Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration

Closing Age and Race Gaps in Elections Through Inclusive and Contextual Communications

Julia Fisher Cummings

University of Colorado Denver

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9811-7703

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jsepa.v3i1.5577

Keywords: Election campaigns, political messaging, inclusive language, voting deserts, nonvoters

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Abstract

This study seeks to learn how viewing political communications with varying attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion affects the intention to vote in the next election. The investigation examines voting disparities by considering power imbalances in political communications. It features a randomized experiment with 416 individuals (ages 18 to 30) in Denver, Colorado. Survey participants saw one of two virtual political postcards describing a minimum wage policy issue, each with varying attention to DEI. The study identifies voting deserts, defined as precincts with the highest percentage of nonvoters in the previous presidential election. Findings reveal that Asian, Black, Latiné, multiracial individuals, and women are more likely to intend to vote after viewing imagery with more attention to DEI. Implications are discussed for how public administrators and community-based organizations can strive to close age and race gaps in elections by driving voter turnout and building political power in marginalized communities.

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Author Biography

Julia Fisher Cummings, University of Colorado Denver

Julia Fisher Cummings (she/her) (julia.cummings@ucdenver.edu) is a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs. Her research examines strategic communication for public engagement, policy narratives/imagery, and inclusion. She has provided marketing leadership for CU Denver, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Audubon, and the Smithsonian Institution.

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