Results of Knox County Voting Survey

PRESS RELEASE
Feb. 5, 2009

“UT Researchers Report Findings from Survey of Recent Knox County Voters”

Michael R. Fitzgerald, David H. Folz and John M. Scheb
Department of Political Science and Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Researchers from the UT Department of Political Science and the Howard Baker Center for Public Policy have just finished analyzing data collected from voters during last fall’s presidential election in Knox County.  In cooperation with the Administrator of Elections, UT researchers surveyed 1574 voters, 57% of whom voted early and 43% of whom voted on Election Day.  Questionnaires were distributed by poll workers at all of the early voting centers during each day of operation and at all county precincts on Election Day.

The results of the survey suggest a high level of voter satisfaction with the administration of the 2008 election. 98% of respondents rated their experience at the polls as “good” or “excellent.”  Those who voted early were more likely to say “excellent” (78% as compared with 73% of voters who voted on Election Day).

Voters gave high marks to poll workers, with 86% saying their performance was “excellent.”  That perception did not vary significantly between early voters and those who voted on Election Day.

80% of the voters surveyed rated the convenience of their polling place as being “excellent,” with early voters being slightly more likely to give the highest rating.

36% of early voters reported having to wait less than a minute before voting; 22% of Election Day voters waited less than a minute.  Only 9% of early voters reported having to wait more than 15 minutes to vote, whereas one in five who voted on Election Day had to wait more than fifteen minutes.  2% of those who voted on Election Day had to wait more than an hour; none of the survey respondents who voted early reported waiting that long.

There was a significant difference between early voters and Election Day voters as to the time of day they cast their ballots.  Early voters tended to vote at mid-day, while those who voted on Election Day were spread out through the day.

59% of voters surveyed said they would be in favor of extending early voting at convenience centers through Election Day and doing away with precinct-based voting.  Only 19% opposed that idea; 22% were not sure. Among early voters, support for “convenience voting” was significantly higher, with 70% favoring the new approach and only 10% opposing the abolition of precinct-based voting.

For more information, contact:
Mike Fitzgerald, 974-7049
David Folz, 974-0802
John Scheb, 974-2845