Abstract
Our study investigates the performance of vote centers in two counties that adopted them in 2020. Vote centers allow voters to cast their ballots at any polling location. These cases offer two different contexts in terms of state legal requirements and oversight. Fresno County adopted vote centers in compliance with the California Voter’s Choice Act, while St. Louis County implemented vote centers without any state guidelines beyond those for traditional in-person voting. In this study, we focus on voter and poll worker awareness and evaluation of vote centers and voter perceptions of the electoral environment and their experience under the vote center model. We find largely positive evaluations and strong preferences for vote centers in both counties. Nevertheless, we observe some key differences in voting experiences reflecting the different local circumstances and legal environments in the two jurisdictions, including differences in wait times and difficulty finding voting locations. While many jurisdictions may wait until state law allows vote centers, this study shows that local election officials can adapt the system to local conditions and implement it successfully without state guidance. These are important considerations given the increasing number of jurisdictions considering vote centers.
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