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

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.

FIGURE 1

The marginal effect of Covid safety measures on voter wait times (1/2). Marginal effects plot shown with 95 percent confidence intervals. Results from multinomial logistic regression with robust standard errors clustered by state (see Table 2 and Table C1 in Appendix C)

FIGURE 2

The marginal effect of Covid safety measures on voter wait times (2/2). Marginal effects plot shown with 95 percent confidence intervals. Results from multinomial logistic regression with robust standard errors clustered by state (see Table 2 and Table C1 in Appendix C)

FIGURE 3

The marginal effect of Covid safety index (range 0–6) on voter wait times. Marginal effects plot shown with 95 percent confidence intervals. Results from multinomial logistic regression with robust standard errors clustered by state (see Table 2 and Table C2 in Appendix C)