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3 results

  • 1 - Introduction

  • Erik J. Engstrom, University of California, Davis, Jason M. Roberts, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Book:
    The Politics of Ballot Design
    Published online:
    27 November 2020
    Print publication:
    17 December 2020, pp 1-14

  • Summary

    This chapter provides and overview of the book and uses the case of the 2013 election reform bill in North Carolina to illustrate the key arguments of the manuscript.Partisan majorities in states often change laws regarding the ballot format to help them remain in power.This chapter also describes the basic ballot types used in the U.S. and summarizes the findings of each chapter.

  • 5 - Ballot Architecture in the Contemporary Partisan Era

  • Erik J. Engstrom, University of California, Davis, Jason M. Roberts, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Book:
    The Politics of Ballot Design
    Published online:
    27 November 2020
    Print publication:
    17 December 2020, pp 92-129

  • Summary

    This chapter provides detailed case studies of recent ballot reform efforts in Michigan and North Carolina.These states have detailed data on the level of straight ticket voting by county. These data are used to demonstrate how county characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and poverty interact with straight ticket voting and ballot rolloff.We find a strong connection between straight-ticket voting, minority populations, and ballot rolloff.This chapter concludes with analysis of recent changes in Iowa and West Virginia.The findings for Iowa suggest that the effects of ballot design changes are muted in areas that have lower proportions of non-white residents and that are less densely populated.

The Politics of Ballot Design
  • How States Shape American Democracy
  • Erik J. Engstrom, Jason M. Roberts
  • Published online:
    27 November 2020
    Print publication:
    17 December 2020
  • US federalism grants state legislators the authority to design many aspects of election administration, including ballot features that mediate how citizens understand and engage with the choices available to them when casting their votes. Seemingly innocuous features in the physical design of ballots, such as the option to cast a straight ticket with a single checkmark, can have significant aggregate effects. Drawing on theoretical insights from behavioral economics and extensive data on state ballot laws from 1888 to the present, as well as in-depth case studies, this book shows how strategic politicians use ballot design to influence voting and elections, drawing comparisons across different periods in American history with varying levels of partisanship and contention. Engstrom and Roberts demonstrate the sweeping impact of ballot design on voting, elections, and democratic representation.