Who Misvotes? The Effect of Differential Cognition Costs on Election Outcomes

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Shue, Kelly; Luttmer, Erzo F. P.
• 署名单位: Harvard University; Harvard University; National Bureau of Economic Research
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.1.1.229
• 发表日期: 2009
• 页码: 229-257
• 关键词: california recall election; palm-beach county; presidential-election; voting technology; ballot position; voided ballots; BEHAVIOR; VOTE

摘要

If voters have negligible cognition costs, ballot layout should not affect election outcomes. We explore deviations from rational voting using quasi-random variation in candidate name placement on ballots from the 2003 California recall election. We find that minor candidates' vote shares almost double when their names are adjacent to the names of major candidates. All else equal, vote share gains are larger in precincts with higher percentages of poorly educated, poor, or third-party voters. A major candidate that disproportionally attracts voters from such precincts faces an electoral disadvantage. We also explore which voting technology platforms and brands mitigate misvoting. (JEL D72)