Study Refutes Beliefs about Punch-card Voting

Media Relations, University of Missouri-Kansas City ^ | Jan. 12, 2001 | Heather Haas

[Doctor Raoul]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 12, 2001 #350
Contact: Heather Haas
(816) 235-1601

Study Refutes Beliefs about Punch-card Voting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In the wake of the 2000 presidential election, two widespread perceptions emerged: that punch-card voting equipment was prevalent in counties with a large minority population and that members of lower economic classes are more likely to use punch card and other antiquated balloting equipment.

A study authored by Martha Kropf, assistant professor of political science at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Stephen Knack, associate fellow with the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector at the University of Maryland, contradicts these beliefs. "Who Uses Inferior Voting Technology?" concludes that there is "little support for the view that resource constraints cause poorer counties with large minority populations to retain antiquated or inferior voting equipment."

The study analyzed county-level Census data combined with voting equipment data from Election Data Services, Inc. In a state-by-state analysis, the authors found that in a majority of states, whites, the non-poor and Republican voters are more likely to reside in punch-card counties than African-Americans, the poor and Democratic voters.

Other key findings of the study include:

o Nationally, racial differences in punch-card use are negligible because 31.9 percent of whites and 31.4 percent of African-Americans live in counties that use this voting technology.

o African-Americans are more likely than whites to live in counties that use electronic voting or lever machines, in which "overvoting" is impossible if the equipment is programmed correctly.

o Hispanics are more likely to live in punch-card counties than blacks or whites, but this disparity is attributable entirely to the use of punch-card voting in Los Angeles County. In most states, whites are actually more likely than Hispanics to live in punch-card counties.

o Based on national presidential voting patterns in 1996, Democratic and Republican voters were equally likely to live in punch-card counties. Unluckily for Vice President Al Gore, Florida happened to be one of the few states in which Democratic voters were substantially more likely than Republicans to vote using punch card technology.

o Counties with punch card systems tend to have higher incomes, higher tax revenues, and larger populations than do counties with more modern voting equipment.

o In counties using electronic voting systems -- the most expensive type -- per capita incomes and property tax revenues are actually lower than in counties using punch card or any other voting technology.

o Controlling for county size and other variables, a larger African-American population significantly reduces the probability that a county uses punch-card voting equipment.

The study addresses only the question of who uses punch-card and other voting systems, and does not explore the question of why punch-card voting is associated with a greater number of invalidated ballots in precincts with larger numbers of poor persons and minorities. Nor does it take a position on any of the other political or legal controversies surrounding the election in Florida.

For more information, call Kropf at (816) 235-5948 or Knack at (202) 458-9712. People with speech or hearing impairments may call Relay Missouri at (800) 735-2966 (TT) or (800) 735-2466 (voice).

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UMKC University Communications Media Relations

bytes@umkc.edu   newsbureau@umkc.edu

[Chad Fairbanks]

Agreed. On both.

[vaudine]

Good grief! Let's not let facts get in the way of the lib agenda.

vaudine

[agrace]

It's unbelievable isn't it. Fox News said today that "the ACLU successfully argued that African-Americans were most likely to make mistakes on punch-card ballots...although the ACLU has no idea why this is."

Anyone besides the ACLU makes that kind of claim and they're called racist.

[Torie]

The 9th circuit relying on a ACLU hack professor who works for a touchscreen manufacturer who wants to replace punchcards is all over the news. The circuit is taking briefs for a rehearing, which would be en banc with I think 11 justices (maybe 9). This is probably the only way to get this thing reversed.