IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/socsci/v103y2022i2p380-398.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Waiting to vote safely: How Covid‐19 safety measures shaped in‐person voter wait times during the 2020 election

Author

Listed:
  • Joseph Coll

Abstract

Objective The aim of this article is to assess the impact of Covid‐19 safety measures on voter wait times during the 2020 U.S. election. Methods Multinomial logistic regression models predicting voter wait times contingent on the presence of Covid safety measures: poll workers wearing face coverings, protective barriers separating voters and workers, voters and booths socially distanced, hand sanitizer, single‐use ballot marking pens, and cleaning voting booths between voters, as well as an additive index of these measures. Results Findings suggest Covid‐safety measures significantly affected voter wait times. Effects vary by Covid safety feature, with face coverings, barriers, social distancing, and cleaning booths increasing voter wait times (typically around 10–30 min), single‐use pens decreasing voter wait times, and hand sanitizer having no effect. Results are further confirmed using an additive index. Conclusion Covid safety features likely increased voter wait times during the 2020 U.S. election, potentially accounting for a portion of the increased voter wait time, compared to previous elections.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph Coll, 2022. "Waiting to vote safely: How Covid‐19 safety measures shaped in‐person voter wait times during the 2020 election," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 103(2), pages 380-398, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:103:y:2022:i:2:p:380-398
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.13124
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13124
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ssqu.13124?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ben Jann, 2014. "A new command for plotting regression coefficients and other estimates," German Stata Users' Group Meetings 2014 09, Stata Users Group.
    2. Robert M. Stein & Greg Vonnahme, 2012. "When, Where, and How We Vote: Does it Matter?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 93(3), pages 692-712, September.
    3. Ben Jann, 2014. "Plotting regression coefficients and other estimates," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 14(4), pages 708-737, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zsuzsa Lábiscsák-Erdélyi & Ilona Veres-Balajti & Annamária Somhegyi & Karolina Kósa, 2022. "Self-Esteem Is Independent Factor and Moderator of School-Related Psychosocial Determinants of Life Satisfaction in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, May.
    2. Adongo, Jonathan O., 2017. "Legal jurisdiction, director liability law, and venture capitalists’ equity stakes in Africa," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 78-93.
    3. Graml, Regine & Hagen, Tobias & Ziegler, Yvonne & Khachatryan, Kristine & Herman, Ricky Astrida, 2020. "Lesbische Frauen in der Arbeitswelt: The L-Word in Business," Working Paper Series 15, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business and Law.
    4. David Roodman, 2022. "Schooling and Labor Market Consequences of School Construction in Indonesia: Comment," Papers 2207.09036, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2024.
    5. József Tóth & Giuseppina Rizzo, 2020. "Search Strategies in Innovation Networks: The Case of the Hungarian Food Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-18, February.
    6. Frenzel Baudisch, Coletta & Dresselhaus, Carolin, 2019. "Impact of the German Real Estate Transfer Tax on the Commercial Real Estate Market," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203494, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Rambotti, Simone, 2020. "Is there a relationship between welfare-state policies and suicide rates? Evidence from the U.S. states, 2000–2015," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    8. Jakob, Martina & Combet, Benita, 2020. "Educational aspirations and decision-making in a context of poverty. A test of rational choice models in El Salvador," SocArXiv w9bkq, Center for Open Science.
    9. Zhao, Yuejun, 2023. "Job displacement and the mental health of households: Burden sharing counteracts spillover," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Frenzel Baudisch, Coletta & Dresselhaus, Carolin, 2018. "Impact of the German real estate transfer: Tax on the commercial real estate market," Finanzwissenschaftliche Arbeitspapiere 100, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften.
    11. Latikka, Rita & Koivula, Aki & Oksa, Reetta & Savela, Nina & Oksanen, Atte, 2022. "Loneliness and psychological distress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relationships with social media identity bubbles," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    12. Lars Müller & Daniel Klein, 2023. "Social Inequality in Dropout from Higher Education in Germany. Towards Combining the Student Integration Model and Rational Choice Theory," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(2), pages 300-330, March.
    13. Diriwaechter, Patric & Shvartsman, Elena, 2018. "The anticipation and adaptation effects of intra- and interpersonal wage changes on job satisfaction," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 116-140.
    14. Pascarn R. Dickinson & Philip S. Morrison, 2022. "Aversion to Local Wellbeing Inequality is Moderated by Social Engagement and Sense of Community," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 907-926, February.
    15. Li, Jianghong & Bünning, Mareike & Kaiser, Till & Hipp, Lena, 2022. "Who suffered most? Parental stress and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany [Wer leidet am stärksten? Erziehungsstress und psychische Belastungen bei Eltern während der COVID-19 Pa," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 281-309.
    16. Jalini Kaushalya Galabada, 2022. "Towards the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger: What Role Do Institutions Play?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, April.
    17. Damien Rousselière & Thomas Coisnon & Anne Musson & Samira Rousselière, 2023. "Following Pauline advice? A short note on moderate alcohol consumption and subjective well‐being in Europe," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(4), pages 1333-1351, October.
    18. Gustavo J. Bobonis & Luis Raúl Cámara Fuertes & Harold J. Toro & Julie Wilson, 2021. "Development and Decay: Political Organization, Economic Conditions, and Municipal Corruption in Puerto Rico, 1952-2015," Working Papers tecipa-687, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    19. Auspurg, Katrin & Schneck, Andreas & Thiel, Fabian, 2020. "Different samples, different results? How sampling techniques affect the results of field experiments on ethnic discrimination," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 0.
    20. Renee Luthra & Lucinda Platt, 2021. "Are UK immigrants selected on education, skills, health and social networks?," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2103, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:103:y:2022:i:2:p:380-398. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0038-4941 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.