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When Did the Campaign End? An Examination of the Timing of Vote Returnsin the 2008 General Election in Washington State

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2012

Kevin A. Pirch
Kevin A. Pirch*
Affiliation:
Eastern Washington University
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Abstract

During the past decade the United States has seen an increase in alternative formsto Election Day voting, including voting by mail. Voting by mail has spurred anumber of studies concerning the effects it has on voter turnout and other aspectsof voting. However, one important facet of voting by mail has not been examined—whenpeople decide to send in their vote. Because ballots are mailed out weeks before theelection, voting by mail creates, in effect, a rolling Election Day. This could haveprofound effects for campaigns as candidates must determine when to use campaignresources and campaign to an electorate who might have already voted. Using datafrom the 2008 general election in Washington State, this study examines when votersturned in their ballots and determines if age, partisanship, or other factors play arole in the timing of turning in a ballot.

Type
Features
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , October 2012 , pp. 711 - 715
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2012 

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