Early voting policies lead to lower voter turnout according to a new study conducted by UW-Madison political science professors in conjunction with the Government Accountability Board.
The study examined voter turnout in states where citizens may either vote on Election Day or through an early voting option. If implemented in Wisconsin, early voting would allow citizens to cast their ballots as early as September or October, Barry Burden, UW-Madison political science professor, said.
Although this alternative to Election Day voting is more convenient for some, the study found this option might not increase voter turnout, which is the desired effect.
""It probably does help some people get to the polls that would not otherwise vote, but on net, we think it lowers turnout,"" Burden said. ""It certainly doesn't increase it.""
Burden said Election Day turnout decreases if the hype surrounding a singular Election Day disappears.
""If you have everyone voting on Election Day, it is an exciting, stimulating event that brings everyone out to the polls,"" he said.
Burden estimates that between 10 and 20 percent of Wisconsin voters take advantage of the in-person absentee system, where residents can vote in the weeks before the election on an absentee ballot.
Currently, clerks must collect and hold absentee ballots then retrieve them from their respective envelopes on Election Day. The clerks act like voters and wait in line with other voters to feed the ballots into the machines, Burden said.
In-person absentee ballots may be replaced by early voting in some municipalities.
Creating an early voting system would allow voters to feed their ballots into the tabulation machine directly, cutting down on administrative costs. Like absentee votes, these ballots would not be tabulated until Election Day.
Although this system may seem to have many advantages, overall, Burden said it may only solve cost or convenience problems.
""If you're interested in maximizing voter participation, we would not say early voting is the way to do it,"" he said.
