Turnout Deserts

• In Event: Voting and geography

Brief Overview

We use a nationwide voter file to map the local dynamics of turnout in the US. We show that many communities are “turnout deserts”—areas where few to no people vote. Racial minorities are much more likely to live in a turnout desert than whites.

Authors

• John Boschen Holbein, University of Virginia

• Michael J. Barber, Brigham Young University-Provo