Election Night News and Voter Turnout : : Solving the Projection Puzzle / / William C. Adams.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Lynne Rienner Press Complete eBook-Package 2013-2000
• VerfasserIn: Adams, William C.,
• Place / Publishing House: Boulder : : Lynne Rienner Publishers, , [2023]; ©2005
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (149 p.)

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.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Tables and Figures -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1 The Controversy's Context 1960-2004 -- 2 Reassessing Conflicting Findings -- 3 Election Night Newscasts -- 4 Polling Portland's Nonvoters: Western Oregon -- 5 Turnout Test of Twin Counties: Eastern Oregon -- 6 Heartland Not Disheartened: Idaho, Kansas, and North Dakota -- 7 Decades of Dinnertime Dropoff: California -- 8 Deploring but Ignoring Projections: Washington, Oregon, and California -- 9 Sorting Through 2000 Snafus: Florida -- 10 Equity, Fairness, and Policy Options -- References -- Index -- About the Book