Early voting, direct democracy, and voter mobilization

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate whether direct democracy campaign contact can stimulate peripheral voter usage of early voting options, thereby helping to equalize rates of electoral participation between core and peripheral voter groups. Using voter survey data from the 2016 US presidential election in Escambia County, Florida, the analysis shows that while core voters tend to use early voting options, peripheral voters contacted by a direct democracy campaign can be mobilized into voting absentee. This result suggests that direct democracy reforms, and the ballot measure campaigns accompanying them, can help bring about a more representative electorate.