Since 1991, Texas has allowed early voting up to seventeen days prior to an election in traditional polling places, such as schools and government buildings, in addition to commonly frequented locations, such as grocery and convenient stores. This article investigates the correlation between early voting and voter turnout in the 1992 presidential election in Texas counties.
The authors analyze the data in regards to three questions:
- Who votes early?
- Does early voting increase turnout?
- Does early voting affect the outcome of partisan races?
The results indicate:
- Median income is positively correlated with voting early.
- Early voting has a small, positive affect on turnout.
- The Democratic party benefited the most from early voting, albeit very moderately.
Links
Stein, R. M., & García-Morcí, P. M. (1997). Voting Early but Not Often. Social Science Quarterly, 78(3), 657-671.