Abstract
Ranked choice voting (RCV) has become increasing popular in the United States as more cities and states begin allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. This change in election system has been linked to increased campaign civility and mobilization, but with little evidence suggesting these benefits lead to increased voter turnout in the general population. This study argues that RCV elections may not increase overall voting but will increase youth voting. Considering young Americans, who have become increasingly pessimistic towards politics and are also heavily reliant on mobilization for participation, this study argues that increased campaign civility and mobilization may work to offset the negative feelings and lack of political engagement that plague young Americans. Using a matched study of individual level voter turnout for seven RCV and fourteen non-RCV local elections from 2013 and 2014, we find that there is no statistical difference in voting rates between RCV and plurality cities for the general public. Yet, in line with our hypotheses, younger voters are more likely to vote in RCV cities. Further, we find that increased contact in RCV elections accounts for a larger portion of the increased voter turnout compared to perceptions of campaign civility. Findings suggest RCV acts as a positive mobilizing force for youth voting through increasing campaign contact.
Highlights
United States federalism gives wide latitude to state and local governments for the administration of their elec‐ tions
Though younger individuals are less likely to vote in both Ranked choice voting (RCV) and non‐RCV cities than older individuals, they are significantly more likely to vote in RCV cities compared to younger individuals in plurality elections
Can RCV elections be the uplifting and mobilizing force young individuals need to push them into voting? The evi‐ dence presented here suggests so
Summary
United States federalism gives wide latitude to state and local governments for the administration of their elec‐ tions. The structure of elections can vary drastically across states, counties, and even cities One such variation is whether elections are conducted under plurality, majority, or preferential voting rules. Despite the increased popularity of preferential elec‐ tions, few studies have investigated the effects of such systems on voter turnout comparatively, and even less so in the context of the United States. Perceptions of civility, and candidate con‐ tact efforts between preferential and plurality cities matched on key demographics to determine the extent to which preferential elections increase youth voting and whether civility or mobilization are key mechanisms of that increased turnout.
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