Local Election Experiences During the Pandemic

• In Event: Local Election Administration and the Voter Experience

Abstract

This proposal tackles three specific concerns about the U.S. election system that have been that have become unavoidably acute during the COVID-19 pandemic: local administrative capacity, supply of poll workers, and the need for physical voting locations. Understanding all three concerns will help to inform policy makers and election officials as they prepare for conducting effective elections in emergency situations. Focusing on the battleground state of Wisconsin, I conduct surveys of the state’s municipal clerks and a representative sample of the state’s adult residents.

First, the pandemic may cause officials to rethink what level of government should be most responsible for running elections. Wisconsin is one of the most decentralized election systems in the country. Whereas most states operate elections at the county level under the direction of a Secretary of State, every one of the 1,853 municipalities in Wisconsin has its own clerk responsible for aspects of election administration. Many municipal clerks have historically resisted centralizing election duties. A 2009 survey found that only 27% of them believed “county clerks should play a larger role in election administration” and just 16% believed that “more centralized election administration would be best.” It is possible that administrative stresses of the current pandemic have changed clerks’ perspectives about the merits of county versus municipal control. To gather systematic evidence about clerks’ opinions, I survey all the state’s local election officials to ask them about the trade-offs of municipal versus county responsibility for various election functions. By investigating each function separately, the survey can reveal if areas such as poll worker training are seen as best handled by municipalities whereas fulfilling absentee ballot requests may be best handled by counties.

Second, the pandemic may change how poll workers are recruited and training. Substantial human capital is needed to stage a general election even under normal circumstances. Older people are at greater health risk during the pandemic and are naturally reluctant to continue serving as poll workers as they did in the past. Some communities found replacements by relying on members of the National Guard, recruiting out-of-work bartenders, and reassigning employees from other sectors of municipal government. Questions on the survey provide insight into the challenges and tactics used by local officials to recruit and train poll workers in the unusual 2020 environment. These experiences are affected by the tremendous differences in the size of municipal government, the availability of partner institutions such as universities and National Guard units, and underlying community demographics that are likely to influence the number and kinds of poll workers available.

Third, the pandemic may affect the demand and supply of local polling places. I conduct a large-N survey of the Wisconsin electorate asking residents about their needs and preferences for in-person voting in an election where record numbers voted by mail. The survey reveals the situations voters face in an emergency environment that are not apparent in the official voter file where a person’s method of voting is recorded. For example, voters will disabilities that impede mobility might prefer a drop box or drive-up voting option that could be operated with little staff and at a low cost. The survey’s focus on topics related to disability, transportation, technology and voter confidence will provide valuable insight into willingness of voters to sacrifice

Author

• Barry C. Burden, University of Wisconsin