RAPID: Collaborative Research: The Integrity of Mail Voting

鉴于COVID-19疫情导致邮寄投票（VBM）的使用增加，调查人员重点关注邮寄投票者如何寻找，获取，完成，返回和计算邮寄选票的经验。他们研究公民的看法，使用VBM的选举的完整性，通过评估VBM的制度结构的变化，VBM的过程中的保密性，以及VBM选民可能面临的来自他们的同龄人群体的胁迫的关注。调查人员使用了以州为中心的调查设计，其中包括10个州的过样本，这些州混合了VBM系统。过度抽样是重要的，并提供额外的统计权力和杠杆有关国家选举管理和法律。样本仅包括在2020年选举中通过邮件投票的登记选民。使用Qualtrics软件在线征求调查。各州登记选民的电子邮件地址将从L2购买。调查人员在40个州完成了200项在线调查，在10个州完成了1,000项在线调查，沿着这些州各有100名选民，总样本为23000人。这项研究提供了一个基线的关注选民的完整性有关的邮件投票。此外，它还确定了其他邮寄投票系统在何时、何地以及由谁填写和退回邮寄选票方面是否有所不同。该项目应告知学者和决策者在VBM政策管理的几个领域。这项研究的结果对增加公众对村代表选举程序的信心也很有价值。该研究涉及合作研究的所有三个校区的本科研究人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Given the increase use of vote by mail (VBM) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the investigators focus on mail-in voters' experience with how they seek, obtain, complete, return and have their mail ballots counted. They examine citizens' perceptions about the integrity of elections using VBM by assessing concerns about variation in the institutional structures of VBM, the secrecy of VBM the process, and the coercion that VBM voters may face from their peer group. The investigators use a state-centric survey design that includes an oversample in 10 states that have a mixture of VBM systems. The oversample is important and gives additional statistical power and leverage about state election administration and laws. The sample consist of only registered voters who report voting by mail in the 2020 election. Surveys are solicited online using Qualtrics software. E-mail addresses for registered voters by state will be purchased from L2. The investigators completed 200 online surveys with mail voters in 40 states, and 1,000 with mail voters in 10 states, along with 100 in-person voters in each these states, for a total sample of 23,000. This research provides a baseline for concerns about voter integrity related to mail balloting. Furthermore, it establishes whether alternative mail voting systems differ in terms of when, where, and with whom mail ballots are completed and returned. This project should inform scholars and policy makers in several areas of VBM policy administration. Findings from the study are also valuable in increasing public confidence in VBM election procedures. The research involves undergraduate researchers at all three campuses of the collaborative study.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.