Collaborative Research: Causes and Consequences of the American Ballot

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

The US Constitution delegates election administration largely to the states. Although the Congress has occasionally stepped in to standardize electoral procedure--such as mandating that federal elections take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even numbered years--states have largely been free to establish and change their election laws. As a result, state election procedures vary widely: rules differ on ballot access for potential candidates, voting machine technology, legislative districting, and registration requirements. Although each of these features holds interest, this project homes in on another, equally important, electoral institution: the form and structure of election ballots. The physical format of the ballot varies considerably across states. Some states line up candidates in party columns, whereas others list candidates by office. Some provide for party emblems at the top of the ballot, whereas others provide a box at the top of the ballot allowing voters to cast a straight ticket with one check-mark. As the 2000 presidential election demonstrated, these physical differences can have remarkable consequences. This project addresses the following questions: What factors explain the decisions of state legislatures to adopt a particular ballot format? When do state legislatures change ballot formats? What are the consequences of these decisions on elections, candidates, and electoral competition? The intellectual merit of this project lies in its capacity to advance understanding of the causes of ballot format changes and provide evidence of the effects of these changes on political competition and legislative behavior. The investigators will collect an original dataset listing the precise dates when ballot laws were changed, the nature of those changes, the partisan composition of the enacting legislature, and, where available, the legislative roll-call votes on the passage of the new format. These data will shed light on the forces behind ballot law changes. The data will also permit assessment of the effect of ballot formats on election outcomes, party competition, and representative behavior in both the US Congress and state legislatures. This project also has several broader implications. The project enhances understanding of how democratic institutions are created and how they affect the practical workings of elections and representation. The research will also provide an important new database to social scientists working in several fields, which in turn should foster innovation in the study of elections and legislative representation. The research and its findings hold interest for those in the electoral law community, including election administrators, legal scholars, and lawyers.