In eight of the past dozen presidential elections, TV networks proclaimed the winner while citizens on the West Coast, Hawaii, and Alaska were still casting ballots. Is this a problem? Do media projections decrease voter turnout? Carefully examining data from every presidential election held from 1960 through 2004, William Adams definitively answers both questions.
Adams employs a range of methods (including content analysis, focus groups, survey research, meta-analysis, and time-series analysis) to corroborate his finding that projections do not in fact discourage voter turnout—but do raise serious issues of equity and perceived discrimination. His persuasive analysis suggests clear policy options designed to keep voters from feeling discounted and devalued on election day.
