Early Voting and the Timing of the Vote: Unanticipated Consequences of Electoral Reform

There is a movement among states to facilitate voting by establishing early voting periods. Does early voting increase turnout? If so, is turnout affected uniformly throughout the electorate? Using actual voting records from one county in eastern Tennessee, this article examines the impact of early voting on turnout and the characteristics of the voting electorate. The authors find a twofold effect. First, early voting increases the likelihood of voting for less active registered voters in the older age cohort. Second, early voting shifts the timing of the vote among a segment of the electorate, specifically older voters.