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Ranked Choice Voting and Youth Voter Turnout: The Roles of Campaign Civility and Candidate Contact
[journal article]
Abstract Ranked choice voting (RCV) has become increasing popular in the United States as more cities and states begin allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. This change in election system has been linked to increased campaign civility and mobilization, but with little evidence suggesting... view more
Ranked choice voting (RCV) has become increasing popular in the United States as more cities and states begin allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. This change in election system has been linked to increased campaign civility and mobilization, but with little evidence suggesting these benefits lead to increased voter turnout in the general population. This study argues that RCV elections may not increase overall voting but will increase youth voting. Considering young Americans, who have become increasingly pessimistic towards politics and are also heavily reliant on mobilization for participation, this study argues that increased campaign civility and mobilization may work to offset the negative feelings and lack of political engagement that plague young Americans. Using a matched study of individual level voter turnout for seven RCV and fourteen non-RCV local elections from 2013 and 2014, we find that there is no statistical difference in voting rates between RCV and plurality cities for the general public. Yet, in line with our hypotheses, younger voters are more likely to vote in RCV cities. Further, we find that increased contact in RCV elections accounts for a larger portion of the increased voter turnout compared to perceptions of campaign civility. Findings suggest RCV acts as a positive mobilizing force for youth voting through increasing campaign contact.... view less
Keywords
electoral system; United States of America; young adult; voting behavior; election campaign; political strategy
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
campaign civility; mobilization; ranked choice voting; voter turnout; youth voting
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 319-331
Journal
Politics and Governance, 9 (2021) 2
Issue topic
The Politics, Promise and Peril of Ranked Choice Voting
ISSN
2183-2463
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed