Donald F. Norris, professor and chairman of UMBC’s Department of Public Policy, has offered insight on topics from Maryland ballot measures to the advertising wars throughout the election season.
He recently commented in a Patch article on early voting, stating: “There is little or no evidence that early voting matters in overall turnout or in overall turnout among sub groups of voters—elderly, young, minorities, etc. So I am not inclined to say anything about this except that turnout is up.”
Why the increase in turnout of early voters? Norris told WBAL, “We’ve got at least three ballot questions that are very emotional in nature.” Norris will provide election commentary tomorrow night on WBAL.
Update (11/8/2012): Norris appeared on WJZ, where he commented that voter turnout will likely not be as high as the last presidential election, but, “that prediction could be upset…by the fact that we’ve got ballot questions that people are very, very invested in.” He also provided election night commentary for WBAL as the returns came in and commented on the election results in the Daily Record (on Governor O’Malley’s plans and on the gambling referendum).
