with fixed effects is used to explore the aggregate, state-level data. Overall, the results reveal the relative weakness of the structural-legal theory with regard to explaining electoral participation and show that voter turnout in U.S. elections may be less about convenience and costs than expected.