The Representational Consequences of Electronic Voting Reform: Evidence from Argentina

Description

Ballots and voting devices are fundamental tools in the electoral process. Despite their importance, scholars have paid little attention to the broader implications of voting procedures. The authors contend that ballots have significant implications for democratic representation, as they affect the cost associated with voting for citizens and electioneering for elites. This Element explains how ballot designs affect the behavior of voters, the performance of candidates, and the strategies of parties. The Element shows how voting procedures structure the likelihood of vote splitting and ballot roll-off. This in turn has implications for candidates. Focusing on gender and experience, the Element also shows how ballot form alters the salience of personal vote-earning attributes. With respect to political parties, ballot structure can shift the cost, strategies, and ultimately electoral fortunes of political parties. Finally, the Element discusses the profound implications ballot forms have for party campaigns and election outcomes. Cover Title page Copyright page The Representational Consequences of Electronic Voting Reform: Evidence from Argentina Contents 1 Introduction Ballot Design and Representational Consequences: Voters, Candidates, and Parties Exploiting an Incremental Ballot Reform: A Quasi-Experiment The Importance of Studying Ballot Structure Candidates and Parties Ballot Design in Comparative Perspective The Critical Impact of the Ballot 2 Electronic Voting in Salta: From Adoption to Implementation From Partisan Paper Ballots to Electronic Voting: The Case of Salta, Argentina The Partisan Paper Ballot The Electronic Ballot The Partial Rollout of Electronic Voting and Opportunities for Causal Inference Incremental Implementation of Electronic Voting: A Bureaucratic Process The Initial Placement of Electronic Devices and a Quasi-Experimental Design What Factors Explain the Initial Placement of Electronic Voting Machines? Systematically Predicting the Initial Placement of Electronic Voting Machines Conclusions 3 Disconnecting Races: The Behavioral Implications of Independent Choices The Consequences of Voting Procedures and Ballot Structures on the Choices of Voters Leveraging an Incremental Ballot Reform: A Quasi-Experiment The Influence of the Ballot Structure on Split-Ticket Voting The Influence of the Ballot Structure on Roll-Off Conclusions 4 The Rise of the Personal Vote: The Implications for Candidates Ballot Structure, Split-Ticket Voting, and the Fate of Down-Ballot Candidates The Influence of Careers: Amplifying the Incumbency Bonus Candidate Gender: An Uneven Playing Field? Assessing the Influence of Individual Attributes on the Performance of Candidates The Influence of the Ballot Structure on the Incumbency Advantage The Influence of the Ballot Structure on Women’s Opportunities Conclusions 5 The Decline of Territorial Machines: The Implications for Parties The Influence of Ballots on Campaign Strategies Measuring Vote Concentration in Legislative Elections The Geographical Implications of Ballot Reform Conclusions 6 The Consequences of Weakened Gubernatorial Coattails: The Implications for Small Parties Ballot Form and Electoral Coordination Estimating the Impact of the Ballot on Electoral Coordination The Influence of the Ballot Structure on Electoral Coordination Conclusions 7 Conclusions Redefining the Electoral Competition Refocusing the Electoral Connection Reforming Ballots across Argentina References Acknowledgments