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The Human Dimension of Elections

How Poll Workers Shape Public Confidence in Elections

University of Utah, thad.hall{at}poli-sci.utah.edu

J. Quin Monson

Brigham Young University, Quin.Monson{at}byu.edu

Kelly D. Patterson

Brigham Young University, Kelly_Patterson{at}byu.edu

Voting technologies received considerable scrutiny after the 2000 election. However, the voter—poll worker interaction is also of critical importance. Poll workers exercise discretion and implement policies in ways that directly affect the voting experience. The authors examine the relationship between voters’ perceptions of the poll worker job performance and measures of voter confidence. In an ordered logit model, the perception of poll workers is a significant predictor of voter confidence even in the presence of numerous controls. The results suggest that overlooking the recruitment and training of competent poll workers can have a detrimental effect on voter confidence.

Key Words: elections and voting behavior • public opinion and political participation • public administration

This version was published on September 1, 2009

Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 3, 507-522 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1065912908324870


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