An analysis of the permanent vote-by-mail (VBM) option, through which voters may submit a VBM request and complete all future elections through mail.  The article investigates the effects of lowering the cost of signing up for VBM and the type of voter that uses the low-cost option.

Results stem from a field experiment and survey supplement conducted in San Joaquin County, California during the 2008 state primary election.  The authors found that:

• Lowering the cost of VBM sign-up significantly increases the likelihood of a voter employing this option
• Groups generally associated with higher voter turnout (educated, high-income, English-speaking, Caucasian) are more likely to adopt VBM through the low-cost option than groups generally associated with lower voter turnout (less educated, low income, non-white, non-English speaking)

Links

• University of California, Merced