Decades after the 1965 Voting Rights Act was passed, the racial turnout gap persists. It’s a glaring symptom of America’s failure to live up to its democratic ideals — and it's not improving. The gap was larger in 2022 than in any election since at least 2008, when it briefly closed for Black voters during the Obama era. And the gap for other racial and ethnic groups never closed at all.

The Brennan Center is working to identify the causes of the growing racial turnout gap and to promote steps to remedy it. At a two-day symposium on March 11 and 12 at NYU, the nation’s leading social scientists will present research exploring these issues. Topics will include the effects of statewide voting policies, the barriers different minority groups face to voting, and myriad other obstacles hindering the exercise of the most vital of American rights. 

Join us as we convene to discuss why the racial turnout gap is such a persistent challenge, what is perpetuating it, and what must be done to solve the problem.

Monday, March 11, 2024
Breakfast served10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Greenberg Lounge
Welcome and Introduction10:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Michael Waldman, Brennan Center for Justice

Greenberg Lounge
Survey of Literature on the Turnout Gap10:45 AM - 11:20 AM

Kevin Morris, Brennan Center for Justice
Bernard Fraga, Emory University
Discussant: Wendy Weiser, Brennan Center for Justice

Greenberg Lounge
Intimidation and Alienation11:30 AM - 12:55 PM

Martha Kropf, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Gina Branton, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Hiding from Hate: Mail Voting a Tool to Avoid Voter Intimidation and Hate Crimes
Tye Rush, University of California, San Diego
Race, Ethnicity, and Trust in American Elections
Daniel Laurison, Swarthmore College; Rachel Broun, Stanford University
Not (Just) Barriers: How Poor and Working Class Black People See Politics
Iris Zhang, Stanford University
Accessing the Right to Vote Among System-Impacted People
Discussant: Sean Morales-Doyle, Brennan Center for Justice

Greenberg Lounge
Lunch served1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Greenberg Lounge
Intersectional Considerations2:00 PM - 3:25 PM

Eric Hansen, Loyola University Chicago
Does the Relative Education Model Explain Turnout Across Racial/Ethnic Groups?
Marayna Martinez, Princeton University
Exclusionary Discipline and Early Adult Political Participation Among Students of Color
Abigail Martin, Bowdoin College; Julia Xiang-Wang, Bowdoin College; Peyton Semjen, Bowdoin College
Racial Gaps in Turnout at Institutions of Higher Education and Youth Populations
Cole Tanigawa-Lau, American Civil Liberties Union
Intersecting Impacts of Race and Disability on Voter Turnout
Discussant: Leah Tulin, Brennan Center for Justice

Tishman Auditorium
Redistricting and Representation2:00 PM - 3:25 PM

Neil Chaturvedi, Cal Poly Pomona
Dilution of Influence: How Black Voters Are Deprived of Representation in the South
Raquel Centeno, University of Southern California; Kayla Wolf, University of Southern California
The Demobilizing Effect of Primary Institutions on Asian American and Latino Voters
Dan Ziebarth, George Washington University
One Person, One Vote and the Racial Turnout Gap in U.S. Elections
Discussant: John Cusick, NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Greenberg Lounge
Campaigns and Election Administration3:40 PM - 5:05 PM

Mike Miller, Barnard College at Columbia University
Restrictive Mail Voting Rules Burden Minority Voters: Evidence from Texas
Fernanda Gonzalez, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
¿Dónde diablos voto? Unexamined variations in linguistic responsiveness by governments and representatives
Doug Spencer, University of Colorado Law School
Mobilization Intensity and the Turnout Gap
Bernard Fraga, Emory University
Using Administrative Data to Assess Multilingual Language Material Usage and Impact
Discussant: Davin Rosborough, ACLU

Greenberg Lounge
Reception5:05 PM - 6:30 PM Greenberg Lounge
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Breakfast served10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Greenberg Lounge
Methodological Advancements10:30 AM - 11:55 AM

Nhat-Dang Do, Trinity College
A Civically-Engaged Study of Social Network Voter Mobilization Among Racial Minorities in Hartford, CT
Michael Rios, Voting Rights Project, University of California, Los Angeles; Matt Barreto, Voting Rights Project, University of California, Los Angeles; Diego Casillas, Voting Rights Project, University of California, Los Angeles
Using Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding to Study the Racial Turnout Gap in California
Jillian Rothschild, University of Maryland
Who Lacks ID in America, and What Does This Mean for Equitable Voting Access?
Michael McDonald, University of Florida
Changing Precinct Boundaries: Who Is Affected and Electoral Consequences
Discussant: Benjamin Nyblade, Brennan Center for Justice

Tishman Auditorium
Native American Turnout Gap10:30 AM - 11:55 AM

Cory Haala, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
Mobilizing Nonwhite Voters in the Upper Midwest: Progressive Organizing in the 1980s and 1990s, from Inner City to Reservation
Chelsea Jones, Brennan Center for Justice; Coryn Grange, Brennan Center for Justice
Conceptualizing Political Participation on Tribal Lands and the Barriers to Native American Turnout
Loren Collingwood, University of New Mexico
Tribal Voting: Examining How Cherokee Nation Residency Impacts Political Engagement
Melissa Rogers, Claremont Graduate University
Native Felon Disenfranchisement
Discussant: Allison Neswood, Native American Rights Fund

Greenberg Lounge
Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future12:10 PM - 1:35 PM

Victoria Wenger, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Why Geaux Vote? Addressing Racial Voter Turnout Gaps in Louisiana
Lionel Dripps, Voter Participation Center; Jenna Zitomer, Voter Participation Center
Program Strategies to Increase Turnout Rates for People of Color
David Niven, University of Cincinnati
The Reverberating Effects of Voting Obstacles on an Unrepresentative Electorate
Discussant: Kareem Crayton, Brennan Center for Justice

Greenberg Lounge
Lunch served and closing remarks1:35 PM - 2:15 PM Greenberg Lounge

¿Dónde diablos voto? Unexamined variations in linguistic responsiveness by governments and representatives
Presenter: Fernanda Gonzalez, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Other authors: Thessalia Merivaki, Mississippi State University; Alex Flores, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A Civically-Engaged Study of Social Network Voter Mobilization Among Racial Minorities in Hartford, CT
Presenter: Nhat-Dang Do, Trinity College
Other authors: Savannah Brooks, Trinity College

Accessing the Right to Vote Among System-Impacted People
Presenter: Naomi Sugie, University of California, Irvine
Other authors: Emily Zhang, UC Berkeley School of Law; Iris Zhang, Stanford University

Changing Precinct Boundaries: Who Is Affected and Electoral Consequences
Presenter: Brian Amos, Wichita State University;
Other authors: Michael McDonald, University of Florida; Steve Gerontakis, University of North Carolina, Asheville

Dilution of Influence: How Black Voters Are Deprived of Representation in the South
Presenter: Neil Chaturvedi, Cal Poly Pomona

Does the Relative Education Model Explain Turnout Across Racial/Ethnic Groups?
Presenter: Eric Hansen, Loyola University Chicago
Other authors: Emily Wager, Rice University; Ashley Grace Burkholder, Loyola University Chicago

Exclusionary Discipline and Early Adult Political Participation Among Students of Color
Presenter: Marayna Martinez, Princeton University

Hiding from Hate: Mail Voting a Tool to Avoid Voter Intimidation and Hate Crimes
Presenter: Martha Kropf, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Other authors: Gina Branton, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Intersecting Impacts of Race and Disability on Voter Turnout
Presenter: Cole Tanigawa-Lau, American Civil Liberties Union
Other authors: Brooke Madubuonwu, American Civil Liberties Union; Devin McCarthy, American Civil Liberties Union

Mobilization Intensity and the Turnout Gap
Presenter: Doug Spencer, University of Colorado Law School
Other authors: Bertrall Ross, University of Virginia

Mobilizing Nonwhite Voters in the Upper Midwest: Progressive Organizing in the 1980s and 1990s, from Inner City to Reservation
Presenter: Cory Haala, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

Conceptualizing Political Participation on Tribal Lands and the Barriers to Native American Turnout
Presenters: Chelsea Jones, Brennan Center for Justice; Coryn Grange, Brennan Center for Justice

Native Felon Disenfranchisement
Presenter: Melissa Rogers, Claremont Graduate University    
Other authors: Joseph Dietrich, Towson University; Jean Schroedel, Claremont Graduate University

Not (Just) Barriers: How Poor and Working Class Black People See Politics
Presenters: Daniel Laurison, Swarthmore College; Rachel Broun, Stanford University

One Person, One Vote and the Racial Turnout Gap in U.S. Elections
Presenter: Dan Ziebarth, George Washington University

Program Strategies to Increase Turnout Rates for People of Color
Presenters: Lionel Dripps, Voter Participation Center; Jenna Zitomer, Voter Participation Center

Race, Ethnicity, and Trust in American Elections
Presenters: Tye Rush, University of California, San Diego; Laura Uribe, University of California, San Diego
Other authors: Kailen Aldridge, University of California, San Diego; Thad Kousser, University of California, San Diego; Kyshan Nichols-Smith, Morehouse College

Racial Gaps in Turnout at Institutions of Higher Education and Youth Populations
Presenters: Abigail Martin, Bowdoin College; Julia Xiang-Wang, Bowdoin College; Peyton Semjen, Bowdoin College
Other authors: Ángel Saavedra Cisneros, Bowdoin College; Michael Franz, Bowdoin College

Restrictive Mail Voting Rules Burden Minority Voters: Evidence from Texas
Presenter: Mike Miller, Barnard College at Columbia University
Other authors: Kevin Morris, Brennan Center for Justice; Coryn Grange, Brennan Center for Justice; Ian Shapiro, Brennan Center for Justice

The Demobilizing Effect of Primary Institutions on Asian American and Latino Voters
Presenters: Raquel Centeno, University of Southern California; Kayla Wolf, University of Southern California
Other authors: Christian R. Grose, University of Southern California

The Reverberating Effects of Voting Obstacles on an Unrepresentative Electorate    
Presenter: David Niven, University of Cincinnati

Tribal Voting: Examining How Cherokee Nation Residency Impacts Political Engagement
Presenter: Loren Collingwood, University of New Mexico
Other authors: John Burnett, University of California, Riverside; Sean Long, George Washington University
    
Using Administrative Data to Assess Multilingual Language Material Usage and Impact
Presenter: Bernard Fraga, Emory University
Other authors: Phi Nguyen, Demos; Grace Lee, Emory University

Using Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding to Study the Racial Turnout Gap in California
Presenters: Michael Rios, Voting Rights Project, University of California, Los Angeles; Matt Barreto, Voting Rights Project, University of California, Los Angeles; Diego Casillas, Voting Rights Project, University of California, Los Angeles
Other authors: Sonni Waknin, Voting Rights Project, University of California, Los Angeles

Who Lacks ID in America, and What Does This Mean for Equitable Voting Access?
Presenter: Jillian Rothschild, University of Maryland
Other authors: Lauren Kunis, VoteRiders; Michael Hammer, University of Maryland; Samuel Novey, University of Maryland

Why Geaux Vote? Addressing Racial Voter Turnout Gaps in Louisiana
Presenter: Victoria Wenger, NAACP Legal Defense Fund