Schaefer Center for Public Policy to Conduct Statewide Study of Voters' Wait Times in Wake of 2014 Election
November 4, 2014
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore's Schaefer Center for Public Policy will conduct a study on voter wait times for the Maryland State Board of Elections, following the 2014 general election. The study, headed by John T. Willis, a Schaefer Center Faculty Fellow and executive in residence in the University's College of Public Affairs, will use a research team to collect wait-time data at 20-30 polling places on Election Day. This data also were collected during the early voting period. The goal of this research, according to Schaefer Center officials, is to determine if Maryland voters are experiencing significant wait times at polling place.
"In a report released in January 2014, the Presidential Commission on Election Administration concluded that no voter should wait longer than 30 minutes at polling places," said Ann Cotten, director of the Schaefer Center. "Our research will measure Maryland’s performance against that benchmark. If a problem is identified, we will make recommendations about how wait times can be reduced."
The center's expertise in this area of inquiry is receiving national attention: In an October 2014 study by the federal General Accounting Office, an earlier Schaefer Center study, "Voting and the Administration of Elections in Maryland," was cited as an example of exploring effective ways to estimate voter wait times by interviewing poll workers and using a sample of voters' experiences.
The center's report will be completed by mid-December. The State Board of Elections will share the report with the Maryland General Assembly during the 2015 session.
Learn more about the Schaefer Center for Public Policy.
Learn more about Prof. John Willis.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.