Voting in a Pandemic: COVID-19 and Primary Turnout in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Urban affairs review (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
; 2021.
Article
in English
| EuropePMC | ID: covidwho-1602302
ABSTRACT
We report the first study of the effect of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) on polling place consolidation and voting behavior. We draw upon individual-level observations from Milwaukee matched to similar observations in the surrounding municipalities to assess whether fewer polling places in the April 2020 presidential primary election decreased turnout in the city. We find polling place consolidation reduced overall turnout by about 8.7 points and reduced turnout among the Black population in the city by about 10 points. We conclude, based on these data, that polling place consolidation even accompanied by widespread absentee voting in the face of an emergency may result in disenfranchisement, particularly among Black voters.
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Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
EuropePMC
Language:
English
Journal:
Urban affairs review (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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