Full Citation
Title: The Interaction Between Ranked-Choice Voting and Minority Voter Turnout in California Mayoral Elections
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2019
ISBN:
ISSN:
DOI: 10.17615/krke-gz13
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Abstract: This study analyzes the potential effect of certain electoral systems – more specifically, ranked-choice voting – on the proportion of racial minority candidates on a mayoral ballot. In particular, I am focusing my analysis on two cities in California – San Francisco and Oakland – that have implemented the ranked-choice voting system into their local elections during the early 21st century. I seek to answer the question: Comparing the various systems, how do different electoral systems explain the varying levels of racial minority descriptive representation? I am looking to investigate whether the evidence supports the FairVote campaign’s claim that ranked-choice voting will inherently lead to a larger proportion of minority candidates on the ballot, subsequently motivating more voters to turn out. While the study is directly measuring the proportion of minorities on the ballot as the dependent variable, my goal is to further discuss implications on voter behavior if significant conclusions from my study were to come to fruition. To answer the research question, I conduct a comparative study in which I match both San Francisco and Oakland to a city that utilizes a two-round system in order to demonstrate the expected outcome of proportion of minority candidates had San Francisco and Oakland not adopted ranked-choice voting. I then conduct two longitudinal studies: one for San Francisco and one for Oakland. The purpose of these longitudinal studies is to develop a trend in the increase or decrease of the proportion of minority candidates before and after implementation of ranked-choice voting. The chief finding of my study is relatively inconclusive; while San Francisco supported my hypothesis, Oakland contradicted my hypothesis.
Url: https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/honors_theses/cc08hk808
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Hall, Sara
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Department: Political Science
Advisor: Olivella, Santiago
Degree: Honors in Political Science
Publisher Location:
Pages: 30
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Other
Countries: United States