Voters considering the Constitutional Amendment on the ballot this November and legislators considering what to do if it passes, need to pay heed to the facts and experience of early voting in other states. Common sense is not always a reliable guide.
Did you know early voting of all types (polling place, no-excuse absentee, and mail-in) actually reduces turn-out?
We have said it before, based on the best studies available. Early voting DECREASES turn-out. The only exception is that early voting coupled with election day registration does not decrease the turn-out generated by election day registration. (But in Connecticut we have a more time consuming, more effort election day registration than those states that have found it increases turn-out. Our bet is that election day registration done our way will have little impact on turn-out. We also warn that measuring its effect will be quite a challenge)
Unfortunately advocates and legislators rely on common sense, rather than the best research, e.g.: <read>
Rep. Livvy Floren of Greenwich, a former member of the Government Administration and Elections Committee who worked on the bill, was one of the two Republicans to vote for the proposal.
“I’m in favor of anything that increases voter participation,” she said. Floren said she received no pressure from her party to vote the other way.
