New research examines how voter purges affect election participation.
This study analyzes Florida's 2012 effort to purge suspected non-citizens from its voter rolls. The question addressed: Would this perceived attack increase voting rates?
Using difference-in-difference and matching analyses, the findings reveal a positive effect of being challenged during the purge process—especially for Hispanic voters.
Implications:
✅ Perceived attacks on franchise can paradoxically motivate participation
✅ Existing voter rolls should be carefully protected from unnecessary challenges
The study suggests that psychological reactance theory helps explain increased voting rates among those targeted by election administration changes.
| Does Threatening their Franchise Make Registered Voters More Likely to Participate? Evidence from an Aborted Voter Purge was authored by Daniel R. Biggers and Daniel A. Smith. It was published by Cambridge in BJPS in 2020. |
