Abstract
AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed all aspects of American life, including, for many, how we vote. We explore the question of who supports unrestricted absentee ballots during a pandemic. We argue that women are more likely to support absentee ballots because they allow for greater flexibility and minimize the potential for exposure. We test this theory using the National Panel Study of COVID-19 (n = 1,892), which asked respondents about their preferences for absentee ballots, their worry about the coronavirus, and their household composition. Using multinomial logistic regressions, we find that women are more likely to support allowing absentee ballots compared with more restrictive voting options and are more likely to say they support absentee ballots for all if they know someone who has contracted COVID-19. The policy implications for these findings are discussed along with other sociodemographic indicators in our analysis.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed all aspects of American life, including, for many, how we vote
Who among the electorate supports mail voting in light of the COVID19 pandemic? We argue that women are, in general, more likely to support mail voting primarily because it allows for greater flexibility and because they may be more concerned with the potential spread of the virus and the impact it may have on their families
We use survey data from the National Panel Study of COVID-19, a multi-wave panel survey conducted in March, April, and June 2020.4 Respondents were asked several behavioral and attitudinal questions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed all aspects of American life, including, for many, how we vote. We argue that women are more likely to support absentee ballots because they allow for greater flexibility and minimize the potential for exposure. This entails changes in behavior by people and adjustments by governments to minimize social interactions among their citizens. We argue that women are, in general, more likely to support mail voting primarily because it allows for greater flexibility and because they may be more concerned with the potential spread of the virus and the impact it may have on their families Who among the electorate supports mail voting in light of the COVID19 pandemic? We argue that women are, in general, more likely to support mail voting primarily because it allows for greater flexibility and because they may be more concerned with the potential spread of the virus and the impact it may have on their families
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