“The quiet revolution”: convenience voting, vote centers, and turnout in Texas elections

Abstract

ABSTRACT Polling place consolidation makes administering voting easier but scholars question the effect on turnout. Vote centers (which consolidate polling locations) are theoretically less expensive to administer and convenient for many voters, but less is known about the impacts on specific racial communities or across election cycles. Using Texas’ registered voters’ list from the Secretary of State’s Voting Division, this paper uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to calculate estimated driving distances from each registered voter’s residence to a vote center location. The results show that the displacement of traditional precinct-level voting and the increase in distance between polling locations takes a greater toll on voter turnout for voters in midterm (but not presidential) elections and rural counties with more Latino voters. The implications demonstrate that vote centers can boost turnout in some elections but that the location of vote centers significantly effects turnout among ethnic minorities.