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Abstract

A persistent debate over the last two decades has been whether election night television broadcasts of election results influence the behavior of West Coast voters. Consistent with prior survey analyses of the question, a recent study relying upon aggregate data has also concluded that the 1980 election night network projections of a Reagan landslide had no measurable part in depressing the rate of participation among western voters. Using a different data base subjected to similar analytical methods, the following analysis concludes that there is considerable evidence of a decline in western voter turnout in 1980 that is attributable to the network television broadcasts. The unusual circumstances of the 1980 election that produced this anomalous result are then explored.

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ELECTION NIGHT PROJECTIONS AND VOTER TURNOUT IN THE WEST

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