The relationship between in-person voting and COVID-19: Evidence from the Wisconsin primary.

On April 7, 2020, Wisconsin held its presidential primary election, and news reports showed long lines of voters due to fewer polling locations. We use county-level variation in voting patterns and weekly county-level COVID test data to examine whether in-person voting increased COVID-19 cases. We find a statistically significant association between in-person voting density and the spread of COVID-19 2-3 weeks after the election. In our main results, a 10% increase in in-person voters per polling location is associated with an 18.4% increase in the COVID-19 positive test rate 2-3 weeks later.

Sexually transmitted infections with semi-anonymous matching.

We analyze the spread of sexually transmitted infections in an environment where individuals search for a sexual partner and, when found, cannot verify whether his partner is infected. Decisions are based on a variety of factors including the proportion infected, the likelihood of safe sex, the rate of detection and treatment, the cost of infection, and the length of search. The model demonstrates how directed search induces a separating equilibrium and, as a result, supports empirical evidence demonstrating the importance of sero-sorting. Furthermore, the model reinforces arguments that decreasing the costs of infection increases the infection rate. The model is calibrated, and the policy implications are analyzed within the context of men who have sex with men.