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Can the College Vote Turn Out?: Evidence from the U.S. States, 2000–08

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Jesse Richman
Affiliation:
Old Dominion University
Andrew Pate
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University

Abstract

College students in the U.S. have long faced barriers to college town registration and voting. Arguably, these barriers raise the costs associated with electoral participation for students living away from home. Despite ongoing debate about where students should vote, the extent to which college town restrictions limit participation by students has never been estimated. This article is the first to demonstrate that college town registration barriers implemented by the U.S. states reduce participation in national elections.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

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