On Thursday Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton delivered a speech in Texas on voting rights. Speaking at the historically black Texas Southern University Clinton called out Republicans, including former Governor Rick Perry, who she said have restricted voting rights. And Clinton called for the expansion of voting opportunities in America.
The former Secretary of State said she wants to register every American up to vote as soon as they're eligible at age 18, unless they opt out. She called for expanded access to polling places, keeping them open for at least 20 days and offering voting hours on evenings and weekends.
So how effective is early voting in increasing voting turnout? There’s research that shows it actually can reduce voter participation.
David T. Cannon is a professor of political science at University of Wisconsin‑Madison and is a co-author of the paper “Election Laws, Mobilization, and Turnout: The Unanticipated Consequences of Election Reform.”
