Rethinking the Vote

Maintaining the perception of fairness and equal access during elections assures the legitimacy of a democratic system. The U.S. in particular prides itself on its open and honest voting laws and procedures. However, the extraordinary closeness of the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore triggered a rare scrutiny of the election process. This highly disputed contest revealed problems with ballot design and order; access to the polls; votingmachines; absentee, military, and overseas ballots; election laws and the Electoral College; and judicial oversight of the voting process. It brought to light issues regarding political polling ingeneral, exit polls in particular, media projections and reporting, and even the election night "calling" of outcomes. Rethinking the Vote: The Politics and Prospects of American Election Reform centers on what can and should be learned about the processes of voting. Using the 2000 presidential election as a starting point, this collection of essays puts forth a constructive effort to learn from what transpired and to offer potential solutions for the future. Featuringwork by leading academics and participants in the real-world drama of the 2000 election, it examines the legal, political, and institutional problems of administering elections in the U.S. The book begins and endswith questions about the prospects and possibilities for reform. It takes a consistently pragmatic approach that recognizes both the constraints on and the opportunities for change in America's elaborate constitutional and political structures. Providing a useful mix of quantitative and qualitative data, Rethinking the Vote is ideal for undergraduate courses in American politics, American elections, public opinion and voting behavior, American political thought, campaigns andelections, presidential politics, and media and politics.

“"This is a fine collection, stimulated by the debacle of the 2000Presidential election and the ensuing litigation that culminated in Bush v.Gore, of articles dealing with election reform. The book has academic depth, butalso many practical suggestions. The variety of perspectives and the distinctionof the authors are notable."--Richard A. Posner, Judge, United States SeventhCircuit Court of Appeals, and University of Chicago Law School”

"This is a fine collection of articles dealing with election reform. The book has academic depth, but also many practical suggestions. The variety of perspectives and the distinction of the authors are notable."--Richard A. Posner, Judge, United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and University of Chicago Law School"The strong interdisciplinary and comparative focus of Rethinking the Vote guarantees that it will influence scholarship in a variety of fields and policy at all levels of government. The timeliness of its subject matter and excellent selection of topics ensure that it will contribute not only to academic scholarship, but it will also shape the views of legislators and editorial writers and attract the interest of citizens trying to put the 2000 election in alarger context."--Elizabeth Garrett, University of Chicago"This is a fine collection, stimulated by the debacle of the 2000 Presidential election and the ensuing litigation that culminated in Bush v. Gore, of articles dealing with election reform. The book has academic depth, but also many practical suggestions. The variety of perspectives and the distinction of the authors are notable."--Richard A. Posner, Judge, United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and University of Chicago LawSchool"In this thought-provoking collection of essays, a diverse group of eminent scholars, journalists, government officials, and other experts in elections provide stimulating new perspectives on the importance and vulnerability of the vote in the United States. The strong interdisciplinary and comparative focus of Rethinking the Vote guarantees that it will influence scholarship in a variety of fields and policy at all levels of government. The timelinessof its subject matter and excellent selection of topics ensure that it will contribute not only to academic scholarship, but it will also shape the views of legislators and editorial writers and attract theinterest of citizens trying to put the 2000 election in a larger context."--Elizabeth Garrett, Professor of Law, University of Chicago

Ann N. Crigler is at University of Southern California. Marion R. Just is at Wellesley College.

Maintaining the perception of fairness and equal access during elections assures the legitimacy of a democratic system. The U.S. in particular prides itself on its open and honest voting laws and procedures. However, the extraordinary closeness of the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore triggered a rare scrutiny of the election process. This highly disputed contest revealed problems with ballot design and order; access to the polls; voting machines; absentee, military, and overseas ballots; election laws and the Electoral College; and judicial oversight of the voting process. It brought to light issues regarding political polling in general, exit polls in particular, media projections and reporting, and even the election night "calling" of outcomes. Rethinking the Vote: The Politics and Prospects of American Election Reform centers on what can and should be learned about the processes of voting. Using the 2000 presidential election as a starting point, this collection of essays puts forth a constructive effort to learn from what transpired and to offer potential solutions for the future. Featuring work by leading academics and participants in the real-world drama of the 2000 election, it examines the legal, political, and institutional problems of administering elections in the U.S. The book begins and ends with questions about the prospects and possibilities for reform. It takes a consistently pragmatic approach that recognizes both the constraints on and the opportunities for change in America's elaborate constitutional and political structures. Providing a useful mix of quantitative and qualitative data, Rethinking the Vote is ideal for undergraduate courses in American politics, American elections, public opinion and voting behavior, American political thought, campaigns and elections, presidential politics, and media and politics.

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