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7.1.D. - Page 46 <br /> Conclusion <br /> The elections analyzed in this report found an insignificant reduction in turnout in special <br /> elections when polling place voting was replaced with mandatory absentee voting. In particular, <br /> turnout for these elections does not appear to differ on the basis of such attributes as ethnicity, <br /> party or permanent absentee status. The voting participation of voters between the special <br /> election of 2013 and the special elections of 2009 and 2007 remained proportionately the same <br /> for all of these attributes. The key voter characteristic that changed between these elections was <br /> that of percent of voters becoming permanent absentee voters, which increased substantially <br /> between 2007/2009 and 2013, while the ethnic make-up and the party preference of the <br /> electorate remained relatively constant. It would be expected that permanent absentee voters <br /> would not substantially change their voting behavior should they be required to vote absentee, <br /> but there was uncertainty about the non-permanent absentee voters. In this case, for these <br /> elections, the participation of the non-permanent absentee voters was not substantially affected. <br /> It should be noted that one of the areas of the study (Davis) is a relatively affluent, homogenous <br /> community with a higher level of educational achievement than most areas of the state, so the <br /> results in this analysis are not necessarily applicable to other, dissimilar communities. A more <br /> important reason that this conclusion cannot easily be generalized beyond the particular <br /> circumstances of this study has to do with the context of the special elections as compared to <br /> general elections. The special elections analyzed pertain to ballot measures rather than <br /> candidates. In a general election, there is increased turnout associated with heightened media <br /> attention, and, in particular, last-minute decisions to register and vote being made by voters who <br /> do not participate in most elections. These voters would be disenfranchised in an all-absentee <br /> 40 <br />