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Election-Year Stimuli and the Timing of Voter Registration

University of Maryland, Department of Government, 3140 Tydings Hall, College Park, Maryland, USA 20742, jgimpel{at}gvpt.umd.edu

Joshua J. Dyck

University at Buffalo, Department of Political Science, 520 Park Hall (North Campus), Buffalo, New York 14260, USA, jdyck{at}buffalo.edu

Daron R. Shaw

University of Texas, Austin, Department of Government, Campus Mail A-1800, Austin, Texas 78712, USA, dshaw{at}jeeves.la.utexas.edu

Despite less stringent requirements and more convenient access, 24 percent of the age-eligible United States population remained unregistered in 2000. While this proportion dropped in 2004, a large share of registrants still failed to cast ballots in the Bush—Kerry contest. With the outcome of national elections hinging on a percentage point or two in recent years, attention has once again been focused on registration and mobilization activity. But while we know a great deal about turnout, there is little systematic knowledge about how election-related stimuli may influence voter registration. We examine the registration dates and official turnout records for individuals from counties in six states for the 2000 election. We find that a surprising number of voters register in the year of the election, and that key dates and campaign events frequently coincide with surges in registration. In addition, we demonstrate that later registrants are relatively more likely to vote.

Key Words: party mobilization • political participation • presidential elections • voter registration • voting

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