Elections in a Pandemic (2020-2021)

Background Before the coronavirus outbreak, many people thought that the November 2020 elections in the U.S. would feature record voter turnout. The pandemic has now forced us to ask whether the U.S. will be able to hold a safe and open election. Whose voices will - and whose will not - be heard in this unusual time? Democracy itself is being tested and reimagined during the pandemic, with political consequences that will likely outlast the public health threat of the virus. This is an ideal moment for research to seek solutions to protect public health and preserve democratic practices simultaneously. Project Description Building on research started in Summer 2020, this project team will investigate the challenges that the coronavirus outbreak poses to democratic electoral processes related to voter turnout and voting rights. Specific topics to be examined include: Preserving access to the ballot during a pandemic, particularly for at-risk citizens Protecting the health of voters and poll workers Preserving voting rights for students Reducing effects of provisional balloting Research questions, and the associated research methods, will be shaped by the team and will depend on student interest and skills. However, the entire team will work to: Examine and understand known challenges based on sources such as prior scholarly research, and first-person, activist, media and expert accounts Consider novel uncertainties Analyze data already gathered and available through public records Team members will analyze large secondary datasets as well as batches of microdata at the precinct level to examine what is known about past elections, including who has voted (measured in terms of categories, such as geographic location, age and voting history), where and how they have voted (e.g., early voting, election-day voting, absentee ballots, provisional ballots) and how their votes have been counted (e.g., which provisional ballots have been counted, which have not). This data will be used to make projections about electoral participation in the coming election, to forecast factors such as crowding risk at polling sites and to issue recommendations regarding polling locations, participant distancing and staffing needs. Subgroups of the team will also interview and survey individuals involved with, or affected by, the balloting and voting practices being studied to understand how the present circumstances may alter past precedent. The team will develop deliverables that directly address some of the key challenges confronting democracy in this pandemic, including strategies for recruiting young people to work in polling places and maximizing access to the ballot while minimizing public health risks. Team members will work in collaboration with nonpartisan partners such as the Board of Elections officials and You Can Vote, a nonprofit organization that provides voter education to North Carolinians, to implement this research during the fall election. Anticipated Outputs Data analysis and best practice recommendations for nonpartisan public officials; post-election analysis and recommendations for strengthening civic engagement; publication of findings