With democracy in something of a pickle in recent years, there has been an understandable desire to increase voter turnout and political engagement more generally. A recent study from Washington State University suggests that a more efficient postal service could be one way of achieving this.

The researchers analyzed election data between 2012 and 2020, with the 2020 election particularly interesting as the pandemic forced many people to vote via mail. The study understandably found that more accessible postal voting laws had a big role to play, but so too did the efficiency of the postal service, with a faster service raising the likelihood of someone voting by around 3.5%.

“Across the board, this study shows that having better postal administration makes it more likely there will be more positive voter turnout outcomes linked to all mail voting laws,” the researchers explain. “But in states that have the most restrictive mail voting laws, having better postal administration makes a huge difference—it may not seem huge, but for individuals who sometimes are on the fence about voting by mail or not voting at all, it can tip the balance.”

Raising the chances

The researchers created a model to estimate the likelihood of someone becoming a voter in either the 2018 or 2020 election. The model factored in both the efficiency of the postal service and the voting laws surrounding postal voting.

In states with strict rules for voting by mail, like Alabama, only about 62% of eligible individuals actually voted. In states where everyone can vote by mail, like Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Colorado, about 70% of eligible people voted in 2018 and 2020. In states where you can request a mail-in ballot without giving a specific reason (no-excuse absentee), the voting rate was about 65%.

There are also laws called “cure” laws that help more people vote. These laws allow officials to contact voters if there’s a problem with their mail-in ballot, like a missing signature. Voters can then fix the issue so their vote counts.

In 2020, when many people voted by mail because of the pandemic, the postal service had some problems. The person in charge of the postal service reduced the number of machines used to process mail. Also, then-President Trump falsely claimed that mail-in voting had a lot of fraud, which added to the confusion around voting.

“Mail voting is very popular for the elderly, the disabled and even for individuals who just simply want more convenience to cast a ballot,” the authors conclude. “This research and research from others in the field have indicated that mail voting is a key driver of higher turnout, so it will likely continue to be very pivotal in the 2024 election.”