Does Early Voting Change the Socio‐Economic Composition of the Electorate?

Abstract

AbstractPolitical representation should be a key issue for poverty scholars. Schattschneider said more than 30 years ago, “[t]he flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper‐class accent.” How do election reforms affect the composition of the electorate? In 2005, Adam Berinsky made the argument that election reforms such as early voting magnify the existing socioeconomic bias in the electorate. This occurs because early voting may retain those who comprise the highest SES, rather than stimulating the turnout of new voters who may be of lower SES status. This paper advances a test of Berinsky's hypothesis by examining early voting in North Carolina in 2008 using the state's voter registration database. The analysis shows that despite on‐the‐ground mobilization efforts, those who voted early were primarily those of higher income who had been registered a long time, though they were not necessarily those who had voted habitually in the past. Normatively, this work raises questions about who has access to the franchise and who appears to be left behind.