The Impact of State Voting Processes in the 2020 Election: Estimating the Effects on Voter Turnout, Voting Method, and the Spread of Covid-19

Many states implemented automatic voter registration, removed excuse requirements for absentee ballots, and expanded early voting windows ahead of the 2020 election. This report examines the effects that these changes in voting laws--meant to encourage turnout and protect public health during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic--had on levels of voter turnout and, relatedly, the effects of in-person voting on the spread of COVID-19.