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Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Who’s On First?
Every year, about this time, I hear from people who have watched their state set the order of candidate appearance on the fall ballot. Some states put candidates in chronological order of their official filing with the elections board, while others choose candidates or parties by lot. In fact, the smorgasbord of ways each state arranges candidates is staggering, both in its variety and, often, its complexity (for a complete list of how each state determines ballot order, click here). Regardless of the method, inquiring political minds want to know, does it make any difference?
This is a question that has long fascinated political scientists. We like to study the behavior of voters. What leads citizens to vote the way they do?
