Think locally, vote locally

Abstract

In 2006, Athens-Clarke County (ACC) switched to nonpartisan elections for the mayor and county commission. Using data obtained from the ACC Board of Elections, this study explores the effects of this rules change on voter turnout in primary and general elections, as well as the effect of nonpartisanship on voters’ ballot selection in an open primary system. The findings suggest that voters turn out to vote in primaries base on the degree of local competition, while turnout in general elections is a function of statewide competition. Additionally, voters strategically select primary ballots based on ballot dynamics. Nonpartisanship does not appear to affect voter turnout, but the removal of local offices from the primary ballot does affect the probability of voters choosing a Republican ballot.